By Cintia Cabib
As a documentary filmmaker , I have produced films that focus on the Washington , D . C . area community . When my friend Vickie Baily , an avid birder and photographer , excitedly told me in November 2019 about the many species of birds she and a group of birders had discovered at the former RedGate Golf Course in Rockville , Maryland , I sensed that a new documentary was about to take flight .
In January 2020 , eager to learn more about this bird-friendly green space , I joined Vickie and the Montgomery Bird Club for a bird walk at the defunct RedGate Golf Course . The public golf course , which was owned by the City of Rockville , had closed in December 2018 . While the Rockville mayor and city council considered their options for the 131-acre site , local residents and birders , afraid that the land might be developed , embarked on a campaign to “ Save
Great Horned Owl and owlet
Bird Walk documentary shares the joy of birding at RedGate Park
RedGate Park .” I started filming their activities . Production of my documentary Bird Walk began in earnest in 2021 after I purchased a camera with an exceptional telephoto zoom lens – an essential piece of gear to film the birds .
For the next two years , I interviewed birders of all ages and backgrounds who flocked to RedGate Park to see the more than 160 bird species . I also interviewed community residents who were
Photo : vickie baily
Baltimore Oriole
Photo : Karl Krueger
working to preserve the land and to ensure that the park ’ s ecosystem remained favorable for the survival of birds .
Among the individuals featured in Bird Walk are Wayne Breslyn , who spearheaded the citizen campaign , “ Save RedGate Park ”; Mike Bowen , a longtime senior birder and hotspot reviewer for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ’ s eBird site who designated RedGate Park as an eBird hotspot ; María Elena Montero , a birder whose Dominican-born father instilled in her a love of birds ; Vickie Baily , who has identified and taken photos of more than 130 bird species at RedGate ; Hong Kong native Stella Tea , whose birdwatching hobby brought her closer to her teenage son Nathan ; Nathan Tea , an accomplished audio birder who can identify the calls of up to 300 birds and whose interest in birds has extended into art ; and Stephon Sterns and his 11-year-old daughter Karsyn , who share a passion for birds and photography .
Prior to producing Bird Walk , I had never seen a Belted Kingfisher or a Red-winged Blackbird , but during my multiple trips to RedGate Park , my eyes and ears
Photo : Cintia Cabib
Great Blue Heron
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