It’s six in the morning on a Wednesday. The forecast is sunny, high of seventy-two; a birder looks at their coffee table, while sipping their coffee and scrolling on their phone. It’s covered in bird guides and a craft beer can from a local brewery that was finished last night while watching a documentary on pelagic birds-the beer, an IPA, of course. Holding their coffee cup (which says ‘Nice Tits” and has illustrations of various tits around the world, it’s a bird chill…)  tightly, in one hand and gripping their cell phone in the other-a decision has been made. There is a vagrant bird that was reported about an hour and a half drive from their house. It is not far, they think, it will be worth it, they know.

 

The phone call to the office was brief, the boss probably knew they were calling in sick, not because of an actually sickness, but for a bird. They talk about birds and birding often, and their office cubicle is covered in their best photos; of birds, not their own children or spouse. There is one picture of them in the corner of the desk, next to the pen holder with birds on it that the office staff gave them for their birthday last year. The cake, had a Painted Bunting on it, one of their favorite birds-the cake was yellow with buttercream frosting (my favorite, nothing to do with the birder).

Birder number two, is already at the location when birder one shows up. They have already found the bird; they are there to lead birder one to the exact location. While waiting for birder one, birder two met birder three. They are new to birding and this is their first time trying to find a bird that wasn’t in their backyard. All three birders, are now set to find this amazing bird. Birder two leads the way. While walking, they stopped and picked up birder four, who doesn’t even know about birds and was just out for a hike, but the energy that one, two and three gave off is peaking the curiosity of birder four, and now, they are all down the path to find this bird. Fuck yes dude!

It’s spring, the sun is piercing through the trees and slightly warming the faces of the birders. They walk, light footed down a path still covered with winter debris. The ground is only a little damp, and the smell of freshly bloomed honeysuckle permeates the air. Birder one, taps birder two on the shoulder and asked how much further. Birder two doesn’t answer, only points up the trail to a tree that is highlighted by sunbeams. Its newly green leaves look as though they are waving them to the spot, as a breeze dances through the forest. Birder three walks behind everyone, because they had to fart.  

There they are, standing there. There is the tree, where is the bird? Birder two is losing hope, they called into work for this shit! Birder three is totally optimistic and glad to be around other birders who seem to be pretty chill and knowledgeable. Birder four thinks everyone that came out here just to see a bird, maybe fucking crazy, but nature is cool, and they hope the bird shows up so they can see it. Birder one, is just waiting, not saying much at all, and then they all spot the bird. It is darting in-between the leaves of the trees. Cameras and binoculars up to their eyes, the three birders are fully locked in. “Fuck yes!” a sigh of relief passes over birder two. Birder three can’t believe they were able to find this bird, now they are a little more willing to be more adventurous in their birding. Birder four, now wants a pair of binoculars. Birder one, silently looks at everyone enjoying the moment. 

Whether you’re birder 1, 2, 3, or 4, we’d love to have you join us in our online community, the Flock, to meet even more birders! https://www.skool.com/theflock/about