"Treasure hunts make much better stories when there’s treasure at the end."
― Eric Berlin
The spring hunt for Setophaga caerulescens ended this morning! Sue, Dottie, and I were planning on birding the Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor, but Sue was running a little late. After walking a very quiet south corridor trail, we crossed Century Avenue to bird the north trail. We decided to wait at a bench for Sue to catch up, when all of a sudden we heard beer, beer! Dottie said, "That was a Black-throated Blue, wasn't it?" Then it sang its full song and we went into search mode.
No Merlin, no eBird, no electronic assistance of any kind ― birding the way it ought to be done, and the way we got to see the bird was a lot of fun.
On the map below, we were walking north from Century Avenue and stopped near (1) to wait for Sue. This is also where we heard the BTBW first sing, just east of where we were sitting on the bench. The warbler sang a half dozen times or so, but we could tell it was moving further east. We simultaneously got the idea to loop up and around to take a secondary trail to see if we could meet up with the bird. When we got to that spot, we could still hear it singing; it was now to our west (2) and not moving as much. As luck would have it, there was a narrow deer path (red dots) that took us right to the bird, giving us great views. But guess who didn't have his camera with? Arriving just a few minutes later, Sue also got good looks at the stunning warbler.
Naturally, I added another mark for the 16th to my Spring BTBW calendar ...
Thinking on this find, I must admit, I take great pleasure in criticizing the Merlin app, although I'm thankful I don't rely on it myself. The idea of an app dictating where I can find bird species makes me cringe; I'm a firm believer in the traditional, pure form of birding. Just recently, someone reported a rare bird sighting with the comment "Picked it up on Merlin and saw with binoculars." This kind of report is concerning to me. Even if the sighting is legitimate, the lack of effort and detail in the report is astonishing. It's the kind of lazy reporting that would never pass muster with a records committee.
I'll take an old-fashioned treasure hunt any day over relying on an app. There's something special about the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of finding a bird through skill and patience, rather than a digital guide. For me, birding is about the experience of being in Nature, honing my observation skills, and connecting with the environment around me. Using apps like Merlin might make the process more efficient, but it takes away from the essence of the adventure. I prefer the challenge and the sense of accomplishment that comes with discovering a bird on my own, without the aid of technology. It's about the journey, not just the destination.
Anyway, my 2024 observed parulidae species (so far) are:
Vermivora cyanoptera
Vermivora chrysoptera
Vermivora chrysoptera x cyanoptera
Leiothlypis peregrina
Leiothlypis celata
Leiothlypis ruficapilla
Setophaga americana
Setophaga petechia
Setophaga pensylvanica
Setophaga magnolia
Setophaga tigrina
Setophaga caerulescens
Setophaga coronata
Setophaga virens
Setophaga fusca
Setophaga dominica
Setophaga pinus
Setophaga palmarum
Setophaga castanea
Setophaga striata
Setophaga cerulea
Mniotilta varia
Setophaga ruticilla
Protonotaria citrea
Seiurus aurocapilla
Parkesia noveboracensis
Parkesia motacilla
Geothlypis formosa
Geothlypis trichas
Cardellina pusilla
Cardellina canadensis
BTBW Painting by Susan J. Ulschmid