Welp, I know what I'm watching tonight! Thanks for the recommendation. If I ever do a Big Year, it will be a 'me' kind of BY, meaning maybe several birding trips in the same year. I love seeing new birds, but my biggest thrill is taking a decent, crisp shot of one. I use a camera that's not great for that purpose, so you would think I would get a better one, but I hate carrying a lot of gear and my camera doubles as my binoculars and has spectacular range. So I guess I'll keep sorting through 1000s of photos to find the few that are decent. Keeps me humble!
Oooh let me know what you think! I just love that movie so much.
The plight of every bird photographer—finding one decent pic out of hundreds or thousands. You’d think with my basic level of skill I’d go for a higher volume of shots, but no 🥴
Great post, as always! I've seen Listers and loved it. So much fun how they dive into this year as complete newbies and kind of become part of the birding community while at the same time keeping the perspective of amused outsiders. This is what makes the film so special and hilarious.
A Big Year is not on my bucket list. This would take the fun out of birding. For me, birding is meditation, connecting with nature to calm down my busy brain. A Big Year seems to be the opposite 😅
Yes! I'm so glad you loved it! I thought I had a crash course in birding when I was dragged out at 6 am for the Christmas Bird Count. Listers is the ultimate crash course.
I'm with you. No desire to hysterically chase every bird. A big day here and there, but that's it.
I’ve been enjoying the AMREs here every day, knowing that I’ll soon be missing them till spring. This morning’s amazing & completely surprising find was a Black Throated Blue Warbler, beautiful male. 🤩
Listers was the best thing I've watched in years. Thank you. I think I laughed the most when they were talking about their eBird list reviewer email. Oh the memories!
I’m so glad you did a post on Listers, Nate! It was soooooo good, in all the ways you described. Did you listen to Owen on the ABA podcast yet?
Re a Big Year, never for me. That way lies madness and divorce. I, like you, oscillate between birding styles, and sometimes I’m motivated to rack up a big list, but thankfully not often.
Putting this on my list to watch. I started like a lot of people. I put up a feeder and things just grew from there. I found a couple birding forums online. This is the early 2000’s. Then we moved to an area that had birds I had never seen before! Pileated woodpeckers, Cooper Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks! Cedar Waxwings!!
I got my first digital camera and I was off! Doing my best adding to my ebird list. I stopped doing ebird when I was told the Whooping Cranes I saw couldn’t be counted because they were being pilot led. I just made my own list in my birding folder that was just for me. And it gave me lots of joy and sense of accomplishment. It even helped me spread my wings and I also ended up chasing butterflies. So I also had a butterfly list!
I can no longer do either one. But I have lots of memories enjoying my time spent marveling at nature and the beauty that is there in front of us.
Yes, it can be frustrating when eBird tells us a bird we absolutely saw doesn't count. My Whooping Crane doesn't count either. Neither does my Black Swan, which is more understandable because it was an introduced exotic. But I count them on my own personal list. Who knows when/if I'll ever see a Black Swan in the wild.
I watched Listers a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved it! If I ever had the time and resources to do so, I think I would take a year to tour the US, not to break a record or see a certain number of species, but to to enjoy birding and photography as much as possible.
One of my reasons to never have a Big Year is that I've noticed fellow birders neglect the welfare of the birds, and often wander into protected areas, or cause disturbance, just to complete their bird lists or get that million-dollar photo. I'm very superstitious about birding, in the way that I always go out with no expectations, with the belief that if I say 'I hope I see a...' will immediately delete that bird from existence. While I know it's nonsense, it does have the effect of keeping my expectations low, so I'm pretty much always happy with having seen what I've seen!
YES. That's a very healthy approach to birding. From now on I'm going out with the attitude "I'm looking forward to seeing fuck all" and then being delighted with everything I see.
And yeah, that level of competitiveness and ambition is often leading to some questionable behaviors. Absolutely a byproduct of doing a BY.
Cool. Putting this film in my Library on uTube. I actually saw my first White-Crowned Sparrow for the year. I am not sure where they are all hanging out around here, but for just one to show up at the feeders is a triumph for me. Also, the Altadena Lesser Goldfinches have decided to keep my nyjer socks as one of their favorite places to catch a snack on their way to ‘whoknowswhere.” Just wish they would keep their traps shut about the food supply -can’t see the socks anymore when they party.
Whoknowswhere... that place the birds go that is apparently on the other side of a vortex.
I hope you like it! I'm looking forward to watching it again with my family. It's so entertaining, I think even the non-birders in my flock will get a kick out of it.
White-crowned. Nice! The sparrows are coming. Just had two Lincoln's this morning.
Mesmerizing. Simply mesmerizing. My mobility has taken some serious whacks in recent years, so attempting to emulate a Lister would border on insanity, Nathaniel! Your style of presentation should be taught in schools of journalism far and wide. 🤷🏽
Marty told me about this at 7pm..i watched straight thru. Loved every inch of it. Laughed a lot and realized I know shit about birds but know i would trudge thru that marsh to see one.. LOL
It's so good. So hilarious. I'm more jealous of how goddam funny they are than of the birds they saw to be honest. Just brilliant comedy. I'm inspired.
ME TOO.. ready to go buy a vintage Westifillia and take off. To be so unselfconscious was remarkable;yet some of nature's finest weeds will take any shyness one might have away. Are you talking about Beechwood Farms with the Audubon store in the building? Tiny pond? I MUST GO.
Sounds like an interesting film and I'll to check it out. I will never do a Big Year either. I stopped counting and listing my sightings in 2023. I remember trying to add numbers in the ebird app and a Black-capped Chickadee landed on a branch a few feet from me. The way that little bird looked around and was curious what I was up to stopped me. I felt like I was not giving them their due attention if that makes sense. I will credit birding and ebird though with getting my lazy butt outside more and into Nature. It was a great gateway 'drug.' ;)
That's a service eBird doesn't get enough credit for--simply getting us outside. It can be addictive for sure. Definitely can distract us from the birds, which are the actual point. Good on you for being able to switch off. You're definitely one I would categorize as closer to the birding monk side of the spectrum, Neil.
Love it! And the movie. The Stabbone & McGraw link is hysterical and so random. Agree with the avoidance of a big year but the idea of an entire year devoted to watching and experiencing birds is so seductive. Thanks for sharing.
Hahaha, Stabbone & McGraw. My blogging past. Still floating out there in the ether. Glad it's still entertaining some people 25 years later.
Totally agree. Seductive idea. I've always fantasized about exploring the country in a van. Maybe something more suited to camping though. Not a Sedona lol. Thanks for reading!!!
Welp, I know what I'm watching tonight! Thanks for the recommendation. If I ever do a Big Year, it will be a 'me' kind of BY, meaning maybe several birding trips in the same year. I love seeing new birds, but my biggest thrill is taking a decent, crisp shot of one. I use a camera that's not great for that purpose, so you would think I would get a better one, but I hate carrying a lot of gear and my camera doubles as my binoculars and has spectacular range. So I guess I'll keep sorting through 1000s of photos to find the few that are decent. Keeps me humble!
Oooh let me know what you think! I just love that movie so much.
The plight of every bird photographer—finding one decent pic out of hundreds or thousands. You’d think with my basic level of skill I’d go for a higher volume of shots, but no 🥴
Thank you for posting about Listers. I watched it yesterday and have recommended it to everyone in my small sphere of contacts.
Quentin’s mullet, omg.
absolutely a mullet for the ages. Thanks so much for reading! I’m so glad you watched and enjoyed it!
Great post, as always! I've seen Listers and loved it. So much fun how they dive into this year as complete newbies and kind of become part of the birding community while at the same time keeping the perspective of amused outsiders. This is what makes the film so special and hilarious.
A Big Year is not on my bucket list. This would take the fun out of birding. For me, birding is meditation, connecting with nature to calm down my busy brain. A Big Year seems to be the opposite 😅
Yes! I'm so glad you loved it! I thought I had a crash course in birding when I was dragged out at 6 am for the Christmas Bird Count. Listers is the ultimate crash course.
I'm with you. No desire to hysterically chase every bird. A big day here and there, but that's it.
Fantastic video! I sat through the entire thing laughing and learning.
So glad you liked it. What a ride they take us on!
I’ve been enjoying the AMREs here every day, knowing that I’ll soon be missing them till spring. This morning’s amazing & completely surprising find was a Black Throated Blue Warbler, beautiful male. 🤩
What a treat! They're such a good warbler. So much more sociable than the others :D
Listers was the best thing I've watched in years. Thank you. I think I laughed the most when they were talking about their eBird list reviewer email. Oh the memories!
Hahaha yes! "The eBird police." Sooner or later they get you!
I’m so glad you did a post on Listers, Nate! It was soooooo good, in all the ways you described. Did you listen to Owen on the ABA podcast yet?
Re a Big Year, never for me. That way lies madness and divorce. I, like you, oscillate between birding styles, and sometimes I’m motivated to rack up a big list, but thankfully not often.
Haven't listened to it yet, but for sure will! Also going to invite them to be on my pod.
Madness and divorce. Absolutely spot on lol. A big day is about the furthest I'll ever push things.
Ooh, I'd love to hear them on your podcast. I'm sure it'll be hilarious!
Yes!! I hope they'll do it. Going to contact them this week 🤞
Good luck!
Putting this on my list to watch. I started like a lot of people. I put up a feeder and things just grew from there. I found a couple birding forums online. This is the early 2000’s. Then we moved to an area that had birds I had never seen before! Pileated woodpeckers, Cooper Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks! Cedar Waxwings!!
I got my first digital camera and I was off! Doing my best adding to my ebird list. I stopped doing ebird when I was told the Whooping Cranes I saw couldn’t be counted because they were being pilot led. I just made my own list in my birding folder that was just for me. And it gave me lots of joy and sense of accomplishment. It even helped me spread my wings and I also ended up chasing butterflies. So I also had a butterfly list!
I can no longer do either one. But I have lots of memories enjoying my time spent marveling at nature and the beauty that is there in front of us.
Yes, it can be frustrating when eBird tells us a bird we absolutely saw doesn't count. My Whooping Crane doesn't count either. Neither does my Black Swan, which is more understandable because it was an introduced exotic. But I count them on my own personal list. Who knows when/if I'll ever see a Black Swan in the wild.
Hope you enjoy the film. It's such a run ride!
I watched Listers a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved it! If I ever had the time and resources to do so, I think I would take a year to tour the US, not to break a record or see a certain number of species, but to to enjoy birding and photography as much as possible.
That would be a dream. Go around the country at my own pace, not worry about records or numbers, but totally see a ton of birds.
One of my reasons to never have a Big Year is that I've noticed fellow birders neglect the welfare of the birds, and often wander into protected areas, or cause disturbance, just to complete their bird lists or get that million-dollar photo. I'm very superstitious about birding, in the way that I always go out with no expectations, with the belief that if I say 'I hope I see a...' will immediately delete that bird from existence. While I know it's nonsense, it does have the effect of keeping my expectations low, so I'm pretty much always happy with having seen what I've seen!
YES. That's a very healthy approach to birding. From now on I'm going out with the attitude "I'm looking forward to seeing fuck all" and then being delighted with everything I see.
And yeah, that level of competitiveness and ambition is often leading to some questionable behaviors. Absolutely a byproduct of doing a BY.
Cool. Putting this film in my Library on uTube. I actually saw my first White-Crowned Sparrow for the year. I am not sure where they are all hanging out around here, but for just one to show up at the feeders is a triumph for me. Also, the Altadena Lesser Goldfinches have decided to keep my nyjer socks as one of their favorite places to catch a snack on their way to ‘whoknowswhere.” Just wish they would keep their traps shut about the food supply -can’t see the socks anymore when they party.
Whoknowswhere... that place the birds go that is apparently on the other side of a vortex.
I hope you like it! I'm looking forward to watching it again with my family. It's so entertaining, I think even the non-birders in my flock will get a kick out of it.
White-crowned. Nice! The sparrows are coming. Just had two Lincoln's this morning.
If it weren’t for their orange beaks the one would be buried under scaly-breasted munias and the Lessers.
I look forward to watching it and to you not doing a big year!
Hahaha. Me too!
I’ve had this one on my to-watch list and this just made it higher on that list!
Mesmerizing. Simply mesmerizing. My mobility has taken some serious whacks in recent years, so attempting to emulate a Lister would border on insanity, Nathaniel! Your style of presentation should be taught in schools of journalism far and wide. 🤷🏽
Mobility issues aside, a big year is absolutely borderline insanity. Respect for anyone who does it and comes through unscathed.
Thank you Gary! Always paying the best compliments!!! I appreciate you, sir!
You’re in for quite a ride. So good. So funny. My kind of flick
Marty told me about this at 7pm..i watched straight thru. Loved every inch of it. Laughed a lot and realized I know shit about birds but know i would trudge thru that marsh to see one.. LOL
It's so good. So hilarious. I'm more jealous of how goddam funny they are than of the birds they saw to be honest. Just brilliant comedy. I'm inspired.
ME TOO.. ready to go buy a vintage Westifillia and take off. To be so unselfconscious was remarkable;yet some of nature's finest weeds will take any shyness one might have away. Are you talking about Beechwood Farms with the Audubon store in the building? Tiny pond? I MUST GO.
That’s the one! Great for fall warblers. Been hitting it hard this fall
is the path from the bldg to the pond smooth or paved? i haven't been in two years and forget..
Paved for a bit. Then grass. Then gravel down to the pond. It’s not too treacherous
ill take my poles and go for it!!!
Sounds like an interesting film and I'll to check it out. I will never do a Big Year either. I stopped counting and listing my sightings in 2023. I remember trying to add numbers in the ebird app and a Black-capped Chickadee landed on a branch a few feet from me. The way that little bird looked around and was curious what I was up to stopped me. I felt like I was not giving them their due attention if that makes sense. I will credit birding and ebird though with getting my lazy butt outside more and into Nature. It was a great gateway 'drug.' ;)
That's a service eBird doesn't get enough credit for--simply getting us outside. It can be addictive for sure. Definitely can distract us from the birds, which are the actual point. Good on you for being able to switch off. You're definitely one I would categorize as closer to the birding monk side of the spectrum, Neil.
Love it! And the movie. The Stabbone & McGraw link is hysterical and so random. Agree with the avoidance of a big year but the idea of an entire year devoted to watching and experiencing birds is so seductive. Thanks for sharing.
Hahaha, Stabbone & McGraw. My blogging past. Still floating out there in the ether. Glad it's still entertaining some people 25 years later.
Totally agree. Seductive idea. I've always fantasized about exploring the country in a van. Maybe something more suited to camping though. Not a Sedona lol. Thanks for reading!!!