The seventh in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Mary Birdsong

Mary Birdsong and her husband, Mike Plyler. HANRAHAN/Erie Times-News file photo

Age: 54

Family: Married to Mike Plyler, auxiliary mom to two wonderful daughters. Owned by two cats, Izadora and Sam.

Lives in: Erie

College degree: BA in History, MA in Art History

Profession: Freelance writer, artist and development professional.

Originally from: Erie (left, explored the world, came back).

I got into birding …: My husband started birding when we were dating.

Spark bird: Cedar waxwing.

Favorite birds: All the shorebirds.

Nemesis bird: Right now, purple sandpiper. There will be others!

Favorite places to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Presque Isle State Park, Scott Park, my backyard or anywhere there are a few good birds.

Strangest place I’ve gone birding: I saw my first Laughing Gull on top of the pile at the landfill, while on a tour.

Rarest bird I’ve seen: Here, a Kirtland’s Warbler. In Costa Rica, a three-wattled bell bird.

Usual birding partners: My husband, Michele Franz, Shawn Collins, or anybody who wants to go!

Birding gear and equipment I take everywhere: My binoculars, scope and iPhone.

Favorite birding field guide or app: Sibley and Peterson in the field. At home, The Shorebird Guide and other specialty guides for research and learning.

What I like most about birding: Seeing a new bird and just being out there.

The best birdwatching day I’ve ever had: Sitting at the mouth of the Kenai River in Alaska watching thousands of shore birds. I want to go back to that very spot again someday, now that I have better optics and more experience.

The worst birding day I’ve ever had: Well, there really aren’t any really bad birding days, but recently Mike and I went looking for the purple sandpiper at Gull Point twice and didn’t see it. And I lost my best gloves.

Dream birding destination: Too many to name here. Anywhere there are cool birds, and that is just about anywhere.

Best birding advice you ever got: Look at the bird while its there, you can look at your field guide later. And, describe out loud or to yourself what field marks on the bird you are seeing.

Your advice to beginning birders: Enjoy yourself and don’t worry about lists.

Should a sighting be counted if you’ve only heard an identifiable bird call but not seen the bird itself? Yes. But it’s always a more fulfilling experience to see the bird as well.

Do you keep a life list? Yes, but I don’t keep a running total in my head. About once a year Mike and I count just to see how many we have.

Do you approve of competitions such as a Big Year or Big Day? Sure, why not?

Previous entries in the NWPA Outdoors Birder Bio series:

No. 1: Shawn Collins

No. 2: Bonnie Ginader

No. 3: Michele Rundquist-Franz

No. 4: Lee Ann Reiners

No. 5: Julie Dell

No. 6: Lisa Danko

Interested in participating in the Birder Bio profiles series? It’s easy and free. Just e-mail matt.martin@timesnews.com for details.

The sixth in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Lisa Danko

Age: 56

Lisa Danko.

Family: Married 33 years, with two adult children, two grandchildren and a third on the way.

Lives in: Harborcreek Township.

College: Masters in Entomology from Pennsylvania State University.

Profession: Adjunct instructior of Biology,  Gannon University and Butler Community College.

Originally from: Buffalo, N.Y.

I got into birding …: I attended the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage over 30 years ago and was surrounded by families who loved and shared nature. That was back in my college days.  So once I married, my husband and I shared a love of nature. This led us to join Presque Isle Audubon Society. We became active there, holding many post including both of us as past presidents. Once we bought our house we started with backyard bird feeding and identification. Our travels always involve wild life watching.

Spark birds: Puffins in breeding plumage in Maine and veery  in the forest — sounds like a flute, and I remember hearing this when I was a child. Woodcocks and snipe  in my yard, they are a sure sign of spring returning.

Favorite bird: Colorful birds , but bluebirds are my favorites.

Favorite places to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Fields off all the back roads.

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The fifth in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Julie Dell

Age: 61

Julie Dell.

Family: Husband and three grown sons; three grandchildren

Lives in: Franklin Township

Profession: Reference assistant at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania library

Originally from: Erie

I got into birding ..: We moved to the country 34 years ago and there were birds here that I had never seen before. I was curious as to their names, so I bought a bird guide and resurrected an old set of binoculars. It grew from there to buying better binocs … putting up bluebird houses … feeding 600 pounds of seed all winter … taking the binocs when we would travel … taking trips JUST to bird … paying for birding classes … joining Audubon, etc. My latest venture is becoming a Purple Martin “landlord” this spring.

Spark bird: Bluebird

Favorite bird: Snowy Owl

Favorite place to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Presque Isle State Park

Strangest place I’ve gone birding: In Germany, while hiking up a hillside to view a historic grave site. I was not even thinking about “birding” but saw a “water dipper” working a stream. I had never seen this type of bird and was amazed. I had no idea what it was and tried to get an idea from a German couple. Needless to say, because I didn’t speak German and they didn’t speak English it was not too successful. We all had fun trying. They seemed pleased that I was excited about “their” bird.

Rarest birds I’ve seen: Snowy plover and piping plover

Birding gear and equipment I take everywhere: Binocs, spotting scope, birding guide (book and most recently birding app with calls). Insect repellent. 

Favorite birding field guide or app: Peterson field guide. Got a mini iPad for Christmas and am looking forward to using the Sibley birding book I downloaded for it this spring. It has the bird calls on it so you can check them when you are in the field!

What I like most about birding: The beauty of the birds! Time spent outdoors.   Meeting people that love the birds as much as I do.

The best bird watching day I’ve ever had: I went to Arizona expressly to see hummingbirds. Southeastern Arizona is the “hummingbird flyway” for almost all species of hummingbirds found in the United States. I planned a trip with my sister-in-law, who lives in Scottsdale, to drive to Miller Canyon. We stayed at Beatty’s Miller Canyon Guest Ranch and had an amazing time! Hummingbirds like fairies in the trees, everywhere! So many different species at one time that people were calling out the ones they saw and it was hard to keep track or now where to look first! In one day I saw 12 different species of hummingbirds ! 

The worst birding day I’ve ever had: No such thing.

Dream birding destination: The Monterey California Audubon birding festival. Four days of guided hikes and boat tours! 

Best birding advice you ever got: Don’t always reach for the binocs first. Watch the behavior, flight pattern, body shape. Sometimes the bird is gone before you can get the binocs to your eyes!

Your advice to beginning birders: Get out there! Meet other people who are birding too! You will meet some great people and learn a lot. Take a field class if you can. There is nothing better than having someone who knows for sure what bird you are seeing.

Should a sighting be counted if you’ve only heard an identifiable bird call but not seen the bird itself?: That is an individual thing. Personally I won’t count a life bird for myself unless I see it. If you were participating a “big year” competition I would think that it would depend on the rules for that competition.

Do you keep a life list? Yes, I keep a life list … sort of. I am not obsessive about it, and probably have not recorded everything. Best count is 276. 

Do you approve of the idea of competitions such as a Big Year or Big Day?     Sure … people can bird and have fun any way they want!

Previous entries in the NWPA Outdoors Birder Bio series:

No. 1: Shawn Collins

No. 2: Bonnie Ginader

No. 3: Michele Rundquist-Franz

No. 4: Lee Ann Reiners

Interested in participating in the Birder Bio profiles series? E-mail matt.martin@timesnews.com for details.

The fourth in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Lee Ann Reiners, Field trip director, Presque Isle Audubon Society

Lee Ann Reiners, of Tidioute, encounters a Nazca booby on one of the Galapagos Islands in March 2012. Contributed photo

Age: 62

Lives in: Tidioute, Warren County, and Leesburg, Fla.

Profession: Retired library assistant, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Originally from: Pittsburgh

I got into birding …: I don’t remember how old I was. My parents gave my brother and me a little Herbert Zim bird field guide and we used it till it fell apart. Although we lived in Pittsburgh, we had a summer cottage near Cambridge Springs in Crawford County. My brother and I roamed the woods and fields exploring all sorts of habitats and their wildlife. When I was 20, I began birding with a nature group and learned about keeping lists.

Spark birds: All birds fascinated me, so I really can’t single out that one special bird that actually sparked my interest. Possibly cagebirds, parakeets and canaries, which my grandmother raised and I loved to play with, and the feeder birds in our back yard.

Favorite birds: Hummingbirds, chickadees, woodpeckers.

Nemesis bird: Currently, LeConte’s Sparrow. Plus I’d love to see an ivory-billed woodpecker if there are still any alive. I got to hold one in my hand – it was Roger Tory Peterson’s from his skins collection. Unfortunately, long deceased.)

Favorite place(s) to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Land o’ Lakes state game lands near Cambridge Springs; Tidioute Bird Trail;  and while canoeing on French Creek, Conneaut Marsh and the Allegheny River.

Strangest place I’ve gone birding: In Trinidad we were taken to a cave where Oilbirds lived. They sleep in the dark cave during the day and come out at night. We were allowed into the cave one person at a time to catch a glimpse of the roosting birds and take a picture by flashlight.

Rarest bird I’ve seen: North America, Whooping Crane; South America, San Isidro Owl

Usual birding partner: My husband, Charles Houpt

Birding gear and equipment I take everywhere: 15×50 Canon IS binoculars; various Canon cameras and lenses; Sibley Field Guide to Birds; monopod walking stick; iPod for ID’ing some of the bird calls I might hear.

Favorite birding field guide or app: Sibley’s

What I like most about birding: The birds, of course! I can sit and watch a chickadee for hours on end. I love to settle in beside a babbling brook and watch whatever flies into my view. Better than jelly donuts!

The best birdwatching day I’ve ever had: A day at Hummingbird Lodge in Ecuador in March 2012 when I actually reached out and touched a hummingbird on its soft little tummy.

The worst birding day I’ve ever had: I am a first responder for Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, which means I can transport injured wildlife to the center. Last September I got a call to transport a Bald Eagle from Althom in Warren County to the center. En route I could hear its labored breathing and low moans of pain. That is something I will never forget – the sounds of pain from that magnificent bird. He was showing signs of lead poisoning and a blood test was run. His lead level was so high that it was off the meter. The pain was caused by the lead eating away his internal organs. I watched this bird die. Eagles are opportunistic feeders and will eat already-dead animals they might find. If the animal is killed by lead ammunition, the eagle will ingest the lead, which travels rapidly into their bloodstream. (More information can be seen at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/lead_poisoning/ & http://www.tamarackwildlife.org/2011/12/bald-eagles-and-lead-poisoning.html )

Dream birding destination: I’ve been to my dream destinations, but would love to go back to Hawai’i to see what I missed the first time, when I was traveling with a non-birder and missed a lot.

Best birding advice you ever got: It was actually canoeing advice that I applied to birding: find the best paddler as you enter the whitewater and follow him, do what he does. With birding, it’s pick out the best birder in the group and stick close by!

Your advice to beginning birders: Join the Audubon Society and attend meetings and field trips so you can learn as you go. And learn birding etiquette, so you won’t be disturbing the birds in their habitat, especially during breeding season.

Should a sighting be counted if you’ve only heard an identifiable bird call but not seen the bird itself? I mark it down as a “heard bird,” but don’t count it on my list till I’ve seen one.

Do you keep a life list? Yes, I do. My current total is 1,083, and I passed the 1,000 mark last month in Ecuador — my husband presented me with a “1,000” applique to sew onto my birding hat! (He also passed 1,000 on that trip!)

Do you approve of the idea of competitions such as a Big Year or Big Day? Yes, because info gathered from those events can be used for statistics in research. And they are fun, as long as the participants aren’t interfering with the natural routine of the birds. (Plus, the Big Year competition inspired a fun movie! We in Presque Isle Audubon Society made the opening night in Erie one of our field trips and we went to it as a group.)

Etc: I post many of my photos to http://www.flickr.com/photos/leeann-charlie/sets/

Previous entries in the Birder Bio series:

No. 1: Shawn Collins

No. 2: Bonnie Ginader

No. 3: Michele Rundquist-Franz

Interested in participating in the Birder Bio profiles series? E-mail matt.martin@timesnews.com for details.

The second in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Bonnie Ginader

Bonnie Ginader/Contributed photo

Family: daughter, Aimee Gevirtz, and son, Geoff Ginader. Four grandchildren, one great-granddaughter.

Lives in: Millcreek Township

College: B.S., mathematics, Grove City College

Profession: Realtor^R, Pennington Lines Real Estate.

Originally from: Erie

Favorite bird: Woodcock

Favorite places to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Presque Isle State Park, Erie Bluffs State Park, Siegel Marsh, Pymatuning State Park.

Rarest bird I’ve seen: Piping Plover

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For all of its rich and well-known offerings to anglers and hunters, one of northwestern Pennsylvania’s other marvelous outdoors opportunities often is overlooked: Birdwatching.

Presque Isle State Park is an Audubon Important Bird Area where more than 320 bird species have been sighted. Spring migration is a wonder at the park, the final spit of land that colorful songbirds see before they head over Lake Erie and onto their summer grounds.

Erie Bluffs State Park, Erie National Wildlife Refuge, Pymatuning State Park, Allegheny National Forest, Oil Creek State Park, Cook Forest State Park and myriad other public places, let alone back yards, provide even more windows to the avian world.

And where there are birds, there are birders.

Many birdwatchers, experienced and novice alike, find their way to the Presque Isle Audubon Society. From time to time, NWPA Outdoors will profile a birder you might have seen out and about, neck craned to his or her binoculars, spotting scope or camera. You’ll learn a bit more about the birders, and hopefully a lot about the birds and ecology of the Erie region.

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