The birds never really work their magic on me . The thrill of the chase , the solving of mysteries , the connections with birds doesn ’ t speak to me — but I am at least able to contextualize what drives “ listers .” They aren ’ t fierce competitors so much as obsessive collectors . It ’ s less Friday Night Lights , the win-at-all-costs football movie , than High Fidelity , John Cusack ’ s comedy about record-hoarding music fanatics .
Those people I can relate to . Maybe I can ’ t understand spending the equivalent of a full work week chasing a sandpiper , but I once monitored eBay auctions for months to score an original vinyl pressing of Sonic Youth ’ s EVOL — not a reissue — because it has a locked groove at the end of the final song that causes it to repeat infinitely . I know from obsessive .
I make one last attempt . Maybe , as Sue Palmer had speculated , I just hadn ’ t found my “ spark bird ,” the bird that inspires one to take up the hobby . ( For her it was a toucan .)
Following the rare bird alerts on a Saturday morning , I notice a report of a Baird ’ s sandpiper , Sue ’ s former nemesis , at Meadow Brook Pond near Wood River Junction . My friend James and I are nearby in Charlestown , so we drive over to investigate . Almost immediately a small bird lands onshore about fifty yards from us . I put the binos on it and observe . I whip out my phone and open the Merlin app . After answering a few questions about my location and the bird ’ s appearance and behavior , it offers a list of maybe ten species my bird could be . One is the Baird ’ s . That has to be it , I think . I snap a photo .
James already wandered off ahead ; I catch up and explain what ( I think ) we were seeing . “ So … that it ?” he asks . “ Yeah , I suppose ,” I shrug . “ What now ?” “ I guess we ’ re done .” And that was that . Was it birding ? Yes .
Was it fulfilling ? Eh . Later , I send my photo to Sue to confirm that it was a Baird ’ s sandpiper .
“ That is a greater yellowlegs ,” she corrects me , a much more common bird . ( eBird lists more than 5,600 reports in Rhode Island , versus less than 150 for the Baird ’ s .)
Either way , my list now stands at a formidable one — not enough to catch Sue or even Devin , but a personal record . A very big year , indeed . �
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2020 95