The Birder Murders started here!
Since my first Birder Murder is all about a hunt for a Boreal Owl, I’ve really been interested in all the sightings this winter of the owl on Minnesota’s North Shore. To begin with, the owl is normally exceptionally hard to find, which is one of the reasons I wrote about it – it was a mystery waiting to happen. This year, Christopher Wood, one of the expert folks from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and eBird Project Leader, came all the way out to see one, and captured (as video) the bird while it was hunting. He graciously said I could share it, so here it is. Cute little guy, wouldn’t you say?
The owl, not Chris. Though since I didn’t meet Chris personally, I guess I can’t completely rule out it might apply to him as well. Chris, next time you’re out here, let’s do lunch. (And thanks to my son Bob for allowing me to use his photo.)
Anyway, I wanted to share the video since it’s a rare look at the Boreal Owl. And to celebrate our owls even more, I have a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT to make next week – so be sure to check back!
In the meantime, here is the beginning 0f Chapter 1 of The Boreal Owl Murder, the beginning of Bob White’s birding adventures. Enjoy!
I used to think that there was no such thing as a bad birding trip. I’ve been birding for almost twenty-six years – since I was eight years old – and I’ve always had a blast when I go birding. Sure, it’s Minnesota, and I get mauled by mosquitoes, soaked in the rain, sunburned in summer and frozen in the winter, but, hey, I get to travel all over this great state and eat all the prepackaged donuts I want from out-of-the-way gas stations.
What’s not to love about that?
And it’s a fairly inexpensive hobby, too. The birding, I mean, not the donut-eating.
Of course, sometimes there are additional costs – like having to pay for speeding tickets from driving all over the state to see rare birds that get reported on the state birding hotline. But I’ve been working on reducing those costs. I just remind myself, “Bob, let someone else do the driving.”
Anyway, I love to go birding. Unfortunately, though, I now know that there is such a thing as a bad birding trip. It starts when you find a dead body instead of the bird you’re chasing, and then, when someone starts shooting at you, it really goes downhill.
