By Sadie Shields 

Whether you’re walking through the Arcata forest with its lush trees and greenery, or surfing in the bay, you may hear or notice a feathered friend moving by you. Birds come in many shapes, colors and sizes, and here in Humboldt County, we get a lot more species than your typical city environment. 

For many birders, the interest begins long before they pick up a field guide or scope.

“I’ve always been proud to identify whales and red-tailed hawks when I was younger. There was one time a red-tailed hawk flew over and I’m like ‘that’s a red-tail hawk because it’s got a red tail.’ I was so excited about it,” said Cedrik Von Briel, a senior wildlife and communications major and president of the birding club. “I wasn’t really a birder until my brother started getting into it, and eventually dragged me onto something called a Christmas bird count. I was just fascinated by the amount of cool named birds that were out there.” 

Humboldt county offers an amazing environment for birding, one of the many places close by to campus being the Arcata Marsh or the South Jetty. For beginners, the advice is simple: start where you are. 

“There’s no right way to do it. Just go and do it, find your favorite spot, there’s absolutely no rush,” Von Briel said.

Wildlife photographer Kristinza Scheef resonated with the idea that aspiring birders need patience and awareness when entering natural spaces.

“You have to remember: we are playing in their home, in their world, so we need to be ethical and nice to them,” Scheef said.

Scheef also notes that expectations can sometimes get in the way for beginners.

“A lot of times, wildlife will reward you with a beautiful photo — but, you have to be patient,” Scheef said.

As new birders head out into the Humboldt forests, marshes and coastlines, or decide to go to the Godwit Days birding event Friday, Saturday and Sunday, learning to slow down, take your time to breathe and observe is enough to make a difference. 

“The more you see and fall in love with nature, the more protective you’re going to get of it,” Scheef said.

Sadie is a reporter who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and science. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.