By Chantal Schamber
For most, a hike through the woods before dawn is not a common outdoor activity. This was especially true for me until very recently. Since joining the Tin Mountain Conservation Center as an avian intern, being outside before the sun is up has become a frequent occurrence.
kAm|@DE @7 >J >@C?:?8D 2C6 ?@H 7:==65 H:E9 A@:?E 4@F?ED[ DFCG6JD E92E C6BF:C6 ?2G:82E:?8 E@ 2 A@:?E 2?5 E96? @3D6CG:?8 2?5 C64@C5:?8 2== DA64:6D AC6D6?E] pD @FC C6D62C49 AC@E@4@= 42==D 7@C DFCG6JD E@ 368:? 92=7 2? 9@FC 367@C6 DF?C:D6[ x 2> ?@H C68F=2C=J :? E96 H@@5D :? E96 5:> >@C?:?8 EH:=:89E]k^Am
kAmpE 7:CDE[ x H2D?’E DFC6 9@H >F49 6?;@J>6?E x H@F=5 86E @FE @7 E9:D] x 2> D@>6@?6 H9@ =:<6D E96:C D=66A[ 2?5 x 42? 36 27C2:5 @7 36:?8 2=@?6 :? E96 H@@5D :? E96 52C<] %96 EC6A:52E:@? x 76=E BF:4<=J 5:DD:A2E65[ 9@H6G6C[ 2D x 92G6 366? EC62E65 E@ 2>2K:?8 3:C5 @3D6CG2E:@?D :? E96 AC6\52H? 9@FCD]k^Am
kAmpD 3:C56CD[ H6 4@?4@4E 5C62> 3:C5 @3D6CG2E:@?D E92E H6 9@A6 E@ @?6 52J 6IA6C:6?46[ 2?5 D@>6 DA64:6D @? >J =:DE 2C6 >@C6 C62=:DE:4 E92? @E96CD] %92E :D H9J x H2D D9@4<65 2?5 56=:89E65 E@ 92G6 962C5 E96 62DE6C? H9:A\A@@C\H:==[ 2 3:C5 x 92G6 @?=J 6G6C C625 23@FE] %96J 2C6 6IEC6>6=J 6=FD:G6 2?5 4@>A=6E6=J ?@4EFC?2=]k^Am
kAm(96? x D2J 6=FD:G6[ x >62? :E] %9:D :D 2 3:C5 E92E :D 2=>@DE :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 7:?5 F?=6DD E96J 2C6 D:?8:?8[ H9:49 E96J @?=J 5@ 5FC:?8 E96:C 3C665:?8 D62D@?] %96J 2C6 ?2>65 7@C E96:C D@?8[ 2 C64FCC:?8 “H9:A\A@@C\H:==” D@F?5] %96J >2J D:?8 2D >2?J 2D dh C6A6E:E:@?D A6C >:?FE6]k^Am
kAmtG6? :7 J@F 2C6 7@CEF?2E6 6?@F89 E@ 36 ?62C 2 D:?8:?8 25F=E[ J@F >@DE =:<6=J H:== DE:== ?@E 36 23=6 E@ @3D6CG6 E96> 3642FD6 @7 E96:C >@EE=65 3C@H? 2?5 8C2J A=F>286[ H9:49 2==@HD E96> E@ 5:D2AA62C 4@>A=6E6=J :?E@ E96:C 7@C6DE65 =2?5D42A6 C682C5=6DD @7 =:89E 4@?5:E:@?D] %96J 2C6 2=D@ 23=6 E@ D:E 4@>A=6E6=J DE:== 2?5 42? 36 2=>@DE :?5:DE:?8F:D923=6 7C@> E96 3C2?49 E96J 2C6 A6C4965 @?]k^Am
kAm'6CJ =:EE=6 :D <?@H? 23@FE E96D6 3:C5D[ 2?5 6G6? C6D62C496CD H9@ 92G6 DA6?E J62CD DEF5J:?8 E96 DA64:6D 92G6 @?=J 366? 23=6 E@ 8=62? D>2== A:646D @7 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96>] (92E :?7@C>2E:@? @C?:E9@=@8:DED 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ 5@4F>6?E :D =2C86=J 7@4FD65 @? E96:C 3C665:?8 D62D@? 2?5 ?6DE:?8 3692G:@C]k^Am
kAmpD 2 ?@4EFC?2= DA64:6D[ H9:A\A@@C\H:==D 56A6?5 962G:=J @? E96 >@@? 2?5 =F?2C 4J4=6D] %96J 2C6 :?D64E:G@C@FD[ >62?:?8 E96J @?=J 4@?DF>6 :?D64ED[ 2?5 E96:C 5:6E :D 962G:=J 4@>A@D65 @7 D@7E\3@5:65 >@E9D 2?5 366E=6D]k^Am
kAmu@C E96D6 3:C5D[ 9F?E:?8 H96? E96 >@@? :D 7F== @C ?62C=J 7F== :?4C62D6D E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ =@42E6 7=J:?8 :?D64ED[ 2D :E :D 2DDF>65 E96J FD6 E96 >@@? 2D 2 324<=:89E E@ C6G62= E96 D:=9@F6EE6D @7 E96:C AC6J] ~?46 :E’D =@42E65[ E96J E2<6 D9@CE 7=:89ED 7C@> E96:C >@E:@?=6DD A@D:E:@? 2E@A 2 EC66 3C2?49 2?5 8C23 E96 AC6J :? E96:C 82A:?8 >@FE9D]k^Am
kAm%96:C >@FE9D 42? 7:E :?D64ED FA E@ EH@ :?496D :? =6?8E9[ 6=:>:?2E:?8 E96 ?665 7@C E96D6 3:C5D E@ 36 A:4<J 23@FE H9:49 DA64:6D E96J AFCDF6]}@E @?=J 5@ E96J C6=J @? E96 >@@? 7@C 7665:?8[ E96J 2=D@ 2=:8? 688\=2J:?8 H:E9 E96 =F?2C 4J4=6]k^Am
kAm&?=:<6 >2?J @E96C 3:C5D[ H9:A\A@@C\H:==D 5@ ?@E A2CE:4:A2E6 :? 2?J 7@C> @7 ?6DE 3F:=5:?8] %96J D:>A=J =2J E96:C 688D 5:C64E=J @? E96 =627 =:EE6C @7 E96 7@C6DE 7=@@C[ 4C62E:?8 2 D>2== 5:G@E :? E96 62CE9 H:E9 E96 H6:89E @7 E96:C 3@5J] %96 688D[ H9:49 2C6 DA64<=65 2?5 H6== 5:D8F:D65[ 2C6 =2:5 :? 244@C52?46 H:E9 E96 =F?2C 4J4=6 D@ E92E E96J H:== 92E49 2C@F?5 `_ 52JD 367@C6 E96 7F== >@@?]k^Am
kAm%9:D E:>:?8 2==@HD E96 A2C6?ED E@ 8:G6 E96:C J@F?8 E96 36DE DE2CE :? =:76] &?56C E96 3C:89E6DE >@@?=:89E[ E96 25F=ED 42? 42E49 >2?J >@C6 :?D64ED 7@C E96:C J@F?8 D@ E96J 42? 8C@H BF:4<=J 2?5 92G6 E96 36DE 492?46 2E DFCG:G:?8]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96:C ?6DE D:E6D @776C:?8 ?@ AC@E64E:@? 7@C E96 688D @C J@F?8 49:4<D[ H9:A\A@@C\H:==D 92G6 D6G6C2= DEC2E68:6D E@ 96=A E96:C J@F?8 >2<6 :E E@ 7=658:?8] %96 A2C6?ED’ 42>@F7=286 >2<6D :E G6CJ 5:77:4F=E 7@C AC652E@CD E@ 7:?5 E96 ?6DE D:E6 H96? E96J 2C6 :?4F32E:?8 E96 688D @C 3C@@5:?8 E96 49:4<D]k^Am
kAmx7 2 AC652E@C 2AAC@2496D 2 ?6DE:?8 25F=E[ E96J H@?’E >@G6 F?E:= E96 AC652E@C :D 2D 4=@D6 2D 2 >6E6C 2H2J] %96J H:== E96? DAC:?8 FA[ DEC2E68:42==J <:4<:?8 E96 688D @C 49:4<D 2H2J[ 2?5 DH2J 324< 2?5 7@CE9[ 72??:?8 @FE E96:C H:?8D 2?5 E2:= 2?5 9:DD:?8 2E E96 :?ECF56C] z:4<:?8 E96:C J@F?8 2H2J :D 2 AFCA@D67F= DEC2E68J E@ >2<6 :E 92C56C 7@C AC652E@CD E@ 7:?5 E96>]k^Am
kAm~?46 E96 E9C62E 92D A2DD65[ E96 >@E96C H:== 4@==64E E96> 282:?[ FD:?8 96C >@FE9 @C 42CCJ:?8 E96> 36EH66? 96C =68D E@ 2 ?6H ?6DE =@42E:@?]x7 J@F H2?E E96 A=62DFC6 @7 =:DE6?:?8 E@ @?6 @7 E96D6 C2C6 3:C5D[ J@F 42? D62C49 7@C E96> :? @A6? 564:5F@FD @C >:I65 A:?6 7@C6DED E92E 92G6 G6CJ =:EE=6 F?56CDE@CJ] %96J =:<6 7@C6DED H:E9 D2?5J D@:=[ >2<:?8 }6H w2>AD9:C6 2?5 E96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J 2 8C62E =@42E:@? 7@C E96>]k^Am
kAm*@F H:== 92G6 E@ 8@ 367@C6 E96 DF? DE2CED E@ C:D6 2?5 =:DE6? 7@C E92E 5:DE:?4E:G6 “H9:A\A@@C\H:==” D@F?5 C6A62E65 @G6C 2?5 @G6C 282:?]u@C E96 H9:A\A@@C\H:==[ E96:C :?G:D:3:=:EJ :D @?6 @7 E96:C DEC@?86DE DEC2E68:6D 7@C DFCG:G2= 3FE 92D 2=D@ A2CE=J =65 E@ E96:C 564=:?6]k^Am
kAmpD 2 =6DD6C\<?@H? 3:C5 E92E :D 92C5 E@ =@42E6[ DFAA@CE 7@C E9:D DA64:6D :D =24<:?8] %96:C A@AF=2E:@?D 2C6 4FCC6?E=J 564=:?:?8 3642FD6 @7 923:E2E 568C252E:@? 2?5 G69:4=6 4@==:D:@?D] }@E 2== 9@A6 :D =@DE[ 9@H6G6C]k^Am
kAmqJ F?56CDE2?5:?8 E9:D DA64:6D 2?5 DA62<:?8 FA 7@C E96>[ H6 42? 96=A AC@E64E E96> 7C@> 7FCE96C A@AF=2E:@? 564=:?6] {62C?:?8 23@FE E96>[ 25G@42E:?8 7@C E96:C AC@E64E:@?[ 2?5 D:>A=J 8@:?8 @FE 2?5 =:DE6?:?8 E@ E96> 2C6 2== :>A@CE2?E H2JD @7 AC@E64E:?8 E96:C A=246 96C6 :? @FC 62DE6C? 7@C6DED]k^Am
kAmr92?E2= $492>36C :D 2? 2G:2? :?E6C? 2E %:? |@F?E2:? r@?D6CG2E:@? r6?E6C]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.