Nature Done Wright

Don Torino's latest column for wildnewjersey.tv is both hilarious and sweet. A sample:

Of course all birders have binoculars in their cars. There are very special ones called "car-oculars", which are very ancient binoculars that can only be found in the trunk of a birder's car or in the Museum of Science in Florence, Italy next to Galileo's first telescope.

You know, the binoculars that can make even a Song Sparrow look like a Painted Bunting because the glass is so bad. Nevertheless they qualify to sit in our cars, perhaps under the seat, ready for the day that they will be needed.

Coffee cups from a quick pit stop made while looking for Short-eared Owls at Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge occasionally roll out from under a seat when stopping for a light.

Energy bar wrappers left over from the Christmas Bird Count and old banana peels frequently adorn your car floor. As far as the trunk is concerned, I wouldn't even go there. 

Birding is the great equalizer. We are not overly concerned with what model car we drive, how it may look, or even if it has reverse.

We are only concerned that the birder driving it is willing to help out a new birder watching an unidentified warbler for the first time, give a helping ear to help someone identify a call they have never heard, or maybe even take a kid birding for the first time.

The link is here.