When I was nest searching Friday, I caught sight of an orchard oriole. I was pleasantly surprised to see one, and particularly pleased that I could recognize it. The first time I nest-searched that site, about a month ago, I was with my advisor. That day he saw two orchard orioles and was very excited because it was the first time he had seen them in North America. When he pointed them out to me, I was able to see them, but I knew that if he hadn't been there I would have never noticed them that day. This time around, I was able to spot the orchard oriole for myself. For me, it is a small mark of improvement, a tangible measurement of how far I have come. And while, unlike most birders, I do not keep a lifetime list of birds I've seen (perhaps because I am more interested in ecology and disease than birding as a pastime or sport), it was exciting to see something I'd never seen on my own before and realize I could add it to a list if I had one.
(I went back Sunday morning to the place where I saw the orchard oriole to try to snap a photo but I couldn't re-sight it).
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