When most people think about the hobby of bird watching, they envision silver-haired, affluent retirees in pocket-heavy jackets and bucket hats sitting in hourslong silence with binoculars pressed to their eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the area’s most elusive avian residents.
The Durango Bird Club does involve some bucket hats, more than a few pairs of binoculars and the occasional silent searching session – but it’s also a bit more than that. The group allows the area’s bird lovers to get together and ground themselves in nature and a shared passion.
Every Wednesday, between five and 15 birders meet up at Durango Public Library to bird watch their way down the Animas River Trail. The Wednesday Bird Walk, which is one of many activities offered by the Bird Club, has been led for the past two years by bird aficionado Lisa Wilk.
“You’re looking for the individual species of birds, and really trying to identify as many as possible, so it’s sort of a form of meditation,” she said.
Wilk has had an interest in birds since she was a child, but really began taking birding seriously in 2019 after attending a Wednesday Bird Walk as a participant.
“I came on Wednesdays a couple times when there was somebody else leading it,” she said. “I did one field trip, I did one bird club meeting, and then the pandemic hit, so it kind of became my pandemic hobby. … The pandemic was bad for some people, but it was really good for me because of birding.”
The number of species the Wednesday group can expect to spot varies depending on the day, but as many as 30 have been logged during some of the hour-and-a-half sessions, Wilk said.
Some more common year-round Southwest Colorado birds include robins and magpies, red-tailed hawks, starlings and house finches, among others, she said.
Rarer birds that occasionally grace the scopes of local birders include the Spotted Sandpiper, the American Dipper, the Scarlet Tanager, the Kentucky Warbler and the Red-eyed Vireo – which the group was lucky enough to spot during a recent Wednesday walk.
Excitement about finding rare birds is a point of connectivity for birders, Wilk said.
The Durango Bird Club has multiple WhatsApp message groups dedicated to different elements of birding, and one is specifically used for alerting other birders to rare avian sightings.
“We’re always in touch, and nobody keeps secrets,” Wilk said. “When somebody finds a rare bird, it goes on the WhatsApp rare bird alert, and then people start communicating, and it’s like, ‘I’ll be there in five minutes.’ The core birders in town definitely stay on top of things.”
The connectivity aspect of birding is often overlooked, she said.
“It can be very social,” she said. “It’s definitely something you can do by yourself, but I definitely have really good birding friends. And more eyes, more ears, (the better) especially for being real serious about it.”
Some of the Wednesday birders are old pros, while others are rookies looking to learn more about the flying wildlife that call the region home. Attendees’ reasons for joining the hobby span the spectrum.
Jacque Patterson has been attending the Wednesday bird walks for the past month as a way to get outside after being stuck in her home for months while healing from an injury. She said it’s opened her eyes to the birds she sees and hears every day, and has provided an opportunity to make connections with other locals.
“It’s a social thing,” she said. “I didn’t know these people four weeks ago and now we’re chatting.”
Retiree Brenn Preston first began attending the Wednesday walks two years ago for exercise, and found herself hooked on the hobby.
“I’ve started looking in my backyard (for birds),” she said. “I’ve always been curious, but I didn’t know what they were. ... It’s just a peaceful exercise.”
Newbie birder Julie Sahd Perugini said the hobby allows each participant to mold their own experience.
“Everybody is so focused on these trails, but we’re also going at our own speed,” she said.
The birding community runs deep – sometimes connections are made over state lines.
Vermont resident Leslie Dee, who has been birding for 35 years, joined the Durango birders on a recent Wednesday walk while visiting town.
She found the club online and was excited about making connections with birders from a different state.
“When you find the people that are also interested, it kind of sparks you to do more,” she said. “I think one of the things I enjoy about birding is that if you're with other people, it’s like an instant community.”
As a longtime birder, Dee has picked up on some of the stereotypes surrounding the hobby.
“(People think it’s) boring, it’s for old people, and that they’re very nerdy,” she said. “That is definitely the perception … but it’s really interesting, because when you pay attention to birds, it just makes you so much more aware of what’s going on around you.”
Being a successful birder involves being observant; clocking small details like the flash of a wing, the rustle of leaves or the softest peep; employing patience; and becoming adept at pointing out hard-to-see birds to others, Dee said.
For more information
More information about the Durango Bird Club and its offerings can be found at www.durangobirdclub.wixsite.com/mysite.
To become an official member or donate to the club, visit www.durangobirdclub.wixsite.com/mysite/pay-dues-or-donate.
The region’s warm winter has affected the habits of local birds in some ways, Wilk said.
The Bird Club conducts winter and spring bird counts for the area, and the most recent winter count showed below-average numbers. Some migratory birds have also shown up earlier in the spring season than normal, she said.
Still, Wilk is confident in the their ability to adapt.
“Birds are smart,” she said. “I don’t think they’re just totally on remote control. Birds kind of know what’s going on. They’re pretty amazing creatures. We should worry – but I think that they’ll figure it out. I have hope for the birds.”
Sarah Clark, who has been interested in birding since she was young, and has been a part of the Durango Bird Club for the past two years, said the hobby doesn’t discriminate.
“It’s accessible to anyone,” she said. “You don’t have to know all the birds or be an expert to go outside and look around and see what you see. It’s just a fun excuse to get outside and slow down, look around.”
epond@durangoherald.com
