Bird Nerd: Next Level Twitchers

I became a fan of the feathered flocks because Mumsie was a birder. She listened to the Audubon record of birdsong to tune her ear and when she saw a new bird, she ticked it off the index of her Roger Tory Peterson Guide to the Birds.

It's not much of a surprise that many in her circle became enthusiastic feeders and photographers of birds (Hi Sis! Hi Care! Hey Mary Jo!). She was inspiring in her quiet way.

Of course the interest came to her from her own mother, Norma, who spent many a pleasant morning lingering over coffee and watching birds at the feeder out her window.

But I wonder what they would think about Google Street View Birding.

​Yeah, Google. Street-view. Birding.

No bird-feeder required. 

Gooble Street View Birders are a group of very enthusiastic birders who comb the Goog for images of birds as captured by the street-view automated cameras that are busy around the world taking photos for Google Maps.

When the Street Level first came out, people hunted for their own faces. Others looked for Bigfoot. These people commenced prowling for birds. 

They post the images on a Facebook page (here), where there's collective identification and commentary. 

What a world.

The pastime seems to have started when a blogger (the Birdist, aka Nick Lund) let his personal hobby of surfing Google images out into a wider world.

Here's the start of it in 2014. The Birdist does a nice blog –– I recommend the browse. 

Like many of the new members on the Google Street View Birding Group, I read an article and clicked on a link to get there. It's a very pleasant counterpoint to the hot-air blaring so common on the social media these days. 

I mean, if you like birds.