Good Birding: How I started birding

In March 1971 I acquired a pair of cheap, used binoculars for $25. I had been interested in birds since I was five years old, but I never had the benefit of binoculars until those first days in 1971. I was also new to the Sunshine Coast, having grown up in England. As soon as I owned the binoculars, I ran out and bought the standard field guide at the time, Roger Tory Petersen’s A Field Guide to Western Birds. Equipped with binoculars and a field guide I started out on a lifetime’s adventure of identifying birds. 

In the springtime of 1971, I was living at the end of the road (as it was at the time) in West Porpoise Bay, and beyond our residence there was nothing but a clearing where today there is a subdivision, and trails through the forest that went as far as Snake Bay. This became my stomping ground as I spent every daylight hour scouring the area for birds. April on the Sunshine Coast sees the arrival of new migrant bird species daily, 30+ species in total, or an average of one new arrival per day for the entire month. I quickly became absorbed in my new hobby to the point where I was disappointed every evening when darkness arrived, and rainy days were a source of great displeasure. 

Being a recent arrival to Canada, B.C., and the Sunshine Coast, every species I observed was new to me. Even the commonest species, such as robins, juncos and towhees were unfamiliar and had to be learned. Bald eagles are abundant here but there are few places in the world where that can be said about eagles, as they are usually rare and confined to remote wilderness regions. During my first year of birding, I spent a lot of time consulting my trusty Petersen guide on the finer points of each bird I observed. There were mis-identifications and question marks, and I was always particularly unhappy with any question marks. However, it was the beginning of the process of putting in the 10,000 hours, which are reputedly required to become adept at any pursuit. 

So, April is one of the best months of the year for birding, and this month, 53 years later, was no exception, as the migrant birds arrived as they always do. Starting on April 1, there were daily overflights of flocks of Canada and snow geese, all three species of falcons were reported, sparrows arrived by the thousands, mainly white-crowned and golden -crowned but also rarer species. There were thousands of warblers of various species, swallows, thrushes, finches, vireos and flycatchers. There were even some rarities.   

To report your sightings or questions contact [email protected] or 885-5539. Good Birding.