
By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
When non-birdwatchers think of birding, they probably don’t regard it as a competitive sport, but rather as an occasional hobby undertaken on casual walks through the woods. This past year, for local birder Chris Hitt, it became both.
Given Hitt’s “slow-birding†approach, it’s a bit surprising what he was able to accomplish in 2010: He became the first person to see at least 700 different species of birds in the lower 48 U.S. states in a single year. His tally of 704 birds earned him a “Big Year†title – an informal competition among birders to see the most species in a given area – for the contiguous U.S., something he’d set out to do at the start of his year, but was unsure he’d accomplish.
“I kept having fun,†he said, “so it ended up being a whole year.â€
When Hitt began the year, he chose a method he dubbed slow birding, attempting to see as many bird species as possible while also seeking out the best wood-fired pizzas and hamburgers in America, thoroughly enjoying his time and visiting with friends and family.
At times, Hitt struggled to stay on his birding agenda, and more than once had to resist the urge to hike through an Arizona canyon or stop at a local eatery, in his pursuit of the next bird.
Hitt first became fond of birding as a twenty-something backpacker on a trip through the desert in Texas. A fellow hiker handed him a pair of binoculars and told him to see what he could see, and that was it.
“I kind of got hooked,†he said.
A number of years later, Hitt found himself spending less time birding and more time working – eventually as president of Whole Foods – and about 15 years passed before he was able to get back to birding. A few years ago, Hitt had the idea to do a Big Year, and off he went.
During the first six months of last year, Hitt spent a mere 20 nights at home. In 2010 he drove more than 65,000 miles and flew more than 80,000. He walked 332 miles, took 23 boat trips and spent about $40,000.
But for the first half of the year, Hitt, trying to stay true to his slow-birding mantra, chose not to chase birds. That is to say, when a rare bahama mockingbird turned up in Florida in May, Hitt didn’t make the trip, nor did he travel to Texas when a roadside hawk was spotted. Instead, he focused on being in optimal locations.
“If you’re going to see as many birds as possible, you’ve got to figure out where they’re going to be,†Hitt said. Southeast Arizona, the Texas Valley south of Houston and Southern Florida “are the three meccas†for birding.
By July, the birder had 632 species under his belt and was well on his way to a Big Year. The second half of his year was a bit more challenging, but the longest period of time Hitt passed without seeing a bird was still only about a week.
“The birds are going to be on their own schedule and then show up when they show up,†he said.
So during the latter half of 2010, Hitt decided to chase the rare birds that showed up across the country – a rare taiga bean goose from Asia in Southern California, a Cuban peewee in Florida, an orange-billed nightingale thrush in South Dakota and so on. Those chases were often exhausting; in a single 48-hour period, Hitt traveled to San Francisco, Florida and Arizona.
Hitt’s wife accompanied him on some of his trips last year, he said, “but birding is a full-time job.â€
On many trips, Hitt arrived at his destination late at night, only to wake a few hours later hoping to catch an early-morning glance of a rare bird.
He spent many a morning on 5 a.m. stakeouts, waiting for birds that sometimes didn’t show up for hours.
But Hitt rarely was unsuccessful on his birding excursions, and he had only one failed attempt at seeing a particular bird last year. Returning from a trip to Italy in November, he heard about an ivory gull in California, but missed seeing that bird by six hours.
“The only bird I ever really missed all year was because I wasn’t here,†he said. He wasn’t frustrated by the miss, though. There were other birds he could have seen if he’d chosen to chase for the first half of the year, which would have brought his total to 709.
“I’ve seen some birders tearing their hair out because they can’t find a bird,†he said.
But for Hitt, stressing about a missed bird would have defeated the purpose.
“I set out to have fun, and I did,†he said. “I loved the year. I’m glad it’s over.
“I met a lot of great people. I saw a lot of old friends,†he said. “It was a travel adventure with a focus on birding.â€
Now back at his home outside Carrboro, Hitt likes to bird around waterfowl impoundments off N.C. 54 and at the Mason Farm Biological Reserve. Winter is a slower time of year for birding, but it’s not about how many birds he spots.
“I just love being outside,†Hitt said. Besides, “there are always birds to look at.â€
To read more about Hitt’s Big Year, visit his blog at slowbirding.blogspot.com.

That’s so cool! My parents have gotten older and now they’ve started doing a lot of bird watching. They live near Florida and see a lot of sub-tropical kind of species. I don’t quite get the intensity of their bird watching just yet, but I know it really makes them happy.