When you have done something for so long, sometimes it is hard to remember what it was like at the beginning. The other day, however, I came across a scene that reminded me of one of my early birdwatching experiences.

The recent prolonged cold spell we endured froze or kept frozen most of the water throughout the region. That makes for a great time to check the areas where water does not freeze, such as dams or fast-moving streams. 

I drive past a large dam frequently and always look at the bottom where the water is constantly flowing. I do this especially during the winter to see if any ducks are gathered in the open water. In the right season and under the right conditions, there are usually several common mergansers in the pool created by the flowing water. 

When I drove by the other day, the pool had shrunk due to the encroaching ice, and only a fairly small bit was left unfrozen. That small bit, however, was filled with dozens upon dozens of common mergansers. It was to the point where you could barely see any of the open water because it was filled by the large diving ducks.

As I rounded the corner and drove along the unfrozen stream, only about one hundred yards away from the dam, I spotted an adult bald eagle perched in a tree overlooking the water. Since common mergansers are one of my favorite birds, and bald eagles are too (who doesn’t love bald eagles?), I was quite excited about the sighting and made sure to tell everybody I came across for the next several hours.

A day or so later, it dawned on me that the scene seemed familiar. Then I remembered a canoe ride I had taken on Powder Mill Pond in Greenfield, New Hampshire, many years ago. We are going back almost 30 years here. During that canoe ride, I saw a massive flock of common mergansers as well as a lone adult bald eagle perched in one of the tall evergreens along the shoreline.

Several decades may separate the two sightings, but the feelings and emotions generated by the sightings were the same. It’s easy to see why the first sighting would have caused such excitement. I was new to birdwatching and bird photography, and, while common mergansers are plentiful each winter, bald eagles were a much less common sighting back then. 

Fast forward 30 years, and both mergansers and eagles are still cause for excitement for me. In that span, I have seen countless common mergansers and dozens, if not hundreds, of bald eagles. But the feeling is the same. Pure joy and excitement.

I consider myself lucky to have found a hobby, a challenge and a creative outlet that has enhanced my days and years as much as birdwatching has. Every time I enter the woods or launch a canoe, I have the same hopeful feeling and anticipation of what I might see during the walk or paddle. Occasionally I see almost nothing; usually I see the ordinary, and every once in a while I see the extraordinary.

Regardless of the outcome, I love it all.