Bird Schmidt - Dangers for Birds, Birders, and Birding

BIRD SCHMIDT

Birdwatching in Flin Flon Creighton and Beyond

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Meet the Schmidts

This photograph of an ospey carrying building material to the nest was taken by Harvey near Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba during one of our roadside birding trips. The osprey was building a nest on top of a hydroelectric pole.

Common Sense

Brenda

Take along lots of food and water and make sure someone knows where you are heading.

Harvey

Ask permission before you watch birds in other people's yards.

The Dangers of Birding

Birder, Harvey Schmidt photographed an osprey building its nest in Manitoba near Lake Winnipegosis

Birders face certain danger when they let their guard down while stalking the wary bird. The greatest danger is the potential for addiction to the sport. However, there are some tangible dangers to be aware of that could threaten the birder's personal safety and well-being. We have encountered everything from hungry spring bears to the most dangerous of animals - a man who informed us that "people have been shot for less." For less than looking at a bird feeding on nectar! Good grief! Thank goodness in that situation Harvey was armed with a copy of the Field Guide to North American Birds. Rule One: Always keep a field guide in your pocket.

Tips for Safe Birding in Canada

Watch your footing. Holes, cliffs, and barbed wire all seem to creep up on you when your eyes are on the bird. Wear hiking boots with good ankle support.
Make sure the highway has wide shoulders when you pull over to check out the peeps in the pond. Semi trailers, cars passing on the right, and roadside thugs all make this practice hazardous.
Beware of poorly marked roads in unfamiliar areas. While we were looking for the Anna's Hummingbird when we were birding in BC, we were threatened by two men who thought we were the police. Apparently they felt we were too close to their property. In hindsight, the monitoring equipment on the gate of the property should have been the first clue indicating that perhaps we were not birding in friendly territory.

Be careful out there. Although most people just smile at us and our binoculars, there are those people who don't understand the drive that takes birders off the beaten path. Respect the rights of others, including their property rights, and just because you are on the right side of the fence does not mean you won't end up on somebody's wrong side.

If you spot a bird that you would like us to know about, or if you are planning a birding trip to Creighton, Saskatchewan or Flin Flon, Manitoba, please email us.

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Last updated September 21, 2004