Fred,
I have a similar story when I was 16 of a friend with a Peterson guide. It was May 7, 1949, a lucky choice of a date, and we saw 44 species around Kirkwood Lake in south Jersey. I was hooked immediately and still am 64 years later. On my 50th anniversary we ran a midnight-to-midnight big day from Montgomery/Frederick Counties to Assateague and collected an even 200 species. The other participants were my son Michael, Paul Pisano and Ottavio Janni. Younger eyes and ears made the total possible, but I still get 20-21 species of warbler in my yard every spring even though the early leaf-out means you have to find them by ear and you probably won't see them all.
You never get tired of experiencing birds and the wonderful places chasing them takes you. Well, landfills and sewage treatment plants aren't all that wonderful, but you know what I mean.
Paul O'Brien
Rockville, Mont. Co., MD
-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Burggraf <fburggraf0625...>
To: mdbirding <mdbirding...>
Cc: Fred Burggraf <fburggraf0625...>
Sent: Thu, May 30, 2013 7:50 pm
Subject: [MDBirding] Fifty Years of Birding
I hope that the group will indulge me if I reflect on my 50 years of birding....today. I was a callow 15 years old when a school pal asked me if I'd like to go along on a bird walk with him. I already had an interest in science (especially astronomy) and I wanted to learn more about the "natural sciences." He showed me an early version of Roger Tory Peterson's field guide, and I was astonished.
The next day, May 30, 1963, we headed out into the woods with my Lafayette 7x50s and a notebook. We listed about 25 species. I was instantly hooked.
I cannot say enough about birding as a hobby. It has inspired me to travel to most of the 50 states and explore the avifauna of Venezuela, Costa Rico (twice), Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and parts of Europe. But you don't have to travel....I'm still finding new things in the birds that come to my feeders and nest in my trees (and, currently, in my garage....bless those Caroline Wrens).
I hope that all on this listserve can boast one day of 50 years of birding (or more)....it's a lifelong avocation that never gets stale.
And if you have any opportunities to invite someone along on a bird walk, do so. You may be starting a grand new adventure.
Fred Burggraf
Dentsville, MD
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