Birds, Nerds, and Where the Love Is

Birding: the Central Park Effect.  See it!  HBO.  Saturday through Wednesday and maybe beyond, at least once per day.

Today’s post is intended as a public service announcement. At various times (check your TV guide or listings), at least once per day, today through Wednesday, and maybe beyond, on HBO, there is a very fine hour-long show celebrating birds, birders, and New York City’s Central Park—previously unknown to me as a birders’ delight.

Moorhen

Great Egret

Tri-Colored Heron

Mockingbird

The captures of birds on video are a reason to watch, but anyone can love gorgeous animals. The real stars of the show are the birders. Even the nastiest hockey team or street gang might see in these nature lovers a new kind of role model. Without pretention, the bird-nerds are articulate, likable, down to earth, self-effacing, and in one case, remarkably courageous. As a group, they articulated perfectly the reasons for my own attraction to the critters, some of which I wasn't sure of myself. It can feel good to be part of a group, even as a Class D minor leaguer.

By the way, one well-known name among the Central Park group is novelist Jonathan Franzen.

Although I still love football and like baseball, my new team just might be The Bird Nerd Crawdads. Colors? Anything bright, though sparrows and wrens are admitted without bias. 

My photos today are from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Florida.