HALLIE EPHRON: I remember years ago when I was just working on my first mystery novel, I heard a fellow writer talking about the birding mystery series she'd pitched to a New York editor. The editor wasn't interested -- said she'd recently acquired a birding mystery. What she was looking for was a bowling mystery.
I wonder if that birding
mystery would have met the same shrug today, given that birds are
definitely having their moment. Amy Tan's memoir and nature book The Backyard
Bird Chronicles has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 33 weeks. The
memoir Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper, about birding in
Central Park, was on the New York Times bestseller list for 27 weeks.
And recently it feels
like newsfeeds have been full of birds. There was the widely reported story
about a pileated woodpecker that was terrorizing drivers in Rockport,
Massachusetts, pecking out car mirrors.
A pileated woodpecker is formidable --
it's as big as a turkey vulture, looks like Woody Woodpecker, and sounds like a
jackhammer when it goes after a tree trunk.
Reading about it, I was reminded of a male cardinal that spent a week attacking our car mirror -- apparently mistaking his reflection for a rival -- and leaving the side of our white Honda Civic bloodstreaked. I wonder what forensics would make of bird blood.
Then there was the lone wild
turkey (a female) who went in search of a mate in midtown Manhattan. We've got
herds of them here in the Boston. Named by locals as "Astoria,"
apparently she's is friendly (unlike a male turkey), walks on sidewalks without
bothering pedestrians, and forages peacefully for food.
As for me, my yard is full
of noisy poultry looking for mates and nesting. Cardinals, bluejays, song
sparrows, house finches, mourning doves, circling red tail hawks... I'm
thrilled when a Carolina wren or a yellow warbler shows up in my birdbath.
Maybe it's time for me to work on a birding mystery... Or maybe it's already too late. I'm sure I'm not alone enjoying THE RESIDENCE (streaming on Netflix). Set in the White House, it features rabid birdwatcher slash brilliant detective Cordelia Cupp (played by Uzo Aduba).
Do you notice birds or
are they like the weather, just the background to whatever else that's going
on?
It depends . . . we always notice the noisy turkeys parading through the yard like they own the place, but the quieter birds often escape notice.
ReplyDeleteThe frenzy over the escaped-from-the-zoo owl Flaco in New York might suggest that birding still draws a great deal of interest . . . .
We have turkeys here, too... noisy and pugilistic. I keep my distance. I'd forgotten about Flaco.
DeleteAh, I notice all the bird calls in spring. They give me a lift after a rainy winter. The songbirds here in Braga are chorusing away on the tree-lined streets and gardened areas. Don't know their names yet, but they are quite musical.
ReplyDeleteIn case you're interested, there's a web site with a list of birds to see in Braga... https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=ptbrbr There's a lot of them!
DeleteGood morning, Hallie.
ReplyDeleteSpringtime here on our land in Massachusetts, south of Boston, is alive with constant birdsong. I’ve seen all of those you write of this morning. The wrens nest near my side door each year. When I was young and new to country life, the woodpecker attacking my metal chimney stovepipe chased me out of the house one morning, fearing the fireplace was about to explode.
I do believe we might even qualify here as a wildlife sanctuary, as we we have fox, deer, rabbit, wild turkey, groundhog and more meandering confidently in clear view of our sunroom. Just yesterday we were restricted from accessing a side lot woodland full of flowering wigelias by a team of hummingbirds who have nested in the crook of the tree branches.
That backyard view is my morning coffee spot and I’m so grateful to coexist in this environment,
Sharon Elizabeth
Hummingbirds are small but mighty -- fierce little pugilistic creatures. Your backyard sounds so lovely! And lucky you on the wrens. (A couple of weeks ago I had 2 woodpeckers attacking my chimney. I wasn't quick enough to get a look at what kind.)
DeleteWe feed the birds through the winter and are always thrilled to see the pileated woodpecker arrive. The downy and the hairy woodpeckers are no less thrilling to see, just smaller. I knew nothing of birds or birding until my partner opened my eyes to the beauty, fun and even excitement of spotting a bird and then identifying it. A fun sport -- is it a sport?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely it's a sport. And for some it can get ridiculously competitive. (Life list, anyone?) I just love it because it adds a dimension to any walk.
DeleteLiving in downtown Ottawa, I don't see many unique birds. But if I head just 15 minutes away, I have seen blue heron, egrets and nasty wild turkeys along the riverside pathways.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Canadian mystery author Steve Burrows' Birder mysteries are popular. So far, he has written 9 books in his series:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/steve-burrows/birder-murder-mystery/
Going to chec Steve Burrows out... thanks, Grace, for the tip.
DeleteIrwin and I both love birds, and keep binoculars next to the windows overlooking our yard. I don't keep a life list but we do love to watch them in the trees and bushes around our house. We cannot put out bird feeders because of the bears. A very noisy family of sparrows usually nests on top of the a/c unit that cools our bedroom but I haven't heard them this year. It's been too rainy to sit on the porch, which is an excellent vantage spot for bird watching. I think we can prepare it this week. We have taken trips into the wild and not-so-wild, and birds always feature in those adventures.
ReplyDeleteAs far as a mystery series about birdwatching, what would be the premise?
I just had a flashback to Alfred Hitchcock and The Birds. 🦅 😱
DeleteWell, there's your answer! Stories that kick off with a birdwatcher who notices a bird (or birds) doing something weird. Like woodpeckers nonstop pecking at that chimney.
DeleteI'm still laughing about the "bowling mystery" request. Do the killer first strike, spare no one, and then leave the victim in the alley? (Sorry...) I have friends who travel the world as birdwatchers, joining small and well-organized tours. Sadly, living in a condo with no garden, there are few birds.
DeleteOops, not meant for that to be anonymous. I can't imagine wanting to read a bowling alley mystery!
DeleteI had the same thought, Victoria!
DeleteI’ve been using the Merlin app to identify the birds I am hearing around my house here in Florida. I am. It sure if they are more vocal here or if I am just more attuned to them, but there are some different ones we didn’t have in our yard in Minnesota. Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern bluebird, Brown thrasher, Northern Mockingbird, Nighthawk, Tufted titmouse.
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are hummingbirds. Minnesota only gets the Ruby Throated ones. I’ve read that there might be a couple of additional varieties here but mush less prevalent. I am happy I have at least one coming to my feeder since we are still in a construction zone.
I love Merlin and use it all the time. Brenda, sounds like you're in a great area for birding. I visit Key West in the winter and the birding there is disappointing. Maybe because it's got so little wild land left. Maybe it's better there on the water, but I'm so not a boat person.
DeleteI've been a birder, off and on, since 1980. I love tracking all the spring birds, although I rarely go out on organized birding walks these days. Occasionally a pileated will visit the big white swamp oak outside my second-floor office window and I love seeing it eye to eye. I first saw a pair in southern Indiana in the late seventies.
ReplyDeleteThe Merlin app is fabulous for identifying a bird song or call you don't recognize, especially when all the leaves are out on the trees. Fingers crossed our visiting bluebird couple decides to raise a family in the nesting box out back!
Bluebirds!! I've only seen them once ever, and that was in a national park. I guess in some places they're not uncommon, in season.
DeleteBird fanatic here! We have a sanctuary-esque backyard and there is never a dull moment because of it. Besides the birds, we have deer, bear, turkey, and a family of fox whose den is adjacent in the woods. They sun themselves in the field most mornings. Yesterday I had a pair of ducks napping in the backyard while I did yard work. They barely moved out of my way for three-straight hours. The problem with nature? I love it and also hate the brutality of it. We have a lot of action at our home because of the fields, pond, nearby lake, , and woods. So I am faced with uncertainty and death here regularly. Book premise: If I out someone was targeting my beloved birds and animals…… Eeek!
ReplyDeleteHere it's the red tails that swoop in and take out the bunnies and also young birds. It's the way of the world.
DeleteOur trees are filled with the drone of cicadas and the birds are gorging on them. With bird nests in every bush and tree, I can't weed until the fledglings are launched. America is all in on birds, including "outdoor lights out" when they're migrating. I spotted my first hummingbird in a tall spruce tree. I just planted hummingbird attractor annuals all over the deck, but he's after something--insects would be my guess--in the spruce tree. And the robins are all over the serviceberry bushes guzzling berries.
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely! Birds are very protective of their nests... and hummingbirds small but mighty.
DeleteMargaret, I just read an article on hummingbirds on the Audubon website. It is possible that there could be a nest in your spruce tree. The nests are so tiny, I don't think I'd notice it, but if they are in that tree a lot, maybe you have one.
DeleteWhere I live there are plenty of deer and turkeys. I could often hear cardinals but seldom saw any. The man who lives on the other side of my woods has all sort of bird feeders so I figured that was where all the birds hung out. In the spring after my dog died there was a female cardinal on my back step! Oh my! I was so thrilled. Then I saw the male, not far away in a pine tree. I had planted a couple of pine trees many years ago just so I could see cardinals.
ReplyDeleteNaturally I went out and bought sunflower seeds and a birdfeeder. I was in business! It took a while but I now have all kinds of birds here. This spring there is a red wing black bird hanging around, which surprises me, also I had no idea that goldfinches are here all winter long. Then just as the leaves on trees were popping and they were newly bright yellow, it looked like my trees were full of Peeps!
The blue jay gets frustrated because he is too heavy for the feeder and it closes so he gets what he can on the ground. The worst bird, because they are so aggressive, are the rose breasted grosbeaks. I have my pair of cardinals, who are now in the courting stage.
I so miss my dog but now I truly enjoy watching the birds and their antics. And now you tell me that I am right on trend!
Rose breasted grosbeaks are also SUPER LOUD. But they are handsome devils.Yes, Judi! You are right on trend! Thanks for sharing!!
DeleteI do notice the birds, though I am no expert. I saw a little tiny red headed woodpecker the other day. It was making so much noise that I stopped and searched the telephone pole until I spotted it. I was surprised, because we have many northern flickers here and that's what I expected to see. My sister and I saw a pileated woodpecker once in Forest Park, such a treat, as was the owl that the crows were attacking. I may have mentioned it before, but I was dive-bombed by a barred owl a couple of years ago. It hurt! I really didn't know what hit me until my friend shared that this owl had grabbed her beanie about 15 minutes later in the same area. I still miss the red tail hawks who used to live at the golf course. Mama has moved up to Rocky Butte with a new partner, and my friends are able to get pictures of her with their great cameras. The Anna's hummingbirds who come to taste the honeysuckle or sip from my feeder are a daily delight.
ReplyDeleteSo jealous of you, getting dive-bombed by a barred owl! I was dive-bombed by nesting terns (on a Cape Cod beach)
DeleteGillian, when we were walking around Robin's neighborhood last week we kept remarking how few birds we saw and heard, despite the lush foliage and flowers everywhere. Lots of crows, and I saw a single hummingbird, but not much else. It was really surprising. Better birding at Cannon Beach, with gulls, cormorants, murrelets, guillemots, and the astonishing tufted puffins!
DeleteThinking about a bird mystery, there are many possibilities, the most obvious of course is seeing something - with their birding binoculars, of course - that maybe they shouldn't have. I will be more than happy to read a birding mystery when one of you have written it.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a huge incentive!
DeleteJust got back from my walk with Merlin turned on--during the height of the spring migration, I might hear 40+ birds in a 2-mile walk. Northern Ohio is a great place for birding. During the migrations, we are deluged with birders--especially west along Lake Erie towards Toledo. I loved feeding the birds for years, but our stray/feral cat problem put a stop to that a couple of years ago. My favorites are the Eastern bluebirds, the gray catbirds, but the most exciting visitor ever was a bald eagle that sat in a tree on the edge of my property for hours one day. I was able to get close enough to get a photo.
ReplyDeleteFlora (suddenly Anon) and I would read birder mysteries, for sure.
DeleteI'd love to see that bald eagle picture... not the first time that I'm sorry Blogger doesn't allow commenters to post photos. Locally the Neponset River bank often hosts a nesting pair of bald eagles. So easy spot when you know where to look.
DeleteWhat I would love to actually see, as opposed to just hearing, is an indigo bunting. Merlin picks up their calls near the woodland park I walk past, but I've never seen one up close.
DeleteFirst, woodpeckers. We live in a log cabin. Carpenter bees drill holes in the logs to deposit their eggs. When those eggs hatch into larvae, the woodpeckers come along and open the little bee holes into fist-sized craters. Needless to say, we are not fond of woodpeckers around here.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I love watching and listening to all the little birds this time of year. I open my Merlin app and let it identify the sources of the songs. For added fun, I play back the recording inside the house and watch Kensi Kitty go bonkers!
Love hearing about everyone's bird sightings! When I met Steve--a bird photographer--in 1978, I recognized a handful of backyard birds, just the common ones. Now we, and I, have seen uncommon birds on five continents, a rich source of wonder and delight.
ReplyDeleteYou all already know that I manage our property for the wildlife, but it is truly amazing how many different kinds of birds we see in our yard, in the trees, and at the feeders. We have had nesting bluebirds for five years now (Hallie, come visit!), since the open spaces, meadows, and water attract them. They keep the caterpillars and bean bugs out of my garden, thank you.
Just this past week we have seen rose-breasted grosbeaks, redheaded woodpeckers (rare to see in town), blue-gray gnatcatchers, and a Cooper's hawk. The latter, no doubt, hoping for a snack at the bird smorgasbord, aka feeder station. Steve was photographing a squirrel-proof birdfeeder for a client and got distracted by a pileated woodpecker gorging at the nearby suet feeder that was dwarfed by the huge visitor. And yesterday I watched a bluebird, which was planning to enter the mealworm feeder, chase away a male cardinal who just wanted a sunflower seed from the feeder next to it. Endless entertainment!
I am rubbish at recognizing most birdcalls, though, because I can never remember which is which. Steve uses a program that is not Merlin (isn't that an iPhone app?), maybe iBird, or something similar. I really should add it to my phone.
Karen, Merlin has an Android version also.
DeleteYes, I use Merlin on my Android phone!
DeleteThank you!!
DeleteFor those of you without your own backyard bird feeders you might enjoy the Cornell live bird cam. You have to figure out which birds they are, but it is so fascinating to watch and hear. It is in or near Ithaca NY so you are also treated to the weather there. They have other cameras but this is the one I mostly use. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/cornell-lab-feederwatch/
ReplyDeleteWe are near the ocean which has a year long mild climate. We get lots of sea birds on the beaches such as seagulls, comorants, etc. this year we've had a lot of fairly large crows. They can be pretty loud!!
ReplyDeleteBirds are part of life. I always see birds flying around. Once in a while I would see birds sitting in a tree. There is a variety of colors. I do not know the names of birds, though. I will need to consult Amy Tan's bird novel or an encyclopedia. I remember looking at a bird from a distance and thinking that the bird looked content with life. What are their lives like? They fly from tree to tree or they fly great distances. They build nests for their babies. They bring worms for their babies. I was in kindergarten when my class was walking back to class from the playground at school. We saw a dead black bird, which I now know is a raven. That was my first encounter with a dead body (the raven). I felt sad for the raven because it would not be able to fly anymore. Now with my cochlear implants, when the speech processors are working, I can hear the sounds of the birds chirping.
ReplyDeletethis is Diana. Cannot believe I forgot to sign my name again! Just woke up!
DeleteI used to work for a petroleum distribution terminal in Atlanta and every year we had Canadian geese having their babies and parading through the terminal. Big tanker trucks would have to wait until the geese, parading in single file, had made their transit across the parking lanes. That was a sight. Another terminal I visited in Nashville had a bird feeder and they would attract a large number of goldfinches. That was a glorious sight to behold. For me it was a reminder that we humans may think we are ruling the earth, but nature still makes itself known. -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteLong time bird watcher. I still have my first Golden Book of Birds - $4.95 at bookstores everywhere. The spine is broken, the pages are falling out, and I have far too many notes in the book to ever replace it. This has been a wonderfully colorful year for birds in my yard. Evening and rose breasted grosbeaks, purple finches, pine siskins, hummingbirds, goldfinches, several warblers that don't stay still long enough for me to id them, song sparrows, Barney and Betty mallard that show up three times a day under the feeder and wait for the duck feed. Yep, it's been a banner year. We have a pileated in our woods that laughs and drills busily, then there are the hairy and downy woodpeckers. The chickadees took a brief break and are back now. It's been a good spring for birds. We used to have flocks of cardinals. They disappeared three years ago and haven't been seen since. So strange, none of my neighbors have had any either.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be able to identify the birds in my area, Brookline MA, but my neighorhood consists mainly of apartment and condo buildings with few yards for birds to gather. I frequently hear birds in trees or bushes but they are not visible and though the songs are often intriguing I just don’t have the knowledge to identify them by sound.
ReplyDeleteWe have had turkeys around for many years to the extent that they have become the town bird with stickers of turkeys being given out to voters and hand painted turkey statues in various public areas around town.
We are big big birdwatchers, and have a lovely and birdy backyard. And he crossed my mind to do a bird book, too, I have to say, and then I started seeing there are many many many new bird books coming out. Fiction I mean. With birdwatchers as the main characters. Hallie, I think you were ahead of your time…
ReplyDeleteDonna Andrews has a series featuring the names of different birds in the book titles , the books are not necessarily focused on birds alone.
ReplyDeleteI do notice birds, especially if I'm sitting out on the back patio or in the sunroom. Unfortunately, I'm not good enough to identify the various calls. I'm just tickled to hear them because last year it was a lot of crows drowning out everything else.
ReplyDeleteHallie, I've been a birder since highschool. I still have--and use--my Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds of Texas. One reason I majored in biology was because I wanted to be an ornithologist. Obviously, life had other ideas but I'm still fascinated by birds. Our yard is a little urban oasis with big old trees, good nesting cover shrubs, and lots and lots of native plants and flowers. Every morning now I sit on the deck with my tea and my Merlin app. My biggest birding thrill was seeing a Painted Bunting on our patio!! (We are too far east for them so very unusual.)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out some of these birding mysteries, but would love it if you were to write one!
Hurricane Milton felled many of the live oaks in our neighborhood. As a result quite a few nests were
ReplyDeletenoticed in our yard and across the street. I found empty shells from mourning doves. While waiting outside for a ride, we saw a wood pecker, a jay and best of all a large owl (we think) entering a nest across the street. All of your summer birds are my winter birds. I look forward to seeing the cardinals et al in a few months.
My bird feeder outside my kitchen sink window is doused with ground red pepper to try to keep the squirrels and baby raccoons at bay. I now have two hummingbird feeders and flowers also hung on the deck, but no tiny fast birds yet! I also have two more red hummingbird feeders in my orphan garden with an assortment of transplanted flowering plants. I will just keep trying. We do have plenty of birds somewhere out back as their songs are lovely!
ReplyDeleteI am envious of the yards and land many of you have. We have your basic suburban property so don’t have the trees, bushes and ponds to attract the avian population you all have. I know little to nothing about birds, but after watching The Residence (highly recommend; so funny), think birdwatching might be more interesting than I previously thought. — Pat S
ReplyDeleteI’m from a family of birdwatchers. Both my parents were birdwatchers, especially my mom. Four of the five of us offspring are birdwatchers. The fifth, my youngest sibling, was amused by our passion for birding. (Although she may have been a secret birder: once, when she had surgery and had just been taken to her hospital room from the recovery room, she kept saying “oh, the loons! I can hear the loons. They must be right outside my room. Can you hear them?” She was on the eighth floor of a hospital in the city! I have no idea what she was hearing! It must have been hospital equipment in her room.)
ReplyDeleteDebRo