Trail Heads: Birds of a Feather Walk Lake Artemesia Together

Prior to Thursday evening, I categorized birds in one of three ways: if it was white and located within 100 miles of a beach, it was seagull.  All black birds were crows, and all birds that annoyed me were pigeons. Chickens made an occasional guest appearance on my radar, but only if they were presented on a plate, preferably garnished with a side of potatoes.

Suffice to say; I had never been "birding."  That is, until I arrived at the Berwyn Road entrance of Lake Artemisia for my first ever guided bird walk.

Led by David Muzurkewich, a member of the Prince George's County Audubon Society, the walking tour is more of a casual bird-stroll, wherein participants take a few steps, raise their binoculars, put them down, and perhaps raise them again before taking another few steps. Birding, I quickly learned, is not an activity for the attention-deficit.

"It does require a lot of patience," said Teresa Watson, a Beltsville resident and self-described amateur bird watcher, as we stood on the same stretch of path for nearly ten minutes.

As someone who possesses the attention span of a potato chip, I knew it was going to be challenging two hours.  Further complicating the situation was the fact that I do not own a pair of binoculars, which are a necessary accessory for anyone hoping to discern a bird from large bug or distant plane.

The art of bird watching, however, is an admirable hobby, and a fascinating one to observe. It requires one to slow down – way down – and study the world around them with an intensity that most people reserve only for the latest gossip on Lindsay Lohan.

As we stopped to study the sounds emanating from the grasses, I asked David if he supposed there was a bird in there.

"No, no," he said. "But we look at everything. Birds just tend to be the most interesting because, you know, they fly."

It's safe to say that most people don't adopt bird watching for the adrenaline rush. While many birders hope to glimpse the possibly extinct ivory-billed woodpecker, finding it is hardly the purpose. The beauty of bird watching is that it can be pursued without any singular goal, and no bird is too commonplace not to warrant a glance.

The other members of the group were generous in lending me their binoculars, and pointed out the latest subject of interest perched among the trees. I have to admit, it certainly had its satisfying moments. At one point, a nighthawk appeared among a group of chimney swifts. (Translation: a large crow appeared among a group of smaller crows.) Binoculars were raised, books were procured, and an air of genuine delight reverberated around the small group.

But more often, the enjoyment in bird watching is more muted. Lindley Darden, a Greenbelt resident, had a book – not a great one, she noted, but one that held her notes – and would occasionally make a small check mark next to a bird she had never before seen. When I asked her how many she had ever seen, she said she wasn't even keeping track.

"I don't keep a life list," she said.

It comes as no surprise that the most avid birders in the group also hold day jobs that required similar levels of equanimity. Lindley is on the faculty at University of Maryland's philosophy department. Knut Waagan is a post doctoral student in applied mathematics at the university. David, the guide, is an astronomer of sorts, and spends his days designing and building telescopes.

As with many things, the fun in birding largely stems from the challenge. It's also the reason that it lacks the widespread appeal of other outdoor hobbies, like cycling or white water rafting.

"It's fun, but it's also a challenge," David said. "It can be frustrating when you just want them to stay still so you can get a look at them."

"It's a reason to take up wildflowers," Lindley added. "They don't open until 10 a.m., and don't move."

The guided bird watching walk occurs the first and third Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. at the parking lot on Berwyn Road in Berwyn Heights. For maximum bird watching enjoyment, it is suggested you bring binoculars.