During the World Series of Birding (WSB), we call it “doing lines of peep.” Birding time is never more precious than during a birding competition, yet the temptation to check every spot and every bird is often overwhelming. You just can’t do that otherwise you’ll need all day just to cover Brigantine’s (aka Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge) 8 mile wildlife drive, which serves up shorebirds like a cocaine dealer. To maximize birds, you have to maximize efficiency, and that may mean driving by very appealing spots and species. Some birding field trips to Brigantine spend all day and drive the wildlife loop twice; for WSB, my team often completes the loop in 30 minutes and is on its way to some other hotspot!
Doing “Lines of peep” can be addictive, but birders have to decide how much time to devote, or not devote, to searching through each habitat and flock of birds.
The WSB is an extreme example of the need to cover areas efficiently, but give some thought to your itinerary every time you go birding, and your trip lists will grow. And even though seeing many species of birds is not always, or even usually, the primary goal of an outing, seeing or studying particular birds often is, and if you don’t stay focused on your goal, you’re not going to find it.
Last evening, for example, I had a shred of time to go birding before it got dark, and decided to look for Short-eared Owls at a salt hay farm I know. On the way, I drove past an absolutely seductive cedar thicket, one that begged to be checked for lingering orioles or something even fancier - Townsend’s Solitaire was the bird that popped into my head. But I didn’t have time for both the thicket and the owls, and had to make a choice. The owls won.
Remember the following points when you go afield:
Make a plan, and stick to it- I always jot down a brief itinerary for the day’s birding if I’m leading a field trip, or when I’m conducting a Christmas Bird Count. For example, my plan for a day at Barnegat Light, NJ and environs might look like this:
10:00 a.m. - Meet/ Bathroom break
10:15 - 11:15 a.m.- Walk out on the jetty for Harlequins, Purple Sandpipers, etc.
11:15 - 11:45 a.m.- Sea & inlet watch, gannets, corms., scoters
11:45 - 12:30 p.m.- Work way back to the cars
12:30 - 1:00 p.m.- Lunch (at the latest, finish 1:30 p.m.)
1:00 - 1:30 p.m.- Check the flats/ bay for gulls, shorebirds, oystercatchers
1:30 - 1:45 p.m.- Drive to Harvey Cedars
1:45 - 2:15 p.m.- Check the bay for grebes, bay ducks
2:15 - 2:45 p.m.- Drive to Manahawkin with coffee stop built in
2:45 - 4:00 p.m.- Stafford Road impoundments, rough-legs and sharp-tailed sparrows
4:00 - 4:15 p.m.- Drive to Cedar Run
4:15 p.m.- Dark - Watch for Short-eared Owls
Be ready to let a bird go - Let’s say there’s a Kentucky Warbler singing back in a thicket. You want to see it - who wouldn’t? But seeing a Kentucky Warbler buried in dense brush is problematic, to say the least. Sometimes (not always) in situations like this you’re better off leaving the bird for another, or for one in a more accessible spot, rather than consume a half hour or more to maybe see this one.
Build in multiple spots for priority species, and know when you’ve hit your “last chance” location - Let’s say you’re working your way through a farmland mosaic, following a birding trail guide. You’ve read the text for Grasshopper Sparrow locations, and know there are 5 spots named. You might only invest a few minutes at the first few, but when you get to the last, make sure you see the bird if you haven’t already.
Remember target species take 8 times longer than you think - As does everything else in life, it seems. If there’s a bird you really want, prioritize it and look until you find it. If you are with others, make sure everyone understands that. And when you find the prize species, please spend lots of time enjoying it!