#17 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation
While we don’t condone trespassing or trampling wildflowers, sometimes it is worthwhile to go a bit off trail to figure out an unknown bird. Often a bird crosses your path and into the brush and you get a tantalizing glimpse of an odd looking field mark. It could be something rare but often the first thought is that the bird is long gone (and of course, sometimes it is). But equally as likely is that the bird will return.
With a little patience or a little careful bushwhacking, you can hopefully figure out what that unfamiliar bird sound is and decrease the number of birds that got away.
Disclaimer: Just to emphasize, we don’t encourage “aggressive” off-trailing or any form of trespassing nor any activity that would result in undue stress of nesting or species of special concern.
I’ve regretted not pursuing birds in the past.I’ve had a glimpse of a bird, then thought to myself later while going through a field guide-I wonder if it could have been a (rare bird)? So I do try to make the attempt to track down each unkown bird if time allows.