Calls, songs and camaraderie: HCT’s Cold Brook Preserve hosts Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon

The steady and sublime symphony of bird calls and songs works wonders in many ways. For many folks, it floats by like a pleasant soundtrack, enhancing time spent outdoors. You don’t really have to pay much attention to get a kick from the trilling, warbling and chirping.

But careful listening brings so much more to the party, including the almost magical ability to identify birds by the sounds that they make. And this fun, noisy approach was front and center at last weekend’s Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon at Harwich Conservation Trust’s (HCT) Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve.

Birdability hosted a Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon at Harwich Conservation Trust’s (HCT) Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve. Photo by Gerry Beetham

The event was hosted by Birdability, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to sharing “the joys of birding with people who have disabilities and to ensure birding is accessible for everyone.”

Their annual Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon, which takes place across North America and beyond, is designed to encourage blind and partially-sighted birders to head outdoors and celebrate the songs and sounds that make birding “a powerful practice of connection.”

‘I know what that is’

HCT’s Cold Brook Preserve was a perfect location for the gathering, as it features a half-mile All Persons Trail that provides a smooth, even and flat surface that could be easily navigated by sight-challenged participants and their sighted partners.

John Cahill of West Barnstable lost his sight about nine years ago. “Birding to me is all done through hearing,” he said. Cahill teams up with his wife, who is sighted, on nature expeditions and they work together to identify birds. 

He said that once you learn which bird is making a particular sound, it’s hard to forget. “All of a sudden, you hear a bird, and you can’t unhear the bird,” said Cahill. “You get up in the morning and listen, and you say, ‘gee, I know what that is.'” 

Michele Burnat, a Birdability Captain, led the walk, with expert assistance provided by Brooke Shellman, Teacher/Naturalist at the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. “It’s a team effort,” said Burnat. “We’re all going to work together to listen and see what we can come up with.”

An Eastern bluebird at the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve. Photo by Gerry Beetham

‘Conk-la-ree!’

Burnat also brought along a handy bag of tricks, with items that allowed us to gauge how much a goldfinch weighs (two U.S. quarters), and a clay tree swallow “egg” she baked in the oven to give us an idea of the size.

We learned quickly that the male red-winged blackbirds were in a talkative mood. Their song, described as a “conk-la-ree!” by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, followed us all along our tour.

“The males and females are dimorphic, so they look different,” said Burnat. “The male has a beautiful jet-black color with a gorgeous red patch on its wing, with an edge of yellow and white. Versus the female which is all these motley colors of brown. But the females don’t want to be showy, because a lot of times they have to sit on the nest, and try to be more camouflaged.”

Listening for birds is fun and challenging, but another sound also added richness to the event: human conversation. Whether it was stories of great horned owls bothering ospreys or the housing preferences of purple martins, everyone chipped in with their experiences and a healthy dose of curiosity. With Burnat and Shellman on hand to provide expert insight, we covered a lot of ground during a short walk.

Bird call or bird song?

That knowledge came in handy when someone asked about the difference between bird calls and bird songs. “There are some general rules of thumb that we can use to differentiate the two,” said Shellman. “Typically, calls are shorter and less complex, so they might be used to say, ‘hey, there’s food over here, or there is danger.'” Calls are given by both sexes, and they are innate, so they don’t have to learn them.”

Participants in Birdability’s Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon at Harwich Conservation Trust’s (HCT) Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve used their sense of hearing to identify birds. Photo by Gerry Beetham

In the bird song department, “songs are typically longer, more complex, and generally the male is the one that sings,” said Shellman. “There’s only two reasons to sing: defending territory and attracting a mate, whereas calls have multiple uses.” 

Shellman also added that there are exceptions to this call/song breakdown. “For example, black-capped chickadees have a really short song which sounds like ‘spring’s here, spring’s here,’ or also ‘cheeseburger, cheeseburger, but then they might have a much longer call, especially their alarm call, which is ‘chickadee-dee-dee-dee.'”

When science and cheeseburgers are served together, you know you’re having a good time. The event was a superb voyage into listening, imagination and education.

Bravo, Birdability! We’re already looking forward to next year’s Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon.

Enjoy these photos of Birdability’s Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon at Cold Brook from ace HCT volunteer photographer Gerry Beetham:

Cold Brook Birdability Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon results:

Using our ears & eyes, we tallied (13) species, specifically:

1) Mute Swan (seen & heard wings flapping as it flew from one pond to the next)

2) Mallard (did not call, only seen)

3) Double-crested Cormorant (did not call, only seen in flight)

4) Snowy Egret (did not call, seen, discussed forging behavior)

5) Green Heron (did not call, only seen in flight)

6) American Crow (did not call, only seen in flight)

7) Black-capped Chickadee (heard & seen)

8) Tufted Titmouse (heard)

9) Eastern Bluebird (heard & seen male & female at nestbox #8)

10) American Goldfinch (heard & seen)

11) Song Sparrow (heard MANY times & seen)

12) Red-winged Blackbird (heard MANY times & seen)

13) Northern Cardinal (heard)

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