The Big Year Contest is a year-long event during which participant birders try to identify as many species of birds as they can — the winner is the birder with the most species on their list. Participants traverse the continent trying to catch glimpses of rare birds that have been reported in far-flung places braving weather, cost and the consequences of ignoring family and work responsibilities.

At a recent meeting of the Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC), Greg Miller, a 1998 contestant, described how his contest loss was captured in a wonderful movie aptly titled “The Big Year.” After watching the movie, I thought: “What if the last year of Wednesday-morning guided bird walks at Tyler Arboretum had been my own ‘Big Year’?”

The early morning walks at Tyler have been my first opportunity to get more serious about birding and photographing birds. Led by Chuck Root, Sara Boucas-Neto, and Dave Eberly, these walks have allowed me to see and photograph many species. The leaders, as well as the many other excellent birders on the walks, spot and identify interesting birds by sight and song, often setting up spotting scopes so we can all get good views. When I expressed that I wanted to see an Indigo Bunting, Randy, one of the regulars, took it as a personal challenge to find one for me; similarly, Emily helped me see my first Scarlet Tanager. Unfortunately, I still spend a lot of time saying, “Bird, what bird?”, “Which tree is it in?” and “How high up is it?” but I guess I will improve with more experience.

There are several other photographers on the Wednesday morning walks, and we enjoy talking about photography and help each other get the best possible angles for shots. Most weeks we post our images on eBird and the Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC) Facebook page.

An added perk of the Wednesday morning walk is that some of the regulars are expert in plant and flower identification as well as butterfly and moth identification; there is even an expert on dragonflies.

Returning week after week allows us to note changes in plumage colors during the year as well as the changes in bird songs and calls. It has been especially interesting seeing the migrating birds that grace our area. Karen, one of the birders, spotted a migrating Common Nighthawk that had stopped for a rest on a high branch waiting for nightfall to get started on its long journey south. I have learned how to recognize the beautiful song of the Wood Thrush whose music fills the woods during the spring but is not heard at other times of the year.

My most treasured experience occurred when Dave Eberly described watching, for several weeks, an empty nest high in a pine tree that had been inhabited the year before by a family of red-tailed hawks. Dave knew that Great Horned Owls frequently move into abandoned hawk nests. His patience was rewarded when a female Great Horned Owl appeared one day in the nest. It was only a matter of time before the chicks hatched and we got to watch them grow bigger each week, flap their wings for the first time, and then finally fly off on their own.

Another memorable incident occurred when a group of birders from Germany joined the walk. They became very excited sighting a bright red bird high up in a tree. The bird was “just” a Northern Cardinal. Northern Cardinals are so common for us we don’t tend to take notice, but for our guests they were a rarity. It was a reminder not to take these handsome, brilliant birds for granted.

My big year has been fruitful. I have begun a life-list and have seen and photographed many birds that I never would have seen had it not been for the guides and spotters on the weekly walks. Although I have not yet become a good “birder,” the Wednesday morning walks have provided the opportunity to see many new birds and perhaps even learn a bit about butterflies and dragonflies as well.