A Great Blue Heron startled me by flying about ten feet over my head as I was laying on my back just spacing out on the sky. I thought it was some sort of dinosaur! It was my ephiphany bird.

Shortly thereafter I started going on local organized bird walks, buying bird books, optics and so on. I spent a lot of time watching birds and gaining experience. I bird the east coast from PEI to Sanibel as much as I can.

I just did the local Christmas Bird Count (CBC). If you have never done this, you must try it. It is facinating watching the changes in bird populations fron year to year.

I find birding to be a spiritual experience. I learn a lot about life by watching birds as they live out their lives free of human constructs.

Today I digiscope birds and run a birding message board at http://www.forthebirdsboard.com/

I can pick out some and have my favorites. We have set up grapefruit in trees to call Baltimore Orioles (birds, not baseball team) and suet to call Rosebreasted Gross beaks. Unfortunately, one of the birds I’d love to see is an Indigo bunting. I have heard they are beautiful. Is there anyway to call them or is it all luck?

http://www.perunature.com/lodges_trc.php

The Tambopata Research Center is a spartan yet comfortable 13 bedroom lodge built by Rainforest Expeditions with the object of lodging tourists and researchers alike and of protecting the adjacent macaw clay lick. Because of its remote location in a Connecticut-sized tract of uninhabited wilderness housing stable populations of endangered wildlife, the small scale of its infrastructure and operations and the presence of researchers and naturalist guides, Tambopata Research Center is an excellent headquarters for in depth explorations of Amazonian nature and wildlife.

*

Designed using traditional, low impact native architecture to provide the creature comforts necessary for enhancing the wilderness experience without compromising its authenticity.

*

Unobstacled view of forest ten meters from lodge perimeter maximizes wildlife encounter possibilities.

*

Daily departures with no minimum number of passengers assure utmost flexibility at great value.

*

Meals combine international, Peruvian and local cuisine. Vegetarians are welcome.Guides are young, English-speaking Peruvian biologists. Additionally, the presence of professional researchers at different times of the year may present ample opportunity to interact with them.

*

An experienced, well-trained staff hired at a 2.5:1 tourist to staff ratio assures excellent service throughout your stay.

*

Walks on trails are kept at a 6:1 tourist to guide ratio, increasing wildlife encounter opportunities. Natural history attractions include world’s largest known macaw clay lick , over twenty five identified macaw nesting sites , primates and other larger mammals , and a high bird concentrated in seven distinct habitats that are easily accesible from TRC.

LOCATION

Tambopata Research Center is located in a half hectare clearing (one acre) located in the Tambopata National Reserve directly adjacent to the Bahuaja National Park, in southeastern Amazonian Peru, 500 meters from the world’s largest macaw clay lick.(snip)

Will be interested to see what other birders have to say. They’re a passionate lot.

I agree. Franzen’s article was beautiful. I hope that on the show we’ll talk about the psychological component of birding and all the metaphors that the world of birding offers.

weeks New Yorker> He does write well.

It looks like this is show that we’ll have to do soon. Once the fall migration starts birders will be hard to come by.