The movie, “The Big Year,” is due out in October. This got us thinking about our year.
We’ve seen Gray-headed Juncos, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Horned Grebes, Williamson’s Sapsuckers and most of the woodpeckers, tanagers, buntings, blackbirds, kingfishers, gulls, herons, sparrows and raptors you’d expect.
But our count is shabby by Big Year standards. The guys profiled in that book, and in the upcoming film, are two-fisted heroes.
Our big year has been one of two-fisted hero sandwiches.
We’re at two-hundred-thirty something, but not really counting. We have one on most days in our local Subway while reading a book during lunch.
Deli meats, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, cukes, green peppers and chopped jalapenos.
This is of no importance to anyone. What is of importance is that “The Big Year” movie reaches a lot of people.
Our whole philosophy around here is that the world needs to get it straight that birders are not nerdy.
The stars of “The Big Year” are regular guys. Jack Black’s cool. Steve Martin’s a banjo pickin’ stud. Owen Wilson’s got a broken nose.
And those are just the actors. The guys they play are real Indiana Jones types. That’s why there’s a movie being made about them.
Meanwhile, our own big year continues. Today it involved a turkey sighting. On Italian, with the works. Tonight, there might be some long-necked brewskies to be counted.
And in October, we’ll be looking forward with relish to a movie about two-fisted bird watching.
According to what I’ve heard and read about this movie, it’s supposed to be a comedy. It’s also gone from non-fiction to fiction so I wonder just what will be presented to an audience. They never requested any input from me so I just hope Sandy Komito doesn’t get trashed or made to be the jerk in this one. Sandy Komito
I don’t know about Owen Wilson as Komito. He’s kind of young to play Sandy, if I recall correctly. We’ll see how driven Wilson can act.
For real birding heros, I look to Wendy & Malkolm Boothroyd and Ken Madsen, who listed 548 North American species in 2007-2008, what they called a carbon-free “Bird Year.”
They raised $25K for bird conservation and created an incredible degree of awareness. I guess they were two-wheeled bird watchers.
Anyway, I love the blog. Keep it up.
The greatest of all bird watchers, heroic in their aspirations — Leonardo, and the Wright Brothers — gave us flight.
I’m looking forward to “The Big Year” movie as well. Hope it does a decent job of portraying these amazing guys and doesn’t make them look like complete fools.
Let’s hope they portray us right or it will backfire…