Cathy Schar (North Pocket)
What got her started: Cathy took up looking at all things Nature very early in life — there was no TV in Central Oregon’s High Desert Country in the 40s & 50s and it was seven miles to the next ranch. So the natural world provided the “shows” she watched. Cathy grew up using colloquial names for many birds — “Teeter Butt” for Killdeer, “Hoot Owl” for Great Horned Owls, “Chicken Hawk” for Red Tailed Hawk, “Sparrow Hawk” for American Kestrel, “Yellow Canaries” for American Goldfinches, “Boomers” for Night Hawks” — only relearning the names after she became serious about birding in the early 80s.
Favorite bird: Cathy has a favorite bird in each family of birds: wading birds, song birds, owls, etc., with no single favorite bird. An identified “goal bird” occurs every time she goes birding. Her favorite birding partners buy lunch/dinner for the first person who finds their goal bird. Cathy’s interest is learning to understand why birds are doing what they’re doing; she’s not a “lister” with a Life List that motivates her birding experiences, although she says: “I’m thrilled when I see a bird for the first time.”
Solo or group: Cathy appreciates both, although for her birding alone is easiest since she likes to spend as much time as possible watching quietly, and is sensitive to others becoming impatient. Seeing a Virginia Rail at dusk rush into the water at Summer Lake to save its loudly calling chick as it was floating away only occurred because she had been VERY quiet and spent time unmoving in one spot studying how the parent was catching food and feeding the chick. BUT birding in a group is often more productive because of the greater number of eyes, and she enjoys the camaraderie and the laughs.
What else: Cathy co-started a Nature Nurd book club a couple years ago with seven friends. They each read a nature book and then meet monthly to (now Zoom) have lunch and talk about their books. Cathy comes away with a new bibliography of options after each meeting. She also takes care of a bird feeder, suet feeder, and a hummingbird feeder that came with her when she moved and is placed in the central courtyard of North Pocket. Cathy also has a hummingbird feeder on her deck and is looking forward to finding a suitable place for a birdhouse.