The Essentials of Bird Watching

Photos By: Mitch Collins

Mitch and I have recently gotten into birding! We have always been outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying such activities as camping, hiking and kayaking! What can I say? It's in our nature! But this past year since we have received our new camera, we have had a ton of fun going out and taking pictures of various nature scenes and wildlife, but birds seem to be our favorite! While we were living in Florida, we had a variety of birds living in our very on own backyard! We have gotten some great pictures of some Barred Owls, Osprey, Red Shouldered Hawks and those rare tropical birds, known as Cardinals! But I must warn you, birding is serious business and you must be prepared! We are still very much entry level birders and are still learning as we go! Here are a few tips that we have learned along the way!

The most important thing to remember while you are out birding is to make sure you have all of your equipment! There have been many times where we have set out on a birding adventure and have forgotten one piece of equipment or another i.e, the camera or back up batteries or lunch! Binoculars are very important to have as well! You may not be able to see the reason now, but trust me! At some point in the distance you will understand! And just as a point of reference, I suggest you get a bird book! I have heard that you are not real birders, unless you have one! True story! Anyway, when birding, it is also essential to have a hat! Mitch and I are partial to the brand Tilley! I love these hats they are so cool! Oh right! They are also really durable and stuff! But the best part of this experience, my most prized possession, is my vest! I love it! You really don't need a vest to go out bird watching, but it kind of makes me feel like the Crocodile Hunter and I really wanted one!

So there it is! The essentials of bird watching! Everything you need to fully enjoy the bird watching experience! Well, almost everything! I suppose some birds would be helpful too!

Relocating Can be a Moving Experience...

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and sorry I could not travel both..." For it has been almost two years since Mitch and I packed up our car and chose the road that would lead us to Daytona Beach, Florida. A road that was designed specifically to achieve an education, but lacked the forethought of a contingency plan, such as having a job or even a place to live. I think in the beginning it was the idea of the "open road" that was appealing! Lending an opportunity for exploration, a chance for adventure... To choose a path that was not yet taken (maybe at the time we were reading too much Frost, I don't know!) but looking back the only thing I can remember with certain clarity is the overwhelming fear of it all!

I think my biggest fear in this looming scenario, was not having a place to live! I was terrified that our new address was going to be The Blue Cobalt on Daytona Beach, Mile Marker 15, C/O Life Guard Station 6 or something like that! A fear that was compounded by the fact that the Weather Channel kept forecasting hurricanes for Florida. A fear that was further compounded once we arrived in Daytona Beach and were checking into the Suburban Extended Stay! I distinctly remember wincing as the gentleman handed us the key and Mitch looking at me and saying "Don't worry! It's only temporary!" And indeed it was only temporary! For we were able to secure an apartment and were in residence the very next day!

Shortly thereafter I was able to find a really good job and Mitch was able to complete his school and gain some experience in his field! So the question everyone keeps asking since we have gotten home is "Was it all worth it?" I feel the only way to answer this question is with a resounding yes! Because even though this journey didn't turn out to be everything we had hoped for, it also didn't turn out to be everything that we had feared!

We were able to find a place to live and a job that I really liked! I had an opportunity to experience something new and work with some really wonderful people! We had the chance to live in a really cool place and see and experience things like shuttle launches and getting up close and personal with alligators, things we would not have done otherwise! We were able to spend some time with my wonderful sister, Holly and her really great family, whom I am going to miss so much! We shared some really great holidays with them and had so much fun during our various family get togethers! I can't wait till we can visit with them again!

The other question that keeps hovering is "If you had the opportunity, would you do it all over again?" I think given the chance I would and for the exact same reasons that I listed above. I think knowing what we know now, there are some things we would do differently, maybe, who knows? We went down to Florida, so that Mitch could go to school and get an education, but I think we both received an education in the process! We learned a lot about life and ourselves along the way! We learned that there are choices you have to make and consequences with each direction you choose to take. The biggest of these consequences, we learned, was that we missed home. We will always remember Florida, but we are also quite happy to be home, so for now, "I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."