This week’s blog was written by Erika, a 2016 Brookies alum. Since then Erika has attended all 6 programs as a staff member. She graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University in May with a double degree in Biology and Earth & Environmental Science. Erika is currently pursuing jobs in studying or managing natural resources.
My family could in no way be described as a birder family. The closest anyone in my family got to being a birder is having a few hummingbird feeders filled once in a blue moon or raising chickens. In contrast, my family spent an exorbitant amount of time engaging with mushrooms, plants, insects, mammals, and fish. Every season was a different time for us to engage with the outdoors in some manner, but never with birds.
It should come as no surprise that my early WLA experience was primarily in the aquatics camps – Brookies and Bass. I attended the Drummers camp in 2019, and it was a meeting of different worlds. I was met with very passionate birders, but I was steadfast in my preferences for searching for macroinvertebrates and more. It quickly became a running joke about how I was never going to be into engaging with birds. Five years had passed since then. In that time, I’ve been to the Galapagos, where I saw the Blue-footed Booby, and to Belize, where I encountered the Keel-billed Toucan. This would be the year that changes.
An Osprey enjoying dinner on VWU’s campus.
Birding adventure at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge on April 13th.
Early on, we cataloged various sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and the Canada goose. At least two days a week, the class would journey out at 8 am to various locations to see birds. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Virginia Beach was an excellent location to see birds on their northward migration. Of course, class members were venturing out on their own time and reporting back the various birds they had seen. It created a want to see the bird species that you haven’t seen yourself. This led to me on various adventures with the birders. From standing on a sandy hill, trying to peer at an American Oystercatcher to sprinting across our campus because a friend sent us a picture of a woodpecker that we hadn’t seen yet. I can remember sitting with five other people as we watched an Osprey fly onto campus with a fish to eat. It included a very chilly evening of huddling in some grass to catch a glimpse of a Clapper Rail we could hear in the marsh. We would have someone tell us about Yellow-crowned Night Herons roosting in a neighborhood, and you would find us that evening there counting the herons looking down at us.
A birding adventure to the Great Dismal Swamp on May 4th.
A Red-winged Blackbird at Pleasure House Point Natural Area.
I don’t know when it exactly began, but I began to thrive off of our bird adventures. Soon, was bringing my binoculars with me everywhere. I wanted to see the birds that I had seen and the ones I didn’t realize existed yet. The excitement and fun bred passion for birds in my heart. Soon, I exceeded the 100-bird threshold and had more than some of the passionate birders in the class. Since then, I have continued to grow my bird list. I’m not just looking downwards at the insects under the leaves; I have my binoculars around my neck and my ears ready to hear a new song for my next adventure.
My Journey to 100 Birds
Posted: December 21, 2024 by Katie Mace
This week’s blog was written by Erika, a 2016 Brookies alum. Since then Erika has attended all 6 programs as a staff member. She graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University in May with a double degree in Biology and Earth & Environmental Science. Erika is currently pursuing jobs in studying or managing natural resources.
My family could in no way be described as a birder family. The closest anyone in my family got to being a birder is having a few hummingbird feeders filled once in a blue moon or raising chickens. In contrast, my family spent an exorbitant amount of time engaging with mushrooms, plants, insects, mammals, and fish. Every season was a different time for us to engage with the outdoors in some manner, but never with birds.
It should come as no surprise that my early WLA experience was primarily in the aquatics camps – Brookies and Bass. I attended the Drummers camp in 2019, and it was a meeting of different worlds. I was met with very passionate birders, but I was steadfast in my preferences for searching for macroinvertebrates and more. It quickly became a running joke about how I was never going to be into engaging with birds. Five years had passed since then. In that time, I’ve been to the Galapagos, where I saw the Blue-footed Booby, and to Belize, where I encountered the Keel-billed Toucan. This would be the year that changes.
Early on, we cataloged various sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and the Canada goose. At least two days a week, the class would journey out at 8 am to various locations to see birds. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Virginia Beach was an excellent location to see birds on their northward migration. Of course, class members were venturing out on their own time and reporting back the various birds they had seen. It created a want to see the bird species that you haven’t seen yourself. This led to me on various adventures with the birders. From standing on a sandy hill, trying to peer at an American Oystercatcher to sprinting across our campus because a friend sent us a picture of a woodpecker that we hadn’t seen yet. I can remember sitting with five other people as we watched an Osprey fly onto campus with a fish to eat. It included a very chilly evening of huddling in some grass to catch a glimpse of a Clapper Rail we could hear in the marsh. We would have someone tell us about Yellow-crowned Night Herons roosting in a neighborhood, and you would find us that evening there counting the herons looking down at us.
I don’t know when it exactly began, but I began to thrive off of our bird adventures. Soon, was bringing my binoculars with me everywhere. I wanted to see the birds that I had seen and the ones I didn’t realize existed yet. The excitement and fun bred passion for birds in my heart. Soon, I exceeded the 100-bird threshold and had more than some of the passionate birders in the class. Since then, I have continued to grow my bird list. I’m not just looking downwards at the insects under the leaves; I have my binoculars around my neck and my ears ready to hear a new song for my next adventure.
Category: Youth Blog Tags: alumni, birding, featured, nature observation, wildlife