On this sunny, mild day in central Missouri, a friend and I visited three birding hotspots this morning; our total species count was seven. This afternoon, my wife and I revisited one of those sites, adding another four species to the day's count.
Like medicine and meteorology, birding is an inexact human endeavor and expectations are not always met; the word "usually" is often employed. The reason for such "birdless days" is not always evident; as veteran birders know, they can occur during any season of the year and under all weather conditions. Perhaps atmospheric pressure has something to do with it!
On the other hand, one of the joys of birding is not knowing what to expect on any given day. Patience, while certainly important, is not always rewarded. Besides, birds and other wild creatures are not in the business of entertaining humans; we can only hope to observe their activity and our schedules do not always mesh.
Like medicine and meteorology, birding is an inexact human endeavor and expectations are not always met; the word "usually" is often employed. The reason for such "birdless days" is not always evident; as veteran birders know, they can occur during any season of the year and under all weather conditions. Perhaps atmospheric pressure has something to do with it!
On the other hand, one of the joys of birding is not knowing what to expect on any given day. Patience, while certainly important, is not always rewarded. Besides, birds and other wild creatures are not in the business of entertaining humans; we can only hope to observe their activity and our schedules do not always mesh.
