Bird Watching at the Office: Tuning In to Wild Neighbors

USFWS

The American robin

June 6, 2008

by Gail Berrigan

The day before I started a new job, I got a phone call from my boss.

"This is optional, but a group of us are getting together before work tomorrow to birdwatch. You might enjoy it." As if I needed encouraging, she added, "It's a good way to meet people." I agreed.

"Wear comfortable shoes," she said. "We'll walk through the woods near the parking lot." I tried to picture walking in the woods in the suit and heels I planned to wear my first day. Not exactly walking in the woods attire.

"One more thing," she said, "bring binoculars."

The next morning at 8:30 a.m. sharp, I arrived, without binoculars, to find six co-workers gathered in a corner of the mostly empty parking lot. There was some excited talk about the unusual birds they'd seen last week: a pair of gold finches, a woodpecker.

The HSUS

Martin Stephens leads a bird watching group.

Expectations were high. Marty Stephens, the group leader, reminded the group about binocular technique. First, sight the bird. Then, keeping your gaze steady on the bird, raise the binoculars to your eyes.

A bright call sounded suddenly from a nearby tree, and, as if on cue, five pairs of binoculars swiveled into action. I squinted, scanning the trees, but saw nothing. "Over there, on the top branch," offered my boss, handing me her binoculars. I stared up into the tree, raising the binoculars slowly to my eyes, as if willing the bird to materialize. Still, nothing.

The others were having more luck, spotting a robin a short distance away. We began to move along the pavement toward the woods. I chatted with a new co-worker, and listened to anecdotes about a recent conference.

USFWS

A blue jay.

Marty described the difference between the call of a mockingbird and a cat bird. (The cat bird will mimic one note of a call; the more ambitious mockingbird will mimic three or four notes, often in repetition.) "Only the mockingbird mimics other bird calls professionally—the others are amateurs," added John Hadidian, a wildlife expert and the director of urban wildlife programs at The HSUS.

Just beyond the trees, we could hear the sound of passing cars and trucks grinding gears on the heavily trafficked interstate, yet in our parking lot oasis, the birds offered an alternative to the urban noise. Bird watching might be more aptly called either tree watching or bird listening. Pausing to listen, waiting for a sudden movement or burst of flight from the trees, we became aware of an astonishing range of sounds.

Watching, waiting to observe them, we listened first, and listening seemed to amplify their voices. Though unseen, the birds were all around us.

“I’ve got a nine o’clock meeting,” someone said, and the group began to disperse. We entered the building, the morning’s concert coming to a close. I looked forward to the evening program.