Wonderland Woodpeckers Make Their Debut

The Wonderland Woodpeckers (Tom, Joanie, Evan and Dylan Kercheval) didn’t have vast (or even intermediate) birding knowledge. We didn’t have cameras that could capture great, closeup shots of the birds we managed to see. We didn’t even have a detailed plan. But one thing the Kercheval family did have on our very first Birdathon was a ton of fun.

Wonderland Woodpeckers. Photo by Tom Kercheval

Joanie and the two teenage boys — Evan and Dylan — were excited to get up early with Tom and get out there. OK, Joanie was excited. Evan and Dylan’s Sundays typically start … well … let’s just say a “little later” in the day than 8:00 am. But rise and shine the teens inevitably did (albeit a dull shine), and after a brief time in our backyard (where we heard and spotted a loud Fish Crow, a Northern Cardinal, an American Robin and a Mourning Dove), we headed to Algonkian Park.

The boys were wide awake at this point, nature’s beauty beginning to convince them that this change in the usual routine was going to be more than worthwhile. We all had the Merlin app ready to go, which was incredibly helpful to us first-timers. The plan was to use the app to identify a nearby bird then try to find it as a group. If we couldn’t find it, we of course didn’t count it. This led to a few fights over the one pair of binoculars we had on hand, but we did OK.

At Algonkian, we identified a Red-winged Blackbird, a House Finch, Eastern Towhee, more Northern Cardinals and American Robins, a Baltimore Oriole and a Northern House Wren. Merlin of course identified many more, but most seemed to elude our collective prying eyes.

Algonkian Park was caked in mud after the much-needed rains the day before, so we cut our visit there a bit short and headed to Balls Bluff. As we hiked up to the overlook, Tom could hear the boys exclaiming, “Wow,” “This is amazing,” and other superlatives, simultaneously making him happy and a bit annoyed with himself for not doing this kind of thing more often. Lesson learned.

Photo by Tom Kercheval

At Balls Bluff, we heard nearby Red-bellied Woodpeckers but were not able to find them. We did snag a Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-eyed Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (not doing a job worthy of its name based on the cloud of gnats encircling our faces), European Starling and a Gray Catbird.

Oh, and we also identified a Common Loon, but we can’t count that. Why? Because it turned out to be Joanie. The boys were making bird calls in hopes of fooling Merlin, but to no avail. Joanie thought she’d give it a try, letting out a soft, high-pitched call. Within seconds, Merlin showed “Hearing a bird” and then … “Common Loon.” Best laugh of the day.

While our inexperienced team will be way down on the list of species identified, we all felt a sense of pride flying the flag for the beginners while exemplifying the true spirt of this event: to get outside, learn, enjoy time with friends and family, and come away with a renewed sense of awe and wonder for the beauty of nature that’s just outside our door, just beyond the screens we spend way too much time gazing into.

So remember, the Birdathon isn’t just for experienced birders. It’s for all of us. Get out here and join us next year. The Wonderland Woodpeckers will return!

Species List:
1. Fish Crow (2)
2. Northern Cardinal (3)
3. American Robin (2)
4. Mourning Dove
5. Red-winged Blackbird
6. House Finch
7. Eastern Towhee
8. Baltimore Oriole
9. Northern House Wren
10. Black Vulture (3)
11. Turkey Vulture (2)
12. Red-eyed Vireo
13. Tufted Titmouse
14. House Finch
15. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
16. European Starling (2)
17. Gray Catbird