The adventures of a usually solitary birder, walking the line between introversion and extroversion, in the places and spaces of central Florida and beyond. The blog is for birders and non-birders alike. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I’ll try to answer any questions you have. By the same token, if you see something amiss or want to add anything, comments are open!
Lonely Birding
There is a difference between being lonely and being alone. Being lonely implies an emptiness and longing – something missing and perhaps hoped for. Being alone means having to rely on yourself and having no one nearby to either help or hinder. I see “alone-ness” as a neutral position, whereas “loneliness” is normally something to avoid altogether.
So why “Lonely Birder”? For a couple of reasons. One, “Alone Birder” sounds a bit odd. Secondly, I’ve learned a lot about myself in my birding excursions. I’ve learned that I am an introvert. That means interacting with people for any extended period of time uses up mental and physical energy for me. It’s not that I dislike people (well, we can get into that, regarding notions of conservation and environmental impacts, later), but I use my “alone” time to recharge and reset, particularly after interacting with people. But I also love to share my love of birds and the natural world, and the excitement I feel. This creates a conflict and a slight sadness: I am unable to fully share my experiences with others because I need that time to myself, in a sense.
I can best express this feeling as a loneliness. I do bird with others from time to time – close friends, festival trips, etc., but my default is always to come back to nature by myself, happy to recharge and refresh, but wistfully wishing I could share it all.
Perhaps this blog bridges the gap, and I hope you find it fun, helpful and above all, honest.
Cheers,
Christopher, Lonely Birder
P.S.
You may notice that since 2015 I’ve been birding a bit more with companions, and that role as a birding mentor is important to me. This is a direct result of this blog, and I am managing well with them singly or in small groups. But inevitably, I have to have that recharge time by myself to keep going.
Lonely Birder 
Hello, my name is Marion, I was looking for help for a goose that I have been observing from my apartment patio, which is about 50 ft. from a pond and is where this beautiful white goose lives along with a family of I think Mallard ducks. There is the alpha male who has his mate, they have baby ducklings every year, most disappear within 1 to 2 months. 3 of last years clutch have lived & stayed with the parents, I think they are all females which the alpha male protects from new males that try to mate with his daughters. But the reason for this post is because of the lonely white goose, that might be a duck, I’m not sure. Anyway, I have watched this poor goose, that we call Quakers lay a full clutch of approx. 20 eggs at least 6 times since I moved here, and she is the most devoted mother ever, she sits on her eggs for weeks & weeks, protecting them with her life, and it breaks my heart because each time they should hatch, they rott and I gather them to throw them in the trash. She knows me so well she lays her eggs under my bedroom window. I really believe she thinks i can help her. She sees the female mallard duck mating with the alpha male, then with her ducklings year after year, but she never gets to be a mother herself. But is very friendly with the female duck & vissa-versa. They all swim, forage, sleep & hang out here on and around the pond together like one big happy family, year after year. The alpha male considers Quakers (the goose maybe duck) also his mate, he is always by her side, he really loves her. I even have video of him mating with her. He cares for her, so he mates with her I think so that she will have babies too. She is sitting on her newest clutch of eggs at this very moment. I’m so sad for her. You must wonder why I am Emailing you. When I Googled (what to do about a lonely goose), lonely birder came up. I’m not very computer literate, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to tell you Quaker’s story, since you also care so much about birds. I have pic.s & video, can you tell me if she is a goose or duck? If I knew what to do to help her, I would. I looked at your pic.s and you know so much about birds, I thought maybe you’d have a suggestion. By the way, you are a fantastic photographer. I have really enjoyed reading all about the beautiful birds, animals and flowers you have captured through your diligent observations. Thank you for sharing your fantastic work. Sincerely, Marion Schofield
What is your email to send you pics & video?
Thank you for sharing Quacker’s story, Marion. It sounds like she is laying unfertilized eggs. There could be several reasons for this, since she is mating with the male Mallard, but I am not an expert in duck reproduction.
I’d be happy to look at your photos. My email address is lonelybirder43@gmail.com.
Thank you for the compliments, and I am glad my adventures bring you some enjoyment and education
CJSF
Where are you and your “duck”?
This comment was from a while ago, and I never heard back from Marion about it.
How can I subscribe to your blog? I don’t see instructions. Can I get it sent to my e-mail? Thanks!
Hi Heather. When you scroll down the main page, a little widget SHOULD pop up in the lower right corner asking if you want to subscribe and/or follow the blog. If you are not seeing that, maybe you have an anti-tracking or ad-blocking software that’s preventing it (though I’ve not had issues with that up to now). If you still can’t do it, let me know and I will see if I can find an alternate way for you to get updates.