((PKG)) BIRDING
((TRT: 03:34))
((Banner: Birding))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Mike Burke))
((Map: Alexandria, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS))
((NATS: Larry Meade))
There is a Bluebird.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
I am Larry Meade. I am President of the Northern Virginia Bird
Club.
((Stills Courtesy: Northern Virginia Bird Club))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
I’ve always been interested in birding, but I’ve been seriously
birding, keeping track since 2002.
((NATS))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
The connotation of bird watching is that all we do is watch the
birds. But birding is more of an all-encompassing concept
because not only do we look at them, we study them. We do
scientific surveys.
((NATS: Jessica Bowser))
Looked like a juvenile to me because I saw an adult fly to the
right.
((NATS: Larry Meade))
We study their behavior.
The one behind me in the pine tree.
We travel to see them.
((NATS))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
We are at Huntley Meadows Park. What is really unique about
this is it is a freshwater wetland which is unusual. It’s got the nice
boardwalk. It’s pretty unique in that way and that you can get
really pretty close to the birds and other wildlife.
((NATS: Jessica Bowser))
Now, the Great Crested Flycatcher is back.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
Jessica is a member of our club.
((NATS: Larry Meade))
Here’s another. Here’s a Tree Swallow right here.
((NATS: Jessica Bowser))
I hear him singing.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
It’s nice to be able to share experiences.
((Stills Courtesy: Northern Virginia Bird Club))
If I'm by myself, I like to post my photos on Facebook and get
reaction from people that way. But when we’re with a person,
number one, it's another set of eyes, like she spotted some Cedar
Waxwings I probably wouldn't have seen. And I spotted some
stuff she probably wouldn’t have seen. So, you've got more
chance to see the birds, but you can also discuss the birds and
just catching up with friends too. It's just a social thing.
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
Being outside is always rewarding regardless of the weather,
regardless of what it is that we get to see, because the outdoors
is always a surprise. You never know what you're going to find.
Back in 2013, I was playing around on the Internet and found an
app that I could download on my phone that was a birding app.
And so that kind of piqued my interest. And then I went and got a
book about birding and realized just how intricate and detailed it
really is.
((NATS))
((Stills Courtesy: Northern Virginia Bird Club))
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
Birding kind of became like a scavenger hunt. And Larry
mentioned earlier that birders keep a life list, which is a list of all
the birds that they've seen. And so, when you start out and
everything feels new, you’re sort of, you know, adding to that life
list and it's growing and it’s growing and it just becomes addictive.
((NATS: Bird Singing))
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
It's good for your health to be outdoors. It's a very calming
experience. But personally, as a former educator, I believe that
everybody should be connected to nature because we have to
conserve nature. The birds are diminishing. The research shows
that we've lost over 3 million birds over the past few decades and
that's really scary. And I think that people aren't going to be
aware of that, if they're not connected to it.
((NATS: Nature Sounds))
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
In many places, the only legitimate place to go other than the
grocery store and the hospital, is the outdoors. And it's a safe
place to be right now as long as you keep your distance from
other people. And so, people are going outside in ways that they
never have before. And they're noticing things that they hadn't
noticed before. And they are making that connection. And
they're finding that birdwatching or birding, as we like to call it, is
very relaxing.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
The basic tools for a birder are binoculars and some kind of field
guide so you can figure out what the birds are. I really like the
Red-headed Woodpecker. That's one of my favorites.
((NATS: Nature Sounds))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
I would encourage people to pay attention to birds. There is a
whole worldwide community of birders. I mean it's not just here.
It's everywhere. It’s just a lot of fun.
((NATS: Nature Sounds))
((TRT: 03:34))
((Banner: Birding))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Mike Burke))
((Map: Alexandria, Virginia))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS))
((NATS: Larry Meade))
There is a Bluebird.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
I am Larry Meade. I am President of the Northern Virginia Bird
Club.
((Stills Courtesy: Northern Virginia Bird Club))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
I’ve always been interested in birding, but I’ve been seriously
birding, keeping track since 2002.
((NATS))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
The connotation of bird watching is that all we do is watch the
birds. But birding is more of an all-encompassing concept
because not only do we look at them, we study them. We do
scientific surveys.
((NATS: Jessica Bowser))
Looked like a juvenile to me because I saw an adult fly to the
right.
((NATS: Larry Meade))
We study their behavior.
The one behind me in the pine tree.
We travel to see them.
((NATS))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
We are at Huntley Meadows Park. What is really unique about
this is it is a freshwater wetland which is unusual. It’s got the nice
boardwalk. It’s pretty unique in that way and that you can get
really pretty close to the birds and other wildlife.
((NATS: Jessica Bowser))
Now, the Great Crested Flycatcher is back.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
Jessica is a member of our club.
((NATS: Larry Meade))
Here’s another. Here’s a Tree Swallow right here.
((NATS: Jessica Bowser))
I hear him singing.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
It’s nice to be able to share experiences.
((Stills Courtesy: Northern Virginia Bird Club))
If I'm by myself, I like to post my photos on Facebook and get
reaction from people that way. But when we’re with a person,
number one, it's another set of eyes, like she spotted some Cedar
Waxwings I probably wouldn't have seen. And I spotted some
stuff she probably wouldn’t have seen. So, you've got more
chance to see the birds, but you can also discuss the birds and
just catching up with friends too. It's just a social thing.
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
Being outside is always rewarding regardless of the weather,
regardless of what it is that we get to see, because the outdoors
is always a surprise. You never know what you're going to find.
Back in 2013, I was playing around on the Internet and found an
app that I could download on my phone that was a birding app.
And so that kind of piqued my interest. And then I went and got a
book about birding and realized just how intricate and detailed it
really is.
((NATS))
((Stills Courtesy: Northern Virginia Bird Club))
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
Birding kind of became like a scavenger hunt. And Larry
mentioned earlier that birders keep a life list, which is a list of all
the birds that they've seen. And so, when you start out and
everything feels new, you’re sort of, you know, adding to that life
list and it's growing and it’s growing and it just becomes addictive.
((NATS: Bird Singing))
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
It's good for your health to be outdoors. It's a very calming
experience. But personally, as a former educator, I believe that
everybody should be connected to nature because we have to
conserve nature. The birds are diminishing. The research shows
that we've lost over 3 million birds over the past few decades and
that's really scary. And I think that people aren't going to be
aware of that, if they're not connected to it.
((NATS: Nature Sounds))
((Jessica Bowser, Conservation Advocate))
In many places, the only legitimate place to go other than the
grocery store and the hospital, is the outdoors. And it's a safe
place to be right now as long as you keep your distance from
other people. And so, people are going outside in ways that they
never have before. And they're noticing things that they hadn't
noticed before. And they are making that connection. And
they're finding that birdwatching or birding, as we like to call it, is
very relaxing.
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
The basic tools for a birder are binoculars and some kind of field
guide so you can figure out what the birds are. I really like the
Red-headed Woodpecker. That's one of my favorites.
((NATS: Nature Sounds))
((Larry Meade, President, Northern Virginia Bird Club))
I would encourage people to pay attention to birds. There is a
whole worldwide community of birders. I mean it's not just here.
It's everywhere. It’s just a lot of fun.
((NATS: Nature Sounds))
