A 2-week-old Gray Partridge forages close to an adult near the home of Paul’s niece and nephew. The partridges have been a point of interest and sharing among family members during the past year (photos by Paul Konrad). The partridges were part of a covey of 7 adults and 2 hatchlings observed and photographed last Wednesday. This photograph of a pair of Sandhill Cranes that have been visiting a suburban neighborhood north of Minneapolis was taken through the front window of Jeff and Katy’s house (photo by Jeff Jacobson).

Birding is a source of fun, thrills, peace, and joy, sometimes all during the same day or even the same outing. Birding can also be a source of family interactions, as it was for my family throughout the week. Some birders might imagine that people close to them won’t be all that interested in the birds we see, but you could be pleasantly surprised. Often a thriving feeding station is the best way to share your interest in birds, especially when such attractive birds as cardinals, orioles, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, jays, and others stop by during a family visit.

When you are visiting family, you might be able to point out birds you see in their yard and neighborhood, opening a line of conversation and interaction. Who knows, maybe a birding walk or drive follows at some time. As the editor of The Birding Wire, I wanted to share some insights about birding among my extended family members.

In my family, birds have always been a point of conversation, starting when I was very young. My brother Jim and I are both professional wildlife biologists and enthusiastic photographers, as is 1 of my 2 nieces, Katy. Katy’s husband Jeff is a real outdoorsman, having worked at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and for outfitters in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness in northern borderlands of Minnesota; and outings into the wildlands of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan with family and friends still rank high among his interests. Katy works for a nature center northwest of Minneapolis and she and I share photos and stories regularly. Now that Katy and Jeff are raising their baby boy Anders as a ‘nature boy,’ it’s added a new level of fun to our interactions.

In fact, last week Katy texted me a photo of Anders with a pair of Sandhill Cranes in front of him as Katy was holding him in her arms. Katy and Anders were coming out the front door to take a look at blooming flowers in their yard when they were greeted by the pair of cranes, pretty unheard of in the suburbs north of Minneapolis – until now. Wednesday, Jeff followed up by sent me a photo of the Sandhill pair as they stood outside their front windows, texting that “Anders sure enjoys his nature time. We’ve been fortunate to see the cranes almost daily, sometimes just a few feet from our front window.”

You may remember that my brother Jim shared some Sandhill Crane photos with Birding Wire readers, photos he took in his yard in Florida in May in the company of his grandson Blake and wife Rose – an adult pair of Florida Sandhills with their 2 growing hatchlings. [Hey c’mon, I’m the crane specialist, why do others in my family get all the crane visits? ha-ha.] Jim and I share bird photos often, and he introduced me to one of my favorite Florida birding hotspots, Fort De Soto Park in Clearwater. Photos Jim sent me last week were of a 10 day old American Avocet hatchling, an adult avocet, and an adult male Merlin that zipped by his house and landed on a nearby roof. The resulting documentary Merlin photo was taken mostly to verify his ID, but it also helped to establish an interesting new “Yard Bird.”

Jim and Rose recently moved to the edge of Fargo, having sold their house in the Tampa area, as did their daughter Krista and her husband Casey and their young family. After finishing all his medical school, training, and residency in Tampa, Dr. Casey started a new position at a Fargo hospital, just as their new house was ready for the family to move in. I actually visited Krista and Casey’s new house periodically as it was being built, sending them updated photos; but also observing and photographing birds in that area of the far end of town – primarily Gray Partridges.

I’ve been checking on partridges in their neighborhood for 10 months now, and most recently photographed a pair with 8 downy partridges just hours after they hatched. Then, last Wednesday I photographed 2 young partridges, probably about 2 weeks old, that were foraging within a covey of 7 adults. That was just minutes before I stopped by Krista and Casey’s house to visit them and their young children, who are so much fun to interact with. Blake is presently specializing in insects but has a budding medical career ahead of him no doubt (age 4½). “The Twins,” Wyatt and Noah, can already name most animals, including African wildlife (age 2½), and baby Ruby is the happiest baby I’ve ever met. It’s wonderful to have them close now, and Wednesday I shared my first bird observation with The Twins.

As we were getting ready for dinner, I noticed a partridge outside a nearby window, and Casey pointed out more to its right. The covey turned out to be an adult pair with 6 hatchlings about a week old. The boys all came over to the windows where we stood and watched the family group foraging several feet away. One adult and a couple of the hatchlings even took a quick dust bath before standing as a family group in an open spot. Casey and Krista’s little boys were more interested in the partridges than I could have hoped, and it will be fun to have more observations like that with Blake, Noah & Wyatt – along with Krista, Casey, and Ruby.

Rose has also taken a greater interest in birds lately, and is even a regular Birding Wire reader these days. Jim and Rose have a beautiful lake cabin between Fargo and Duluth (closer to Duluth), so they have had access to the Minnesota Northwoods and the wildlife there for decades, including such iconic birds as Pileated Woodpeckers and Common Loons.

My niece Krista is mildly interested in birds and other wildlife, but she shares observations when we bring different birds to her attention and she teaches her boys about wildlife through the books they read together and toys they play with. Her husband Casey is an outdoorsman, whose grandparents have a Minnesota lake cabin, while his other grandparents live on a beautiful country farmstead – both places where he has enjoyed viewing birds and other wildlife, as he did during many Florida outings. After showing Casey the photos I took nearby of the 4 American Kestrel fledglings last month, Casey shared that he sees a kestrel at times in the area, and I’m looking forward to hearing what birds Casey and Krista see next.

From the beginning, I always enjoyed sharing birding experiences and my photographs with Dad and Mom. They were always supportive of my interest in wildlife, even as I pursued a university degree and began working in ornithology locally and worldwide in the process. I have also been reporting my experiences with interested readers for decades, and with scientists when appropriate. Sharing is a big part of birding, as is exploring, and photographing, and documenting days afield. Birds are a common interest and bond we can all share with others – family, friends, acquaintances, new generations, and senior generations.

While sharing some personal information and recent examples of birding interactions with family members, I’m hoping it provides some level of interest in sharing birding highlights with others you interact with – who knows, you might inspire others to join you – after all, anyone can enjoy birding. And if they have a field guide and a pair of binoculars – they are true birders. That’s all it takes to get just a little more serious; that, and searching for the next birds and birding experiences. Enjoy birding, and pass it on!

Article by Paul Konrad

Share your backyard birding experiences and photos with The Birding Wire at editorstbw2@gmail.com