Ok, maybe that title is a little pre-emptive and I’ve just been spending too much time catching up on Game of Thrones. September does; however, mark the end of “bird season” and, as a result, I can’t help but think that winter really is just around the corner. San Diego is known for its endless summer weather, so, thankfully, we don’t get the brutal snow and cold winters that I was accustomed to growing up in central New York. Because San Diego has such mild weather, the nesting season for some bird species (hummingbirds, mourning doves, etc.) can extend longer than normal compared to other parts of the country. In the consulting world, the requirement to conduct nesting bird surveys on projects is generally January 15th to September 1st. Outside of these dates, one keeps a watchful attentive eye for any nesting bird activity, but a formal survey is not normally required. Personally, I welcomed the end of “nesting bird season” this year. After months and months of conducting nesting bird surveys for the project I was working on, I swore I never wanted to hear another bird again. I went to my acupuncturist a few weeks ago, and she had bird songs playing softly on the radio “to calm” me as I was getting worked on. “Please, play ANYTHING but birds!” The last thing I wanted to do was dissect which bird was making which call while I was laying face down on the table. She kindly changed the album to sounds of the ocean.
Alright, I’m being overly dramatic. I truly do love what I do for a living. This past season I gained a new appreciation for some of our more common species in the San Diego area. It’s easy, as a biologist, to get caught up in checking off that life list or spotting a rare species. As an avid traveler, I still find myself occasionally glossing through my field guides from other countries, recalling all the cool birds I’ve seen. But what about those ones we see everyday? I’ll be the first one to admit that I neglect to pay the same homage to a mourning dove as I do, say, a lilac-breasted roller foraging in the Serengeti. The project I had the opportunity to work on this year traversed 14 miles of city streets in an industrial area with minimal open space. I spotted this female Anna’s hummingbird in an IHOP parking lot off the I-15 freeway while monitoring a construction crew working in the area. Definitely not as glamorous as the Serengeti, but the ease with which she darted to and from each flower drinking nectar was equally beautiful. I watched her for awhile, mesmerized by her movements. I see and hear Anna’s hummingbirds almost every day and most of the time I don’t give them a second thought. I was thankful I had the time to stop, observe, and be reminded that there are beautiful things to be found everyday, even if you’re just standing in a parking lot.
Photo Credit: By Amy Trexler
Winter is coming… By Amy Trexler
