On March 17, I put a semi-serious piece in Viewpoints: “A Bird Watcher in Ireland.”
It was about Ireland being interesting, but disappointing in bird diversity.
I wised up since then, because of a little book I’d forgotten.
In the clutter of my bookshelves, I recently came across “The Birds of Killarney National Park,” a souvenir from my Irish trip.
It was — no joke — skinny enough to be a joke. And it fit with my opinion about Ireland’s lack of birdlife.
But, I started looking through it. Unlike other bird books, which are fat and heavy, this one could be read in minutes.
And I got the feeling that each bird in the little book was a bigger deal than any one bird in bigger books. Because there weren’t that many.
When you’re in America, you’ve got maybe 900 species to spot.
You’ve seen many, and you’re not likely to get blown away.
But in Ireland, there’s around 140, including visitors.
If you see even a Stonechat, hell, that’s big.
Point is: Too much choice can de-sensitize you. Less choice can make what you find…more of a find.
So, on reflection, Ireland’s a fine place for bird watchers. It’s not just about pubs, music, friendly people and awesome green landscapes.
It’s also about rare birds. Because there, most of them are.