Was an operator at a wastewater treatment plant for many years. We had a lagoon system that attracted enough unique, rarely seen birds that the local Audobon Society would arrange birdwatching outings with me, with the City's blessing. I identified-- and had confirmed --3 sightings new to the county.
@@calmwoodcreations3709 Awesome! I once met another super nice WWTP operator in Ukiah and he took me around in a little golf cart thing right up to a Ruff after hours!
If you would drive 500 miles and hike up a 1500 foot cliff in 100 degree weather for a 5 second look at a bird, you may be a birder (Colima Warbler). Preach it, brother!
The “craziness”of birding has been essential to maintaining my sanity these days :-). Checking my local landfill and wastewater treatment plants for next mini-birdcations. Thanks for the holiday tips!!
I remember scanning palm trees with my binoculars looking for Nanday Parakeets at a busy intersection at a massive shopping center in Phoenix. People either looked at me like I had two heads or poked their heads out of their vehicles to try to see what I was looking at😂
I am definitely a bird crazy fool :) Birdcations are what I live for :) 5000 mile rounds trips, no problem. My Prius is the best B&B I could ever ask for :) Great video guys.
My wife is a “part time” birder. Not willing to get up early, can bird for maybe 2 out of 3 days at a stretch. Yet, somehow I have managed to take her to numerous sewage/water treatment places, dumps and even a bombing range. I think she would agree with you “Birders are crazy,” 😂
I guess I'm not that CRAZY 🤪 yet but I think if one is passionate about their hobby then do what it takes for success 🤗 I'm 69 now and have been an avid bird watcher since I was 10. I also was very passionate and maybe CRAZY about my other hobby metal detecting. Well done video. Keep up the great work 😀👍
Another crazy aspect of birders is the weight and cumbersome nature of gear we voluntarily carry. In hot conditions when normal people wear the minimum we carry telescope, tripod, camera and enormous lens, plus binoculars.
i love how a birder can calmly say "Oh im hitting the dump at 3:00 AM 😎!" and think its totally normal, just goes to show how crazy we really are. Thanks ryan awesome video!
All true! I took a solo vacation to south Texas between Christmas and New Year's one year to go birding. One of the places I planned to visit was the Brownsville City Dump, the only place in the U.S. where the Chihuahua Raven can be found. Sadly, the day I arrived, the dump was closed because it had rained and the unpaved roads were too muddy for cars. The following day was a Sunday, the regular day the dump was closed. And the day after that was New Year's Day--and the dump was closed for the holiday!! So no Chihuahua Raven for me😔, but I did see lots of other cool birds, including lifers roseate spoonbills and black bellied whistling ducks. Really enjoy all your videos!
Haha, great video!! By no means am I up to any of these "crazy standards" - but certainly even in the simple bird watching me and my son are doing, my husband has looked at both of us like we've lost our minds, and more than once, hehe Especially when we're in the car and suddenly hollering "HAWK" or simply "look look look look" haha! He almost never sees the bird, and anyway doesn't care much about it, since for him birds are background noise. He is, needless to say, NOT a nature guy :P Speaking of shouts of "HAWK" - we saw one yesterday evening!!!!!! Literally RIGHT OVER our yard, less than twenty feet over our heads. We're pretty sure it was an immature Red Shouldered, but he (or she) spent a good ten minutes resting in the tree. Our "local" mockingbird started harassing the hawk - brave creature - but before the catbirds joined in, the hawk moseyed on. Absolutely gorgeous bird, and we were FAR more excited than most of our friends and family would be, haha!
Excellent video, Ryan! I certainly recognize myself in many of these points, even though I'm somewhat lazy and won't do *everything* necessary to get a bird...
I remember when I got my CY lifer and was able to identify their song. Yep, I was excited! That was way back when you had to memorize the songs, calls, chips from listening to tapes or CDs. 😂
Same thing with school. We never wanted to wake up for school. However, Saturday morning cartoons waking at 6 am was easy. The same is thing here, waking up 3am for birds for adults is the same thing.
How does Illinois rank for becoming a birder? My doctor reccomended it as a hobby for me to help me get out more as an agoraphobic. Any experience in Illinois? I know you mentioned a rare bird there. :O
I could show you a place in Washington state where gray-crowned rosy finches spend the winters in the vacant cliff swallow nesting colony on a basalt cliff. Or at least they used to do. Haven't been back since I moved out of the region years back, so you'd be taking a big chance if you took me up on it.
3:45 am birding ✔️ Vacations planned around birding ✔️ -15 degrees birding ✔️ Birding landfills here and other countries ✔️ Driving over 400 miles in one day to bird ✔️ Waiting 90 minutes for a late birding buddy ✔️😂
Actually, none of this is crazy. Photographers, hikers, mountain climbers and bikers, hunters, fisherman, mineral collectors and people into numerous other hobbies/activities do all these things and more. Shoot, millions of people travel thousands of miles just to hang out at a beach when they have perfectly good beaches a short drive from home! So, birding craziness is really no different than the plain ol' craziness everyone exhibits from time to time.
Where are you off to today? "Oh I'm hitting the landfill, the sod farms, and ending the day at the sewage treatment plant!" 🤓
REAL BRUH
Yep, I've basically said that! 😂
Was an operator at a wastewater treatment plant for many years. We had a lagoon system that attracted enough unique, rarely seen birds that the local Audobon Society would arrange birdwatching outings with me, with the City's blessing. I identified-- and had confirmed --3 sightings new to the county.
@@calmwoodcreations3709 that's awesome that you got to be a part of that 🤙
@@calmwoodcreations3709 Awesome! I once met another super nice WWTP operator in Ukiah and he took me around in a little golf cart thing right up to a Ruff after hours!
If you would drive 500 miles and hike up a 1500 foot cliff in 100 degree weather for a 5 second look at a bird, you may be a birder (Colima Warbler). Preach it, brother!
The “craziness”of birding has been essential to maintaining my sanity these days :-). Checking my local landfill and wastewater treatment plants for next mini-birdcations. Thanks for the holiday tips!!
A fork-tailed flycatcher showed up a mile from my home in Maryland last year. No plane ticket required. :)
I remember scanning palm trees with my binoculars looking for Nanday Parakeets at a busy intersection at a massive shopping center in Phoenix. People either looked at me like I had two heads or poked their heads out of their vehicles to try to see what I was looking at😂
Yes!!! I’ll be on the road at 4:30am tomorrow to go to a Songbird Festival 2.5 hours away! Yes, I’m crazeeeeee!😂
Ha!.. I can definitely relate.. my muscles are not what they used to be.. but I’ll hike a mile for birds.. and rocks..😁.. happy birding ❤️☮️
I am definitely a bird crazy fool :) Birdcations are what I live for :) 5000 mile rounds trips, no problem. My Prius is the best B&B I could ever ask for :) Great video guys.
My wife is a “part time” birder. Not willing to get up early, can bird for maybe 2 out of 3 days at a stretch. Yet, somehow I have managed to take her to numerous sewage/water treatment places, dumps and even a bombing range. I think she would agree with you “Birders are crazy,” 😂
How romantic!
I guess I'm not that CRAZY 🤪 yet but I think if one is passionate about their hobby then do what it takes for success 🤗 I'm 69 now and have been an avid bird watcher since I was 10. I also was very passionate and maybe CRAZY about my other hobby metal detecting. Well done video. Keep up the great work 😀👍
Another crazy aspect of birders is the weight and cumbersome nature of gear we voluntarily carry. In hot conditions when normal people wear the minimum we carry telescope, tripod, camera and enormous lens, plus binoculars.
Yep, I've set my alarm for 3:00 am, then woke up on my own at 2:30 am, so I could drive somewhere to bird. Didn't want to miss the Dawn Chorus! 😂
literally about to do the same to se the dawn chorus next weekend haha
As a birder I can confirm we are crazy people
i love how a birder can calmly say "Oh im hitting the dump at 3:00 AM 😎!" and think its totally normal, just goes to show how crazy we really are. Thanks ryan awesome video!
Can pretty much relate to all this 😂 Certainly visited a few sewage farms, particularly when I've been on birding holidays as they're often hot spots.
Going to the sod fields, then a picturesque beach, then a mcdonalds parking lot for Rusty Blackbird 💪
Going to the Sod Farm: $20 in gas money
Beach Entrance Fee: $5
Sharing a small fry with a spry Rusty Blackbird in a Mickey D’s Parking lot: Priceless
@@BadgerlandBirding Literally tho 😂
All true! I took a solo vacation to south Texas between Christmas and New Year's one year to go birding. One of the places I planned to visit was the Brownsville City Dump, the only place in the U.S. where the Chihuahua Raven can be found. Sadly, the day I arrived, the dump was closed because it had rained and the unpaved roads were too muddy for cars. The following day was a Sunday, the regular day the dump was closed. And the day after that was New Year's Day--and the dump was closed for the holiday!! So no Chihuahua Raven for me😔, but I did see lots of other cool birds, including lifers roseate spoonbills and black bellied whistling ducks. Really enjoy all your videos!
You must have been crushed to not get in! At least there were others to see…I particularly like roseate spoonbills
Haha, great video!! By no means am I up to any of these "crazy standards" - but certainly even in the simple bird watching me and my son are doing, my husband has looked at both of us like we've lost our minds, and more than once, hehe
Especially when we're in the car and suddenly hollering "HAWK" or simply "look look look look" haha! He almost never sees the bird, and anyway doesn't care much about it, since for him birds are background noise. He is, needless to say, NOT a nature guy :P
Speaking of shouts of "HAWK" - we saw one yesterday evening!!!!!! Literally RIGHT OVER our yard, less than twenty feet over our heads. We're pretty sure it was an immature Red Shouldered, but he (or she) spent a good ten minutes resting in the tree. Our "local" mockingbird started harassing the hawk - brave creature - but before the catbirds joined in, the hawk moseyed on. Absolutely gorgeous bird, and we were FAR more excited than most of our friends and family would be, haha!
I can safely declare that i am, in fact, a crazy person.
Excellent video, Ryan! I certainly recognize myself in many of these points, even though I'm somewhat lazy and won't do *everything* necessary to get a bird...
Getting overly excited about a lifer! I got the Common yellowthroat and I got overly excited to the point where my entire class to hear!
I remember when I got my CY lifer and was able to identify their song. Yep, I was excited! That was way back when you had to memorize the songs, calls, chips from listening to tapes or CDs. 😂
Let's go! Ain't birding a blast?😉
Could you make a video on the recent claimed sightings of multiple ivory billed woodpeckers in Louisiana?
It’s on our list! We did cover the “pre-print” of the paper that was published but it didn’t include as much. th-cam.com/video/rvf-q3geDWQ/w-d-xo.html
@@BadgerlandBirding thanks so much for the quick response! I honestly wasn't expecting it so quickly!
Sewage Treatment Lagoons! I love 'em!
Haha. Yes to all of the crazy places and long hikes. The gators, racoons, coyotes, and snakes are just part of the routine too.
Same thing with school. We never wanted to wake up for school. However, Saturday morning cartoons waking at 6 am was easy. The same is thing here, waking up 3am for birds for adults is the same thing.
,✅✅✅✅✅
It's funny, I was just using all of these examples the other day telling a co-worker about this hobby. Great video!
I love this video! I am in Hawaii now, why, you ask?, beaches, luau’s,? umm no, birds.
Agree, crazy, too. I’ll have to give the dump a try! Any particular time of day best?
I'm a bit like that. I've never gotten up at 2 or 3 in the morning just to go somewhere to look for a bird, but it's possible I could in the future.
Delightful! Ty ❤
I’ve HEARD that some people will trespass into the wooded property of others in the interest of spotting a bird they have heard
How does Illinois rank for becoming a birder? My doctor reccomended it as a hobby for me to help me get out more as an agoraphobic. Any experience in Illinois? I know you mentioned a rare bird there. :O
Definitely got some strange looks when you tell people you were hanging out at the sewage ponds LOL.
Yes Sometime I think I'm crazy about birds, and I do listen a lot of You Tube videos about birds 😄.
I could show you a place in Washington state where gray-crowned rosy finches spend the winters in the vacant cliff swallow nesting colony on a basalt cliff. Or at least they used to do. Haven't been back since I moved out of the region years back, so you'd be taking a big chance if you took me up on it.
Have you guys seen some sagebrush birds like Brewer’s Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, and Greater Sage Grouse?
We can go crazy over a little brown bird just because it's rare.
I can pass that test with ease 🤪
Ahh, that's crazy talk!
3:45 am birding ✔️
Vacations planned around birding ✔️
-15 degrees birding ✔️
Birding landfills here and other countries ✔️
Driving over 400 miles in one day to bird ✔️
Waiting 90 minutes for a late birding buddy ✔️😂
😂😂😂 I’ll make sure he’s on time for the next trip -Derek
@@BadgerlandBirding that's why I go solo.mostly. Do my best birding that way too.
I went out before dawn and about -9 degrees to recount Rusty Blackbirds for a Christmas Bird Count. 😂
I am definintly someone who wakes up at 5 to watch birds
Sewage Lagoons!
As someone who is a bat watcher and birder, I can confidently say that bat watchers are also fucking nuts
I can’t even imagine what the bat watching community is like
Im an avid bird photographer and a 5150 case...lol
I too, am a self admitted crazy person. Might also be a homeless checklist man, who knows 🤔
I am birder.
I am crazy.
Same
You forgot sewage lagoons... I've been to sewage lagoons on 3 or 4 continents... 💩 lol
I'm a big sewage lagoons fan! 😂
Only 5?
Only 5 reasons 😂😂😂
🤫
@@BadgerlandBirding You got them all. I recently drove 2 hours north of Toronto, stood in ankle deep water; forgot my boots, to see a Lumpkin.
You missed the expense of it all. Paying thousands for scopes and lenses, specialty clothing, etc..
Actually, none of this is crazy. Photographers, hikers, mountain climbers and bikers, hunters, fisherman, mineral collectors and people into numerous other hobbies/activities do all these things and more. Shoot, millions of people travel thousands of miles just to hang out at a beach when they have perfectly good beaches a short drive from home! So, birding craziness is really no different than the plain ol' craziness everyone exhibits from time to time.
Mountain bikers are going to sewage ponds?
BIRDS AREN'T REAL!!
Calm down little fella
me trying to explain my mom why im spending my saturday in a waste water treatment facility
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