WASHINGTON — Last summer, birder Allie Judge treaded quietly up the Endless Wall trail at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve in West Virginia. The New River cut through the surrounding forest in a breathtaking view, but Allie kept her eyes trained on the vivid blue sky, ears alert. When suddenly, she heard something over the river’s rushing water.
Allie’s love of wildlife started when she visited her family in Long Island as a kid. There, she would go to the creek and watch the baby horseshoe crabs and hermit crabs scuttle along the water.
“And that was my favorite thing to do every summer just because you would get to see nature doing what nature does,” Judge said.
During the pandemic, her dad got a pair of binoculars for Christmas. She picked them up, crossed the street to the park and began looking for birds.
“And it’s really kind of meditative and relaxing to just like go by yourself and have a purpose and just look around and see what you can find,” Judge said.
Now officially a birder, Allie often compares birding to collecting Pokémon.
“When you see a bird you’ve never seen before, it really feels like an exciting, new thing you’ve unlocked,” Judge said.
You’ve “gotta catch ‘em all.”
Now, Allie lives in Washington, D.C. She works in clean energy communications. But when she’s out of the office, Allie keeps her eyes and ears open. Despite living in an urban area, there are plenty of birds around the city.
One day, she was taking a quick walk along a loud and busy street in D.C. when she heard it.
“I heard a clicking noise that I immediately was like, ‘Oh, that’s a woodpecker.’ And I just looked over. Right next to me. There’s a big tree, and there was a pileated woodpecker on it,” Judge said.
While she’s gotten better at spotting birds and identifying bird calls, Allie will happily use the tools of her trade. She walks through the parks with her binoculars and the Merlin Bird ID app on her phone.
The app lets users explore different bird species likely to be in their area.
Each species has a description and a map of where it’s likely found. To help with identification, each species has several photos and recordings of what the bird sounds like.
From a pileated woodpecker.
To a rock pigeon.
And even a red-shouldered hawk.
All of which are commonly found in Washington, D.C.
Allie enjoys the patience and mindfulness of birding as she waits to see what she can find. Birding has given her a greater appreciation for nature and its beauty.
“You know, you’d be surprised how often I’ll just, like, look up at a light post and see a hawk up there or something. People don’t really think about that, because they’re not really like looking for it,” Judge said. “But the more you sort of start thinking about it and start looking for it, the more you see it in your own backyard, on the city street, you know, wherever you are.”
While Allie is an active birder, she’s happy to take along her friends and family, who aren’t as experienced.
Last May, she brought her friend, Anni Trentham, to Rock Creek Park in D.C., and the two searched for birds.
Last summer, she visited Alaska with her family and was amazed at the wildlife there. She and her cousins were walking along a trail when she saw a belted kingfisher hunting for fish in the river. Allie was thrilled.
“I spent like, five or 10 minutes watching this belted kingfisher. And my cousins left me behind because I was just staring at this belted kingfisher,” Judge said.
While it wasn’t the rarest bird, Allie loved seeing the belted kingfisher thrive in the natural landscape with all the other wildlife.
She encourages anyone interested in birding just to go out there and do it. It’s incredible to be out in nature and see what you can find.
“It is so rewarding to become interested in something like birding or in the natural world, and it always gives back to you in terms of the amazing things you can see out there,” Judge said.
Don’t be afraid to be curious about the wildlife beyond your front door.