Phyllis

How did you get started birding?

We had just gotten married and we were on a camping trip in Texas. We saw a male Painted Bunting. We didn't own binoculars, so we came back from that camping trip and bought one pair of binoculars and one bird book. That wouldn't work, so we bought two pairs of binoculars!

Tony: Then we've progressed and gotten crazier.

Anything else you'd like to share? 

I think as a group, birders are very willing to share information. We have sat in someone's living room to see a rare bird. There's not too many things you can do where a total stranger will let you come sit inside their house. I think that's really kind of cool. We've met a lot of wonderful people over the years. 

Tony: Golfers are nice too, but they don't take you to their houses like birders. I golf too. You can go anywhere with them [birders] You can even spend the night if you're in the neighborhood and you've never met them before! 

Phyllis and Tony at the field where the Common Crane Blitz occurred