David Allen Sibley: "I'm happy to watch any bird"

The Music Hall's Writers in the Loft series has brought some incredible talent to Portsmouth, and last night we were treated to David Allen Sibley. Mr. Sibley is what you might call the Godfather of North American bird-watching — a veritable rock star in the world of ornithology. 

From the age of eight, David Sibley has been fascinated by birds, no doubt inspired by his ornithologist father. "I can't remember a time when I wasn't into birds," he said. He started drawing birds that same year, sometimes spending up to five or six hours on his work. Mr. Sibley treated the audience to several slides of his early sketches, which included a White-winged Crossbill, a Leach's Storm Petrel, and a Hawk Owl drawn way back in 1974. 

Because they hold still for so long, "Hawk Owls are a fantastic subject for drawing," he said. A more recent drawing was of a Hooded Warbler in Texas, in 2012. 

Mr. Sibley's sketches are a precursor to his real goal, which is to eventually paint his subjects and publish the pictures alongside short but detailed explanations of bird behavior, descriptions of their calls, and the year-round migration patterns in books like his New York Times bestseller The Sibley Guide to Birds, published in 2000 — considered by some to be the Birder's Bible.

His interest in painting really comes from a desire to gather more information, he said. "Believe it or not, I don't have a lot of patience for painting." But his zeal for compiling data about birds drove him on tirelessly. "From a young age, I was interested in gathering information. I liked the idea of putting all that together in one place. The knowledge — the understanding — that went into the sketch was the goal."

Mr. Sibley clearly loves everything about birds and is an unapologetic bird-watcher. "Birds become like friends, and your backyard or park becomes your own version of Cheers," he said.

"A big part of the popularity of bird-watching is the connection to nature," he added. "Bird-watching is an easy and exciting way to have that connection." 

I'm no hardcore birder, but I completely agree. Just last March, a Sharp-shinned Hawk actually landed on my front porch. He stood there for a full three minutes, the sun in his eyes, unable to see me sitting just a few feet away on the other side of the window. The exhilaration was paralyzing.

During the Q & A segment of his talk, Mr. Sibley was asked what birders could do to help birds thrive in an age of environmental hazards. His answer probably wasn't what the audience expected — bird-watchers being notoriously Left-leaning.

Rather than rally the troops to lobby their legislators, he told us that the answer could be found, literally, right in our own backyards: People should stop spending so much time and effort on landscaping, including dumping chemicals on their lawns. Let it grow a little wild, he suggested.

Thinking of my own eye-sore of a yard, I felt proud that my loathing for outdoor work has actually been good for birds.

Another pleasant surprise was his praise for a group conspicuously absent from the more "polite" conversations about conservation efforts. "The National Wildlife Refuge system is largely to do with the efforts of duck-hunters," he said. That certainly sucked all the air out of the room!

Asked what his favorite bird might be, Mr. Sibley said, "I'm happy to watch any bird."

Having Mr. Sibley in Portsmouth last night was a real treat. Those of us in the area who love birds and want to know more about them were able to benefit in a very personal way from his life's work and passion. 

Everyone who attended last night's talk also got a copy of the updated Guide to Birds (signed and personalized by the author), a free drink at the bar, and a chance to meet Mr. Sibley in the lobby after his presentation — one hell of a bargain for $54! 

Many thanks are owed to the Music Hall for making this possible. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.

Please look out tomorrow (Saturday) for my (very) short story, "The Mobbing" — which combines my interest in birds with my passion for private self-defense and the American Revolution. I hope you like it.