Episode 07: The Bird Man- Don Enright

I don’t know when “bird” went from noun to verb. But “birding” is hot right now, according to countless media articles and interviews. “More meditative than meditation”, according to Pulitzer-prize winning science writer Ed Yong, a recent convert, who writes in The Atlantic that the practice is a perfect prescription for those struggling with the affects of long covid. Even Reese Witherspoon is now an avowed birder. If Elle Woods is into it, it’s gotta be cool, right?

Some of us, however, have alway been lured by birdsong. And the guy who got me into it is Don Enright, birder extraordinaire. Many, many years ago we worked together as park interpreters in the mountains of Alberta’s Kananaskis Country. From day one, before I had yet to open my first field guide, he was the resident authority on anything that flapped. He’s still that guy. Which is why I was thrilled he agreed to record this plodcast with me at the height of bird migration in Point Pelee National Park, at the southernmost tip of mainland Canada.

I’ve written about my love of bird photography elsewhere on this website (check out Freebird, in Stories). For me “birding” mixes the love of the hunt (without hurting anything) with the wonder of these magical flying creatures. When I started out I focussed on craft, learning how to gather sharp images of a small subject that rarely stands still. Then my interest morphed from collecting to chronicling; trying to capture behaviour whenever possible. Birds are both curious, and act curiously. Many are intensely clever, and it is sometimes confusing as to just who is watching who.

   As you read this, migrating birds are following ancient flyways, along fault lines and mountain ranges, guided by gravity, polarity, and stars. Billions of creatures world wide, continuing a ritual that began eons before we crawled out of the mud. They are a separate civilization, bound by rules all their own, obeying instincts and directives we still struggle to decipher. Birds are beguiling, they are still among us, and they need our help to continue to exist. We may be running out of time. You start by looking up.

I hope you enjoy our conversation.