Partnerships yield great results! But what is a bird sit?
Southern Maryland Audubon Society (SMAS) joined forces with the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) for an unusual event at Chapman State Park on October 11. Pam Brumbley, a director on the SMAS board, led a bird walk to the Potomac River with eighteen participants. Lynne Wheeler, SMAS interim president, kicked off the walk with an introduction to the site’s unique ecology. That much is typical of a birding field trip! But here’s the unusual part: at the front porch of Mount Aventine, the park’s historic hilltop home, Margaret Poethig, a board member for the MBCP, led a bird sit.
What is a bird sit, you ask? There are many ways to do it! The general idea is, when folks sit still and remain quiet outdoors, birds usually resume their normal activity within ten minutes or so. In this way, bird sits offer opportunities to observe birds and their natural behavior. (During group walks, birds are sometimes startled and seek cover, or they are foraging high up in trees or far out in the water, requiring binoculars.) Bird sits can suit a greater range of birding skills and physical abilities than walks. You don’t need binoculars, and you can even do a bird sit solo at your home window or nearest park. In stillness, you can practice your listening and observation skills, becoming more attuned to the natural world. Depending on your purpose or the approach of a guide, bird sits can be contemplative and meditative too.
Lynne reported that the count on the October 11 bird sit was not as high as we tend to see on a walk—just 21 species—but she found joy in learning about birds with other enthusiasts and partnering with like-minded organizations. Special thanks also go to the Friends of Mount Aventine for helping to facilitate this event.
Find out how easy it is to do a bird sit! Visit the National Audubon Society’s article “How (and Why) to Host a Bird Sit” and California Audubon’s blog post “5 Steps: How to Do a Bird Sit.”