Not a Real Birder

We had a little bit of a getaway this week. It's been a long time since we felt safe to go very much of anywhere and this was a trip we'd waited two years for. Just before the Pandemic began, in late February of 2020, we went down to the Eastern Shore of Maryland for an overnight. We knew that the migrating snow geese would be at the wildlife preserve and Joe wanted to photograph them. We had had such a wonderful time that we decided to make this an annual pilgrimage.

And then. We couldn't go in February of 2021; it just wasn't safe, health wise. 

When we'd been at the preserve that first time, the volunteer on duty suggested that when we finished there we should go to another place, a few miles away, where we would see a lot of ducks. That experience was so fun-filled that this time Joe went to the feed and grain store for duck food that we took along.

The ducks were our first stop this year and, of course, they did not disappoint. But we were very surprised to find a group of people at the duckerage with long-lensed cameras, tripods, and eagerness. "Are you a birder?" a woman asked me. "I can show you the best spot to see her." I confessed to not being a real birder and inquired as to who "she" was.

It turned out that a Snowy Owl from the Arctic region had shown up, right there in Cambridge, Maryland, and had been hanging out in a four-block area on the waterfront since mid-January. Real birders from all over were coming to town; they knew they'd never have another chance to see one of these birds.

So in we settled. Joe got his camera and his tripod; I got my duck food. The first group of real birders left and others arrived. Oddly, I assumed the role of owl docent. I'd greet the arrivals and show them the two best places to see and photograph Snowy. The birders were such a friendly and soft-spoken lot, all eager to help one another. I enjoyed their company, their quiet enthusiasm.

We had such a pleasant time that we returned a second time to the spot, late in the afternoon. While the ducks dove and gorged on the little pellets I tossed, we saw Snowy fly from one spot to another. Joe took more pictures, and we left feeling satisfied and content, with my wondering if I might become a real birder, starting my Life List with a Snowy Owl!