I am not a birder, but my friends keep journals and log their species sightings for a lifetime record. They go on regular birding trips, sometimes to exotic locations. They participate in annual bird counts and donate to the Audubon Society. They keep track of the birds coming and going at their bird feeders and keep their bird identification handbooks where they can easily access them. On the other hand, I put seed into my feeders when I think about it and enjoy watching the coming and going of birds without being able to tell others what kind of birds I have seen.

Yesterday, however, we went on a birding expedition. It wasn’t billed as a birding expedition but as “a raptor field trip.” There were, however, some serious birders who went on the trip. I mean, able to identify those flying, those in the trees, and those on the ground birders. You know, scientific name droppers. Or “I brought a designated driver, so I could focus on the birds and not worry about keeping the car on the road” birders. Some were “both my camera and my spotting scope are worth more than my car” birders. There were a few intense birders along for the ride. And they made the experience fun for everyone, especially for me, because they pointed out birds that I missed and told me the names of the birds that I was seeing.

One of the serious birders asked, “How boring do you want this trip to be? We could stop for every red-tailed hawk and every bald eagle we see or keep going for the good stuff. I wasn’t sure how to answer the question because I would be pleased to stop for every red-tailed hawk and bald eagle. I usually do. But I also didn’t want to miss out on the exciting stuff, whatever that might be. Fortunately, we got a good mix of both, plus a few experiences that were neither boring nor exciting.

The day was bright and clear, and many other individuals and groups were out looking at birds. Our leader tried to avoid crowds and the places where many others had already stopped. However, we stopped at one place where there were a lot of other parked cars. The attraction was a group of eagles congregated in trees, including mature birds and younger birds. At one point, we counted eight bald eagles in three trees standing next to each other. Other eagles were perched nearby, and there were good opportunities to observe them in flight. I got a few pictures of the birds even though I wasn’t packing a 500mm lens. While we were stopped, our guide invited us to look across the road where other raptors were flying. They were going too fast for me to get good photographs, and I’d already forgotten the names of the birds. As I said, I’m not a birder. However, it was interesting to watch them, and fun to see how our little group of people were excited about the activities on both sides of the street.

Another time, we stopped to observe an adult male red-tailed hawk perched in a tree. The distance was proper for some good photographs, and the bird was calm enough for our guide to set up a spotting scope, allowing us to get a perfect look at the bird. Then, as we were watching, the bird took off and flew to a distant tree where a bald eagle was perched. As we watched, and as I was taking pictures, the hawk swooped toward the eagle and succeeded in stirring the enormous bird from its perch. Both birds appeared slightly off balance for a few seconds before the eagle flew to another tree, and the hawk landed where the eagle had been originally perched. Our guide reminded us that part of successful birding is watching from a distance and waiting. Sometimes, there is a lot to be seen and learned from finding a place to sit still and observe.

We drove by fields of trumpeter swans and snow geese. In the past, I have driven through the area in search of the beautiful white birds that winter in the Samish area and Skagit flats. We have been mesmerized by their numbers and activities. The purpose of yesterday’s field trip, however, was to view raptors, so our guide barely took notice of the swans and geese, and we didn’t stop to take photographs of them. I guess some people who spend most of their free time looking at birds fail to meet the exciting criteria because they are so common in the winter around here. However, for a non-birder like me, there is still a bit of excitement each time I see a field covered with glorious white birds.

At one point, we stopped to photograph a hawk perched on a wire and got a good look at another flying creature. A person on a hang glider that had launched from a high hill a couple of miles away flew overhead on their way to a landing in an open field. Years ago, I did some hang gliding, and I still feel a thrill when I remember the feeling of flight in the open air. Having grown up around airplanes and loving to fly, there is something unique about hang gliding that is less like an airplane and more like a bird. The lack of an engine means the flight is silent and much more like one imagines the flight of a bird might be.

Another enjoyable experience of the day was that the driver of our carpool had a Tesla electric car equipped with the beta test version of the latest self-driving software. Our driver employed it even on some winding roads. It was interesting to watch the steering wheel turn with no hands on it and to observe the screen display that showed other cars, the edges of the road, and even pedestrians.

I’m not inclined to purchase a self-driving car right away, and I’m unlikely to become a serious birder. But spending the day with people who do those things was fascinating.