Up early with the birds

"A lot of people, when they first get a really close look through binoculars, [are] blown away by the detail," he says, trying to articulate his passion. It was the structure and the colors - the oranges, blacks, reds, and greens - of migrating warblers that really grabbed him as a boy in Maine.

"They're very attractive," agrees Mr. Bronson. Plus, with migration, he says, "the cast keeps changing."

Bird-watching has always been more than a hobby - it's a pastime that lends itself to competition. (This year, for the first time, even the Great Backyard Bird Count, which begins next week, is creating a contest by offering prizes.

There's the intellectual challenge of observation and identification. The acquisitive counting. In Massachusetts alone there are 460 species. North America has 675 native species in addition to the migratory birds that get blown off track - all there for the spotting and tallying.

46 million US bird-watchers; 18 million who travel to find birds; $32 billion spent in travel and equipment to pursue those birds.

The majority of birders are casual types. But as with any hobby, there are the devout. Mark Obmascik's book, "The Big Year," recounts the 1998 quest of three men to win the North American Big Year - a 365-day pursuit of as many species as possible. The former Denver Post reporter says his story grew out of an interest in obsession. He wondered: "What happens when you take the brakes off?"

This is what happens: You spend $100,000 to spot 745 species as the winner, Sandy Komito, did.

Spangenberg, Ms. Doyle, and Dr. Frechette of the Merlins understand that sort of devotion. They've driven 17 hours to North Carolina and taken a boat 75 miles offshore to see open-ocean birds that can only be found there - three times.

Late morning at the Superbowl, the team parks by the side of a road, chasing down kestrels. Mr. Rowell, a slightly built computer programmer who studied zoology, leaps out of the car. He takes off running, bounding through shin-deep snow, his binoculars in hand.

Frechette is the team's motivator and minder. "Mr. Logistics," Rowell calls him. He herds and manages his team like the father of five that he is. At Odiorne Point State Park, he slows the frenetic pace, somewhat.

"Surf Scoter, Frances," calls out Rowell, spotting the black-and-white seaduck.

"Got it," Doyle answers back. "Red-throated Loon."

"Loon? You got a Red-throated?" asks Rowell.

"Where? I'm not on it," replies Spangenberg "Red-necked Grebe."

"Where? What have we got?" interjects Frechette. "Cormorants on the rocks."

They continue like this, in their birder dialect, for 30 minutes. They leave Odiorne with nine new species. But in the end, their efforts don't equal a win - and that's okay.

2006 Superbowl of Birding: 127 people; 86 species logged by winning team; Monadnock Merlins: 70 species, 13th place.

Undaunted, the Merlins are already looking forward to reclaiming their title next year, at Superbowl IV.

For four days, beginning Feb. 17, enthusiasts the country over will track the birds that pass by their homes. It's the ninth year of the Great Backyard Bird Count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Paul Green, Audubon's director of Citizen Science, says he hopes 100,000 bird watchers will "reconnect with nature" and through this "reconnaissance survey" help create a snapshot of species numbers and migratory patterns - which will help conservation efforts and inspire more focused scientific study. For more information go to audubon.org or birds.cornell.edu

Page: 1 | 2