Am I becoming a birder?
I used to laugh at birders—making jokes about their obscenely large telescopic lenses, their neurotic behavior, and their almost obsessive compulsion to identify every bird species they saw. I used to call them “bird nerds,” which, honestly, isn’t that mean—and pretty accurate.
But like most of us, as we get older, our opinions and habits change. Recently, I found myself examining and documenting birds on my own—while hiking, surfing, paddle boarding, and even running. Then my buddy @joshletchworth introduced me to a documentary called Listers by brothers @owen_reiser & @earlyworm_getsthebird , which pulled me in even further.
I wasn’t sure what the hell was happening, but my fascination started to grow. I even bought a pair of vintage binoculars that look like a prop from a Wes Anderson film. I was becoming a birder?
So, recently, I decided to tag along with the folks I used to mock and document the passion they have for birding. And if I’m being honest—I had a fucking blast.
Here’s a few images from a cold November morning at the Orlando Wetlands.
