I started birding because I found golf too frustrating. Boy, did I have that wrong!
I am in my fifties and I’ve been a birder off and on for the last 35 years. In early 2019 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease — somewhere near the cusp of “early onset,” which I hope means I have many more years to live with the disease.
An introvert, I enjoy birding alone, but do not mind a brief exchange with a fellow birder or joining up with a small group here and there. Once in a while. Rarely. I am not much of a chaser; I certainly enjoy seeing a lifer, or visiting a new place with new birds, but by the same token I take delight in the visitors to my New England feeders and the birds of the nearby fields, ponds, and forests.
It has been my great fortune over the years to go birding with a number of accomplished birders. With them I’ve watched migrating hawks at extreme distances, hiked through scrub and bog and swamp, and stared mostly fruitlessly out to sea. In spite of those who have been more than generous in sharing their avian wisdom and birdlore, I remain stubbornly average in birding skill.
When I found out I had PD, I went looking for resources on the web. I couldn’t find much about or by birders who were also living with Parkinson’s. Hence this blog–which I plan to fill with tips and advice, reflections on the intersection of PD and birding, and anything else that I feel like including.
I aim to keep birding in defiance of Parkinson’s, to see new birds and get to know even the commonest birds better, to meet others who share this passion, to keep learning, to share what I learn along the way, and above all to maintain a sense of humor. I welcome your feedback (as long as it’s positive.)
“Birder” or “Birdwatcher” (or other?)
Birder
Years you’ve been birding *or* age you started birding?
about 35 years
Did a specific sighting or experience hook you? How did you get started birding?
Friends took me birding to Ferd’s Bog, I saw an Olive-sided Flycatcher grab a dragonfly and I was hooked.
What was your most recent life bird?
Yellow-breasted Chat
Do you have a “nemesis” bird?
Up til last winter, that would be Pine Siskin
What is your favorite place to bird?
I love the parks near my home, and places like Parker River NWR and Central Park (New York).
“binoculars” “bins” “binocs” or “field glasses”?
bins
When you’re not birding, you are
connecting philanthropists to MIT
Optional: How long have you been living with Parkinson’s?
I was diagnosed in March 2019