BLOOMINGTON — Ben Guo is having a “big year.”
That’s a term that birders use for seeing the biggest number of species in a single year in a certain geographic area — a county, state, country or the world.
In Guo’s case, his big year is within the borders of McLean County.
“I actually broke the record yesterday (Aug. 24) with a buff-breasted sandpiper, so I’m at 260,” said Guo.
The previous record was set last year by Ben Murphy, who surged past the record of 248 set in 2018 by Joe Phipps.
Guo said Murphy’s record inspired him to go after a big year record, plus “I had a lot of free time” because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. He also had a good start because a lot of birds that are rare for this area had come farther south than usual in the winter and stayed into the early part of 2021.
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Unlike the somewhat cutthroat competition depicted in the 2010 Steve Martin movie “The Big Year,” Guo said teamwork contributed to his county big year. Other birders spread the word when an unusual bird was sighted.
But his big year also involved a lot of driving and walking and listening.
“It takes a lot of energy, a lot of commitment and a lot of luck and a lot of effort,” said Guo.
When I caught up with Guo, we were standing on a bridge over Six Mile Creek on the south end of Evergreen Lake with heat index near 100.
An osprey was perched in a tree snag. A great egret was not far away. Barn and cliff swallows darted above us when they weren’t resting on a wire. Both species of swallows nest under the bridge. But Guo already had all of those on his list. He was hoping for a little blue heron, which — despite its name — is white when it is a young bird. The young birds sometimes wander into McLean County this time of year.
You don’t have to go for a record to enjoy birding, but it is fun to keep lists of what you see, whether you use an app such as eBird or just write them in a notebook.
I keep a monthly list, which helps motivate me to get out and maintains the excitement of seeing a common bird when it is the first of the month.
Good ways to get started are having bird feeders in your yard or going on a guided bird walk, such as the ones in Bloomington’s Ewing Park organized by the John Wesley Powell chapter of the Audubon Society.
The fall walks will take place at 8 a.m. Saturdays through Oct. 16. The only exception is Sept. 18; that weekend’s walk will be Sept. 19. Meet in the Ewing II parking lot off Ethel Parkway.
“Our bird walks are open to everyone. You don’t have to be experienced,” said Bill Davison, a member of the JWP Audubon board.
“We cater to beginners, people who are just starting out, all the way up to experts,” he said. “One of the nice things about the walks is those two groups get to interact so everybody gets to learn a little something.”
Children who are interested in birding are also welcome. Guo started birding when he was about 10 and went on Audubon bird walks.
On a guided hike, leaders will do more than just point toward a bird and tell you what it is; they will help you learn what to look for so you can identify them yourselves. This involves knowing what field marks to look for — not just colors but the overall shape of the bird, the size of its bill and its behavior.
One tip I learned long ago is comparing sizes to birds with which you are familiar: sparrows, robins or crows. Is the bird you are trying to identify bigger, smaller or about the same as one of them?
Birding in fall offers a few challenges.
“This time of year, there are more leaves in the canopy, the birds are not singing, so it’s a little more challenging to see them,” said Davison.
Birding with other people provides extra pairs of eyes to spot the birds among the leaves.
We are lucky to have a place like Ewing Park with woods, prairie and a creek that act like a bird magnet.
“Bloomington-Normal is a little island of (natural) habitat in a sea of cropland, and Ewing Park is a little island within an island,” said Davison.
Guo said, “There’s so much life around us, so much beauty around us."