Secret Handshake

I recently watched a CBS News segment about birding, that for the first time really seemed to “get it” ... as far as mainstream news coverage goes. There were no real big errors, no cringe-worthy moments and no real flubs. It portrayed fairly accurately what we’re all about.

Which got me thinking about what we’re all about. Each of us got into birding through a different avenue, maybe a friend or family member is a birder. My situation was kind of unique. Birding was a way for me to be out and away from a broken household and abusive parents.

Maybe that’s why when I think of birding, I think of community. I think of the people who—when I was a 9-year-old tromping around in Lincoln Park all by myself, looking for birds—became my friends. My family.

Birders have a secret language. Case-in-point: not long ago I was taking a walk around a city park in Chicago. This park is situated between a very bad neighborhood, and a rather nice and wealthy one. On a walk around Columbus Park you may see someone shooting up heroin on a park bench. Or a young family out enjoying the day. Or someone birding.

So, I’m walking the 3-mile loop around the park, when I come across an elderly lady with binoculars minding her own business. I’m a big guy, with a beard, and I was wearing a dark hoodie-type sweatshirt and a Chicago Bears cap. No binoculars. I don’t take them on my exercise walks, because I get too distracted and wind up standing around looking at birds, rather than putting in some miles. But I do notice the birds as I go by, and I’ll stop to try to get a better look if I see something interesting. Bare-naked Birding as Ted Floyd would call it.

Anyway, back to the lady in the park. I’m walking toward her, and I notice her binoculars, so I smile and walk right up to her. She takes an involuntary step back, and quick look around. I said, “Hi! Seeing anything good?”

Now, I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me while I’m out birding. Someone stops to ask what we’re looking at ... and when we say “birds”, what follows is inevitably a detailed story and instructions as to where we can see eagles nearby. You try to be friendly, but really, you just want them to go on their way, so you can get on with your birding. So there’s that. But this is in a bad neighborhood, and people who approach you in this park are usually looking for money or something.

She said, “No ... not really. Just a few sparrows.”

“I just had a Cerulean Warbler about 50 yards back on this path, in the oaks there”, I replied.

Instantly, her perception of me had changed, and the involuntary step back was replaced by an eager step forward as she asked what else I’d seen. “Cerulean Warbler” was the secret handshake. I was now a friendly, and could be trusted. We chatted for ten minutes, and continued happily on our way(s).

Birding is a great equalizer. Age doesn’t matter. Cultural differences don’t matter. It’s like being in kindergarten all over again. We’re all the same, and all that matters is the birds.

Speaking of cultural differences, I’ll wrap this up with a little story.

My friend Amar Ayyash invited me to drive with him to Toronto and Niagara Falls from Chicago this past winter. The goal was to photograph gulls, particularly Iceland Gulls. I’ve described myself above. Amar is scholarly-appearing, young-middle-aged, somewhat dark-skinned man of Middle Eastern descent. Born and raised in Cicero, Illinois.

So it was that this unlikely duo—because of our mutual love of gulls—was crossing the border into Canada at Port Huron/Sarnia, in a blizzard, at night, on December 26th. The lanes were empty, and as we pulled in, Amar remarked, “You wanna bet we get ‘randomly’ pulled over for a security check?” He’s used to being singled out by TSA and other authorities because of his name ... I couldn’t even imagine it.

The border patrol agent asks what we’re doing in Canada. “Looking for birds”. That caused her to lean over and take a good look at me. She looked at Amar again and asked, “So how do you know each other?”

“Through bird watching.”

“Pull over to the first check-point area on the right, please.”

They made us stand outside the car while they questioned us, asking us the same questions over and over. It was freezing cold, and when I put my hands in my pockets the agent loudly told me to keep my hands where he could see them. Really? They went through the car, remarking at all of the optical equipment—cameras, binoculars, telescopes—in the back seat. Then they opened the trunk. The one agent motioned the other over to have a look, and they both stood up and looked at us, puzzled.

So, how exactly, does one explain 150 loaves of Wonder bread, and 60 pounds of pork fat in the trunk?

Comments

[Ann Nightingale]

Great stories! We're working on getting the border guards to know the "secret handshake". I have, on occasion, had them ask me about which birds I've seen. Just how did you explain the pork fat sandwiches?

[Madeline]

In January 2012, a friend (with bushy beard) and I (just an innocent LOL birder) were "randomly" selected for investigation by the US Border Patrol at the Washington State crossing south of Boundary Bay.
They did not believe that anyone would drive all the way from California (southern!) just to see (21!!) Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay.

[Hotspot Birding]

Wonderful post...great ending with the image. I feel bad for your friend that this is the sad world we live in. For your next post I'd like to see some of those images....

[April]

We were crossing the border into Canada on our way to Pt. Pelee. When the Canadian immigration officer asked why we were visiting Canada, we responded we were going birdwatching.

"What birds are you going to see?" he asked

My husband and I grinned and, simultaneously, said, "Warblers!"

The officer rolled his eyes and waved us through!

[MFB]

So true. Last February I spent the best birthday of my life with two birders 1/3 my age in the UP of Michigan (-22 temp!). Now, I'm about to start a driving trip to Alaska with one of them - the "granddaughter" I never had. The cement that seals our relationship is -- birding.

[Liz Deluna]

Greg that was wonderful. Wonderful! Wonderful! What wonderful way to spin a story, your story.

[Barbara]

Then again, this winter January 2013 four of us Californians crossed at the same border, looking for the same species, and when we said we were coming to Canada to bird, we were asked, "Boundary Bay? for Snowy Owls?" and we were wished good luck! Upon returning to the US, the Border Patrol asked us what birds we had seen. So thanks for helping to pave the way!

[John Scavetto]

Great story an so well written!! Thanks for the laugh and smiles.

[Ted Floyd]

I'm reminded of the time I was out birding and bumped into Carlton Haselrig--who, with several bodyguards, was also out birding. The encounter took place along a rather isolated stretch of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I confess, my initial response was one of nervousness. Then he or I--I don't remember who--asked, "Seen anything good?" It was as if we'd known each other our whole lives. Secret handshake, indeed.

[Nature Ali]

Mmm, wonder bread and pork fat, you sure know how to impress a gull. ;)

[Adam Sell]

Excellent write up, Greg. It's always a blast explaining to my non-birder friends about our Big Days. Inevitably, a person asked what we all do when we're not birding. Smiles are contagious when they hear how diverse our groups are. Different ages, backgrounds, stories, jobs, etc, all brought together by birds. The secret handshake is one of the biggest draws to birding. Instant community!

[Birding Book Reviews]

You're always sending me to google, Ted.

[Wilson Cady]

My next birding cap will have "Seen Anything Good?" on it. It is a greeting as familiar to all birders as "Good Morning" is to non-birders.

[Ted Floyd]

:-)

The encounter was a great affirmation of the transcendent appeal of birding.

[Ted Floyd]

"So, how exactly, does one explain 150 loaves of Wonder bread, and 60 pounds of pork fat in the trunk?"

Honesty is the best policy. The third time--if I'm counting right--I was questioned by the police for being with my son (he was 7 months old at the time), I gave an honest response: "We're out [at 12:45 a.m.] listening to the the flight calls of Chipping Sparrows migrating by night to their molting grounds in the central and southern Great Plains."

Ordinary criminals can't make up stuff like that.

The dude let us go.

[Dave C.]

It's starting to cut both ways. My wife and I were returning from Pt. Pelee to the U.S. across the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit. In response to the usual line of questions, we told the agent we had been at Pt. Pelee.

"Birdwatching?" she said. Yes, we replied.

"How many did you see?" she asked. A little sheepishly, because our goal had been 100 species, we told her, "87."

"You must be pretty good. The guy earlier only had 65."