By: Chelsea Jandreau, Senior Nature Educator
Last week, I was replacing the suet on my balcony, and started thinking about upgrading and getting an actual bird feeder. These days, my indoor cat is probably more invested in keeping that thing stocked than I am, but when I first got it, it was just me staring out the sliding glass doors, watching and listening to the birds come and go.
A few years ago, when we were all spending a lot more time in our homes, I put up a single suet feeder on my balcony. One morning, as I was on the phone with a friend, I began narrating the battle between starling, sparrow, and woodpecker for control over the suet feeder. It lasted only a minute before a Blue Jay came in to claim their prize, sending the others scattering. As I finished up this tale, I was asked the question, “So, do you like birds now?” I was taken aback for a moment, but in all honesty, this was a fair question.
Despite working in environmental education and doing other outdoor jobs for over a decade now, it’s no secret that I’ve never been what some outdoorspeople consider “a serious birder.” Over the last several years I have spent more time looking at birds than I ever thought I would, but five years ago, I was someone who would bow out when the idea of going birding was brought up, knowing I would lose interest long before others. Now it is hit or miss. Sometimes I’m all for it, while other times, I would still rather sit it out.
This might make it seem like I have no interest in birds at all, but that’s not entirely true. I still enjoy watching them and seeing different species come and go as the seasons change; I’m just a little less devout than some of my friends.
This is also not meant to intimidate anyone into thinking they are not a “real” birder. You don’t need the best binoculars or the fanciest camera to spend hours searching for that one bird, or be working your way through a life list. You don’t really need anything to be a birder but an outdoor space, whether that is a state park or your backyard. If you find birds interesting, go on and be a bird nerd in whatever way works for you.
Birds tend to get a lot of attention in the outdoor world. They exist in most every habitat, and they are dynamic. However, birds are not the only things moving and changing throughout the seasons. There are so many ways to be a nature nerd.
Anyone who has hiked with me in the greener months knows that I, like many others, am simply looking in a different direction. Some people spend their time looking for bugs, while others are searching for fungi or animal tracks. Once spring hits, I am looking for those pops of color saying the wildflowers are finally here.
Wildflowers have always captured my attention but by no means can I identify them all. As with everything in nature, there is always more to learn and more to see. Anyone who has turned around in the middle of a hike to see they have somehow left me behind, crouched on the side of the trail looking intently at the ground, can attest to that.
At first, I liked them on a superficial level, but as I learned more, I began to notice their cycles and connections to other plants and animals. Each species has their season, and as spring moves into summer and summer eventually fades to fall, some die back to let others take the stage. As someone who loves a change in scene, the changing backdrop of flowers piqued my interest.
Wildflowers are more than just a pretty picture though. They are resilient things. They can grow deep in the forest or find purchase in the cracks of sidewalks. However, with increased human development, especially on former prairies and meadows, and some people’s preoccupation with the perfectly mowed lawn, some wildflowers are struggling. Wildflowers provide a vital food source for many pollinators in the form of nectar, so when humans make it harder for a diverse population of flowers to bloom, this affects the rest of the ecosystem.
Now, I can continue to wax lyrical about flowers and their importance to my friends, and luckily some of them will engage with it because they know this is a two-way street. Later, I’ll listen to them tell me every detail about this one really amazing insect they found that day or the snake they observed. That is one of the best things about the outdoors. Being a generalist with a broad scope is just as valuable as being a specialist who can identify 100 or more birds by sound, and I encourage everyone to expand their wonder by learning a little more about those parts of nature you have otherwise ignored. Nature provides ample opportunity to dig deep into something you find fascinating.
In the end though, no matter where your interest lies, go ahead and proudly claim your spot as a nature nerd. Poetry is not my strong suit, so this will have to do. This is an ode to the fungi seekers, the frog finders, the bug scourers, and the flower pursuers. The people who can look at tree bark and somehow tell you exactly what tree you are looking at. The fish people who are as much a mystery to me as what lies at the bottom of the ocean. And yes, this an ode to the birders. To anyone who has found their thing, those who have not yet had the opportunity, and even to those whose thing is napping in the grass. Nature has a bit of something for anyone and everyone. It can hold a multitude of interests and we need all of you to help protect our wild spaces and make them a safe space for everyone. No matter what you like, there should always be room for another nature nerd out there.
Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature. ACNC is located just east of Route 62 between Warren and Jamestown. The trails are open from dawn to dusk and birds of prey can be viewed anytime the trails are open. The Nature Center is open from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily except Sunday when it opens at 1 p.m. More information can be found online at auduboncnc.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.
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