In one of our previous posts, Lisa mentioned that she observed various bird behaviors and personalities. We decided to reach out to her again and ask if the woman could share a specific instance when she witnessed a particularly interesting or unexpected behavior in a bird. We found out that: “There is something that almost scared me a bit when I first saw it - sunbathing birds. When it is really hot, birds will take to sunning or sunbathing to help their body cope with the heat and also for skin care, getting rid of parasites, etc. I have seen several birds doing it by now but most often and the first time with blue jays. They go down to the ground and spread their wings, open their beak, and kind of look like they are melting or having a seizure. After a little time has passed, they just get up and are back to normal. (I recently posted a photo of a young blue jay doing it too.)”
Humans can have an impact on nature and wildlife. We asked Lisa to share a personal story or observation that made her acutely aware of this impact and how it influenced her approach to birdwatching and conservation. The woman shared with us: “I guess this summer is a perfect example of that. I have observed fewer and fewer hummingbird sightings in my backyard for a couple of years now, and this year is the least I have seen. This year, it could be because of the wildfires in Canada - we have felt quite a bit of that here too in the form of smog and bad air. A couple of years ago, I think the big freeze in Texas had an impact too. I know my yard is just a small area and I do what I can here but birds are roaming such vast ranges that it needs to be a team effort. Organizations like Audubon or Cornell are doing a very good job raising awareness of how to help birds during migration but it feels like we all need to get away from feeling like 'it is not happening for me or my impact isn't really huge so I can ignore it'. Photos or videos and a little story may spark something that leads to the desire and enthusiasm to do more. That is part of why I do this as well.”
We were curious if there is any particularly heartwarming or inspiring message or story from one of Lisa’s followers or fans who've been touched by her work. She told us: “I don't want to highlight personal stories that have been shared with me privately but it is generally nice to see that my photos and videos help, educate, touch, and entertain people. This year, the nesting chickadees in one of my nestboxes with a camera were one thing we all rooted for together, and it was a great opportunity to share information on how to make a nestbox safe and also help people understand what happens in a nestbox. And I love seeing often that the love for and interest in birds and wildlife is not something just one nation has, it is a globally shared love. One thing that is also always great is when people ask about improving their place to make it more bird-friendly and share successful nesting stories or how adding a bird bath made birds appear they never saw before.”
Lastly, we wanted to know if there are any specific bird species or bird-related experiences that Lisa is hoping to capture or witness in the near future. We found out that: “Every day is a new opportunity to capture something special, even here in my yard where I feel like I almost have seen it all. It is going to be fun to create different setups for the colder season, and I am looking forward to seeing the flying squirrel again and maybe the screech owl. And one day, I hope to get a little bit more space to explore wilder areas with cameras.”
