A new video that's about birding, in a way, has been getting a lot of play
on YouTube since it was released on Monday. It was produced by Birds &
Blooms magazine in collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and
the production quality is excellent. For Ohio birders the video has more
than passing relevance: it was filmed during The Biggest Week In American
Birding, and much of it was filmed at Ohio's own Black Swamp Bird
Observatory.
So what is it? Well ... it's an extended send-up of the song "I Like Birds"
by The Eels. Yes, I'm serious. Ornithological content is nonexistent; but in
three campy, goofy, zany minutes, it conveys the idea that birders are very
fun people. Here's a link: http://bit.ly/LGxzBK Check it out and see what
you think. I'm sure that some "serious" field ornithologists will be put off
by it, but so far I've heard from hundreds of keen birders who loved the
video and wanted to share it. One thing's for sure, it's a definite
departure from the old stereotypes of bird watchers that were so pervasive
until very recent times.
And, hey ... I DO like birds.
Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, Ohio
