Wind doesn’t diminish day of birding-by-ear

The people stirred in their chairs, ready to venture outside to do some birding. They had spent the morning at the Fields Pond Nature Center participating in an “animal sounds workshop,” put on by Don Tarbet of the Natural History Education, Science, Technology organization.

It looked like a promising day, since the number of returning migrants had grown steadily throughout the week.

Now the group was ready to go out in the field for the second part of the day’s activities: birding by ear. Field trip leader Stephen Coleman cautioned them about the windy conditions, which could drown out bird songs.

“It’s pretty windy out there, and we’ll just have to make the best of it,” he said, but his enthusiasm remained undimmed.

Coleman was determined that his participants take something positive from the day. Part of the reason for the walk was to collect data for the International Migration Day Bird Count, which provides ornithologists and ecologists information about bird populations and their movements.

The main impetus for the walk, however, was to teach bird identification skills to the visually impaired. Together with their sighted companions, they would learn their birds while making a valuable contribution to science.

Despite the wind, bird songs and calls began pouring in from different directions. Coleman would pinpoint the bird by announcing where it was in relation to him.

“Do you hear that bird behind me?” He asked, facing the group. “That’s a song sparrow.”

“Towards the sun,” said Sue Martin, providing another helpful hint of direction. Her Seeing Eye dog sat patiently in the grass beside her.

Coleman’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Isn’t that neat? I love it!” He said of the song sparrow. “It is the true sign of spring.”

As the group moved off down the field they added more birds to their list. Goldfinches, Nashville warblers, robins, blue jays, tree swallows, orioles, among others. All were recorded by Maine Audubon member Bruce Barker. Coleman said he has been interested in birds and nature since he was a young boy, but credits Barker for broadening his knowledge and understanding of birds and their songs since the two met in a karate class 20 years ago.

Once he became proficient in identifying birds by song, he began leading bird walks. This is his fourth year of conducting the field trips at the Nature Center.

As are some of his participants, Coleman is visually impaired. When he was 18, his eyesight slowly began to deteriorate as a result of an optic nerve disease. Now, at 43, he retains some peripheral vision, although it is blurry.

It hasn’t slowed him down one bit. He teaches karate and works in the Aspirations Program at Fairmount School in Bangor, helping youths find their paths in life. He also travels in and out of state as a motivational speaker, often accompanied by his wife, Ellie.

In his spare time, he shares his knowledge and love of birds with people.

The group has stopped at the bottom of a slight incline opposite a marshy area. Coleman turns to consult his friend Bruce and some of the participants.

“Should we go back the way we came, or should we continue up the trail to the trees?” He asks. Just then, a red-winged blackbird utters a short, sharp cry, repeating it every couple of seconds. It is not a sound most people would associate with the bird.

It’s what Coleman was waiting for.

“There! There’s our red-winged blackbird,” he says, and listens intently. In the distance is another red-winged giving its more familiar “o-ka-ree” song.

Coleman is triumphant; the day was a success despite the windy conditions.

“If people take just one bird song away with them, they can go from there,” he said.

Chris Corio’s column on birds is published each Saturday. Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com