“See anything?”
How notable is this Robin?
In a harmless instance of humanity crossing paths, two people walk past each other on a trail. They both notice some sort of optic around the other’s neck, maybe binoculars, maybe a camera. There isn’t much reason to be out in this uninhabited part of the world, at this time of day, without some sort of purpose. Simultaneously they make the same connection, hey that person is birding too. So as they pass, a quick smile and nod, and then inevitably one person asks the other... “See Anything?”
Since the very first time this situation happened to me I’ve been flustered, and it hasn’t gotten better. I can’t exactly explain why, but it's a really difficult question. I think the problem is that coming from a stranger, in the middle of nowhere, “See anything?” completely lacks context. If you are asked this question by an amateur, they might be delighted to know that you saw a Red-Breasted Merganser fishing off the beach, even though at that time and place it's an incredibly common sight. The same answer given to a professional might be met with a funny face, and reluctance to share what they’ve seen because you’re too basic to appreciate it.
I can hear my critics now... “Who cares Jack, they’re out there because they love birds, and you love birds, no one will judge you”. Yes, you’re right, who cares. My unbridled enthusiasm for birds should only be met with more unbridled enthusiasm from the birder on the other side. But, let's move on.
I have come to learn that there is a hierarchy in birding. At the top is the traveling Ornithologist, who not only studies birds in a scientific manner, but also has the time and capability to travel the world building their knowledge through the observation of all manner of birds. On the other end of the spectrum is someone who creates an eBird account and counts the Robins he sees on the way to the train. (I wrote about my first birding experience here.) When encountering another birder, my goal is to give the impression that I’ve transcended from the very bottom of that hierarchy, and am somewhere near the middle. Enough to be taken seriously, but also to be given help. I can assure you that in this hobby, there is nothing more beautiful than help.
To give you a flavor of the many different ways this can go, I’m recounting a few of my favorite replies to “See Anything?”:
“Oh just the usual suspects” - This indicates that I’m familiar with the area and the resident wildlife, but I remain cryptic and offer no specifics that would tip off my non-professional nature.
“Yeah I think I saw a Northern Cock Hawk” - This is not a bird. I made this up. It’s not in a field guide.
“Well it was either a female Mallard, or a Gadwell, or a Black Duck Mallard Hybrid. It’s probably a Mallard. I don’t know, but it's over there in that pond” - I’m not joking, I think those were my exact words one day in a total fit of confusion.
“No” - Question answered. Moving on.
“Just a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Canada Jay, and a Black-capped Chickadee. Given the fact that the Chickadee landed on my hand, I bet that’s not so rare around here”
I’ve tried to prepare for the next time I’m asked “See anything?”; I’ve tried to come up with a few stock answers to rely on, and sometimes I’ll see something great and think to myself if anyone asks, now I can tell them I saw an American Wigeon!
The truth is that I aspire to be a confident birder, one who doesn’t need to overthink the question, because any bird is worth a reply. Yes I saw a Robin and a Northern Cardinal. Yes there were about a dozen Mallards around the bend. Yes I counted 32 Canada Geese. The birder I want to be is just happy to be outside, and happy to see anything with wings. I respect the people who get as much excitement watching the behavior of one simple bird for an hour, versus running around trying to check birds off a list. If my answer isn’t interesting enough and I miss out on a Pink-footed Goose because someone doesn’t think I’m worthy of sharing that detail, well shucks, I guess I’ll see it another day.
To arrive at this level of confidence, I’ll make a promise to myself. So long as I’ve seen any bird, the answer to “See Anything?” is “Yes”. If you come birding with me, the goal is to enjoy ourselves from start to finish no matter what we’ve seen. And if we’ve seen nothing, we’ll enjoy ourselves by explaining the detailed location of the Northern Cock Hawk (Gallus Impetuum) to anyone that asks.