Would James Bond wear that hat? I think that one of the reasons I’d strayed from serious birding long ago was that I thought I’d have to dress in the Boy Scout inspired costume worn by Nancy Culp and Wally Cox on the Beverly Hillbillies — birdwatcher garb as imagined by Hollywood, which dates me, maybe even carbon dates me.
When I was young, I wanted to emulate James Bond — I wasn’t alone in that. I imagined myself playing for high stakes in Monte Carlo and driving a fast car — and the rest. I was pretty sure that James Bond would not wear a Wally Cox birding outfit, even as a disguise. I glossed over the fact that the original James Bond, whose name Ian Fleming used for the super-spy was, in fact, an ornithologist. But I refused to wear sensible clothes and sensible shoes. My feet paid the price. Happily, I never stopped looking at birds and I even was bird keeper in a small zoo for a while.
Now I know better. Stand out in a marsh in the pouring rain without proper gear and you’ll soon be wishing you had on a pair of those unbecoming rain pants. Hiking through chaparral in the hot sun without one of those floppy sun hats will convince you that you need one in a hurry.
I like fly-fishing shirts. They’re lightweight, vented and they’ve got lots of pockets. Simms shirts have a nice little fish logo on them too for what it’s worth. I’ve got some cargo pants with the detachable legs but I rarely wear them. I don’t like the material and I don’t really like the way they fit. I do have a pair of cotton cargo pants with nice leg pockets but these may soon wear out, which is too bad because I love them.
What I take with me on a birding trip depends on how I plan to travel. If I’m going by car, I load up because, well, why not? I’ve typically got about five times as much stuff with me as I need. I take too much when I fly too but less of it. I usually pack three shirts, four or five tee shirts, an extra pair of pants, four or five underwear, a pair of light shorts, four or five pairs of socks, and the usual toiletries.
I always have a small flashlight with me and, if I’m going by car, a good folding knife. I take guidebooks if I’m on a road trip but rely on e-versions of Sibley and other publications more often than not. I rarely take a guidebook on a trip that involves air travel. Even with my 20” roller suitcase and my pack, I have only so much room.
Since I might have to cook something or make coffee out in the wilderness, I carry a compact, lightweight kettle/saucepan too. It has a couple of cups nested in it. That plus my combo fork and spoon and my folding knife gives me the opportunity to make a meal when necessary.
Often motels I stay at don’t provide breakfast, or coffee (or even shampoo, for that matter). If they do, often nothing happens until long after I’ve headed out looking for birds. Having the means to make an early morning cuppa and a bowl of instant porridge is important.
Birders almost never forget binoculars and camera — at least I don’t think so. Forgetting binos would be a disaster unless, of course, the opportunity to buy something newer and better turned up. Naw — that’d never happen. For me, an IPad is essential — how did we do this before we had these devices? The IPad is also my travelling library.
Because I tend to use the camera more than a scope, I often don’t take the scope when I go hiking. I have it and tripod in the trunk of the car for those times when I do feel the need. I’m always delighted with what I see when I do use it.
I check eBird daily for rare birds, to learn about hotspots in an area, and for a half dozen other reasons. I also try to find out the local rare bird reports. Washington Tweeters has been very helpful in this regard. I’m a writer so sometimes I work on the IPad but I have an older netbook that works better for that purpose.
I carry the usual battery chargers plus a spare camera battery, protein bars, cookies, pens, notepads, maps, bird books, spare reading glasses, an extra cap, a raincoat and pants, and extra shoes. And then there’s my travelling mini-pharmacy also. I hate waking up in strange hotel room in a tiny town with a headache thinking about how much I wished I’d packed some aspirin.
I’ve got two phones — my home phone that I don’t allow to ‘roam’ and an inexpensive pay-as-you go Quad phone. I buy a SIM for the phone if I’m in another country. I’ve used mine in Italy, France, and Mexico and it does the job very well. I paid about twenty-five dollars for it.
I’ve probably forgotten something, which usually happens anyway. Still, a person can go a long way with a credit card and necessary travel documents. Sensible people make lists, I guess. Maybe James Bond does. I might make a list of something other than target bird species sometime.
Bird Noetz 