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| The author's late parents, Rollin and Dori Reiter, pictured in in 2015 at The Wilderness Center, in Wilmot, Ohio. |
(published 4-29-21)
Birdwatchers often refer to a “spark bird”—a sighting
experience that launched them into this wonderfully addictive hobby. I have one
myself, a hooded warbler, spotted in 1994. Seeing it, and then figuring out
what it was, hooked me for good.
It’s fun to have a spark bird but there is usually more to
the story—true in my case, for sure. I was interested in birds as a kid. The
hooded warbler ignited something that was already there.
If I’ve become a bird nerd, I blame my parents. In a good
way. I’ve been thinking about them a lot since they passed in January, on
consecutive days in Florida. Dad was 92, mom 90.
My folks were not devoted birders, but they were bird
friendly. They kept a full feeder in our Canton, Ohio, backyard, and a Peterson
field guide within reach. In the fall, dad would call attention to V formations
of migrating Canada geese, a spectacle worth watching. Geese had a better
reputation back then.
Our family of four traveled outside the neighborhood for
birds, too. I remember an evening trip to The Wilderness Center in Wilmot,
where mom did some volunteering. It was March or April, not warm, and we were
woodcock watching. At the time, I didn’t know a woodcock from a woodchuck.
I think we saw American woodcocks performing their aerial
courtship display but can’t swear to it. The experience, not the bird, is what
I recall. Fifty-plus years later, I’m a dues-paying member of The Wilderness
Center and my father-in-law is at rest in Foxfield Preserve, the center’s conservation
burial ground.
Another family adventure took us to Hinckley, for Buzzard
Sunday, a classic “rite of spring” event. I guess you could say it was my first
birding festival. Legend says that the buzzards (turkey vultures) return to
Hinckley Ridge every year on March 15. It’s Ohio’s version of the famous
swallows of San Juan Capistrano in California, only more reliable. Hinckley’s been celebrating the homely
buzzards every year since 1957. Did we see them? Again, my recall is fuzzy, but
the pancakes and hot chocolate were good.
Mom instigated those family outings and encouraged my interest
in the natural world. Thanks to her, I became an avid subscriber to Ranger
Rick from the National Wildlife Federation and treasured my collection of
annual NWF stamps. I became a nature boy, diverging from my more athletic older
brother.
Around age 10, before I was old enough to join Boy Scouts
and attend Camp Tuscazoar, mom and dad sent me to a one-week “conservation
camp” in Kentucky, a place I surely learned about in Ranger Rick. The
camp was in the Land Between the Lakes, near Paducah. I was too young to
appreciate the natural beauty of the place. What I remember most is a
mop-topped boy named Jeremy who was obsessed with birds and could ID anything
with wings. We called him Bird Man. I didn’t necessarily want to be like him—perhaps
I was beginning to question if birding was cool—but his skills impressed me.
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| The author and his dad visited this birding hotspot in 2001, our country's southernmost national park. For the senior Reiter, a U.S. history buff, it was all about the fort. |
Dry Tortugas was a perfect destination. As a history buff, dad
was keen on visiting Fort Jefferson, the massive 19th-century garrison
that dominates the park. He’d be happy exploring the fort while I explored the
birdlife.
My plan worked! Sort of. Accommodations on the tour’s small ship were subpar, and dad took ill on the ride back to Key West. He’d spend the next several weeks recovering from acute diverticulitis.
Dad apparently forgave me because in 2014 he agreed to an
all-day field trip with Hendry-Glades Audubon Society, in the Lake Okeechobee region of
south-central Florida. We drove up the night before, and this time our beds
were fine, at the historic Clewiston Inn. A fading but still beautiful
hand-painted mural depicting Florida birds covered the walls in the hotel’s
little tavern—a good omen. Better yet, it was fried chicken night in the dining
room down the hall, like they knew we were coming.
The next day, his 86th birthday, dad shared my excitement
in spotting a crested caracara, my No. 1 target bird for the trip. Later we
bagged a scissor-tailed flycatcher. We enjoyed those birds a lot.
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| Rollin Reiter's hand-carved decoys, like this wood duck pair, were coveted by family and friends. Some of them won awards. |
The decoys (and duck-inspired art on our walls) were an important aspect of my bird-filled upbringing. I learned about the importance of Ducks Unlimited and the federal duck stamp. Hunting isn’t my thing, but dad taught me to appreciate the conservation role played by waterfowlers. I purchase a duck stamp every year and probably always will.
My final bird walk with dad, if you can call it that, was a brief
stroll down his street last October. He was in a wheelchair, pushed by Linda, a
young caregiver. To her, the game of looking for birds and trying to identify
them was completely new. She was amazed when a bird landed in plain view and I told
her it was Florida’s state bird, a northern mockingbird. Dad knew the species
well, his favorite songster, and it momentarily lifted his spirits.
I wanted to thank that neighborhood mocker for its good
timing. Today, I’m thanking a higher spirit for the two people who made birds
and birding a part of me forever. It’s cool now.
Copyright 2021 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.