
{"id":15835,"date":"2011-02-10T10:17:57","date_gmt":"2011-02-10T15:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/?p=15835"},"modified":"2011-02-10T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2011-02-10T18:35:10","slug":"a-travel-adventure-%e2%80%93-with-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/2011\/02\/10\/a-travel-adventure-%e2%80%93-with-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"A travel adventure \u00e2\u20ac\u201c with birds"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_15836\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15836\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2011\/02\/10\/a-travel-adventure-%e2%80%93-with-birds\/birdwatcher-story-dude1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15836\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.dude1_.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Birdwatcher-story.dude1\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.dude1_.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.dude1_-113x84.jpg 113w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.dude1_-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.dude1_-106x80.jpg 106w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15836\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">PHOTO BY CKAY BRIGGS Local birdwatcher Chris Hitt visited the Magee Marsh near Toledo, Ohio, one of his favorite places to bird in the U.S., last May. Hitt recently completed a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Year,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in which he saw 704 different species of birds in the lower 48 U.S. states<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>By Susan Dickson<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Staff Writer<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When non-birdwatchers think of birding, they probably don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t 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. <\/p>\n<p>Given Hitt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153slow-birding\u00e2\u20ac\u009d approach, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 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 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Year\u00e2\u20ac\u009d title \u00e2\u20ac\u201c an informal competition among birders to see the most species in a given area \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for the contiguous U.S., something he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d set out to do at the start of his year, but was unsure he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d accomplish.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I kept having fun,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153so it ended up being a whole year.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I kind of got hooked,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n<p>A number of years later, Hitt found himself spending less time birding and more time working \u00e2\u20ac\u201c eventually as president of Whole Foods \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 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. <\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make the trip, nor did he travel to Texas when a roadside hawk was spotted. Instead, he focused on being in optimal locations. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to see as many birds as possible, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to figure out where they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to be,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Hitt said. Southeast Arizona, the Texas Valley south of Houston and Southern Florida \u00e2\u20ac\u0153are the three meccas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for birding. <\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The birds are going to be on their own schedule and then show up when they show up,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. <\/p>\n<p>So during the latter half of 2010, Hitt decided to chase the rare birds that showed up across the country \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 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. <\/p>\n<p>Hitt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wife accompanied him on some of his trips last year, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153but birding is a full-time job.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>He spent many a morning on 5 a.m. stakeouts, waiting for birds that sometimes didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t show up for hours. <\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The only bird I ever really missed all year was because I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. He wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t frustrated by the miss, though. There were other birds he could have seen if he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d chosen to chase for the first half of the year, which would have brought his total to 709. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen some birders tearing their hair out because they can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find a bird,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. <\/p>\n<p>But for Hitt, stressing about a missed bird would have defeated the purpose. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I set out to have fun, and I did,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I loved the year. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s over.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I met a lot of great people. I saw a lot of old friends,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was a travel adventure with a focus on birding.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<br \/>\nNow 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\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not about how many birds he spots. <\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I just love being outside,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Hitt said. Besides, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153there are always birds to look at.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n<p><em>To read more about Hitt&#8217;s Big Year, visit his blog at slowbirding.blogspot.com.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15837\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15837\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2011\/02\/10\/a-travel-adventure-%e2%80%93-with-birds\/birdwatcher-story-flamingos1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-15837\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1-113x84.jpg 113w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1-360x270.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/Birdwatcher-story.Flamingos1-106x80.jpg 106w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15837\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">PHOTO BY CHRIS HITT. Chris Hitt spotted three greater flamingos in the Everglades in August as part of his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Big Year.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When non-birdwatchers think of birding, they probably don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t regard it as a competitive sport, but rather as an occasional hobby undertaken on casual walks through the woods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-top-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15835"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15908,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15835\/revisions\/15908"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}