The Early Years
I was born in Dayton, Ohio on December 22, 1961 to Charles and Judith Cathers of Trotwood. My
interest in the natural world grew out of early forays into the fields and forest behind our home on
Greacian Avenue. Shortly after my 12th birthday, my grandfather passed away and my grandmother
gave me his copy of the “Golden Guide to Birds of North America” and I was gradually hooked. My first
identified bird in the field was a Slate-colored Junco on November 15, 1974.
I spent my education years birding in and around southwest Ohio graduating from Wright State
University with a B. S. Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1985. I spent my first seven years in the
corporate world with the local power company all the while birding further and further afield. Family
vacations took me to Washington D. C., the Tampa Bay area of Florida and to various “exotic” locations
around Ohio.
Birding Trips
I began taking formal birding trips in 1985 after college and found my way to Florida, Wisconsin,
Minnesota and Michigan. The year 1989 will always be memorable, however, as I took my first trip west
of the mighty Mississippi River, landing in Phoenix, Arizona on September 1st. Over the next week, I
toured all of the famous southeast Arizona locales and racked up 85 life birds! The thrill of that one brief
trip and the adrenaline rush from so many new birds is why I still love to help other people find birds.
My second visit to Arizona came just one year later when I spent two weeks during the monsoon season
mopping up on rarities and picking up another 33 life birds along the way. After that, it was so hard to
leave Arizona that I vowed I would be back to stay someday. I found a job in Arizona and moved here in
November of 1992. The desert is in my blood now and it would be very hard to ever leave it.
A Change in Direction
I recently left the formal corporate workplace in favor of a new beginning, a second chance at a good life.
I stared at computer screens too long, sat motionless behind a desk in search of miracle solutions
without budgetary or corporate support and ate Tums by the bottle. Uninterrupted sleep was an
unknown commodity and too many pounds found a home around my waist.
My primary goals for this change in direction were to lose weight and strive for a healthy lifestyle, to
follow my son through school and be his mentor when class is not in session and to share what
knowledge I have gleaned in my birding adventures with those who wish to partake of it. Up to this point,
other than vacation days and a few birding trips, I've been a sporadic weekend birder (there always
seem to be weekend chores when you have a family) but I hope to work my way up to daily birding in the
near future!
And yes, I might be the first to admit that southeast Arizona might not need another bird guide. Believe
me, I thought four times before committing to this endeavor. In the end, I have to believe I have skills
you'll find useful and that my goals are realistic! I strive for perfection in everything all the while knowing
it is quite impossible and impractical.
Birding Assets
Big days, target birding, bird banding, breeding & winter bird surveys, state atlas work, Christmas
counts, bird photography, birding trips and planning, rarity chasing, Audubon field trip leader, Audubon
Board of Directors, coordinated owling trips, feeder watches, binocular and scope research, kestrel
banding, landscaping for birds, vegetation surveys, bird song recording, habitat restoration …at one
time or another, I have done it all.
My days of bird banding and recently photography have shown me the importance of field marks and
subtle plumage details that birds possess. While I find such details interesting and valuable, you’ll find
I’m not much of a scientist. I bird mainly by ear, overall characteristics, prominent field marks,
seasonality, abundance and habitat.
My main goal today is to help others find birds. Each and every field trip is a learning experience for me,
a lifetime hobby with a wealth of unending information available. Although I’m definitely not the “new
kid”, I doubt I’ll ever claim to be an “expert”.
In fact, you’ll find that I have two main assets to bring to your birding investment; knowledge of bird
songs and experience on where to find specific species.
Auditory Knowledge
My primary asset is my hearing. I trust my ears more than my eyes. I spent my teenage years listening
to the vinyl record inserts inside the back cover of the National Geographic “Song and Garden Birds of
North America” learning a wide variety of eastern songs. It took me a bit longer to learn the western
songs, but they too have sunk in.
It is always amazing to me what intimately knowing the songs of birds adds to a birding adventure. If
you stand in one spot in the desert, it’s easy to see a handful, perhaps ten or so species, in a half hour.
However, if you know the songs of the birds around you, the list easily doubles or triples for the same
time expended. I realize that most birders use sight for lifers and confirmation, but hearing a bird sing
alerts you to its presence, an experience you might not have if just using vision alone.
Who knew that Rufous-winged Sparrows had 10-12 different songs? That kind of experience is
achieved only through time in the field (or having a pair nest in your yard!).
Local Experience
The second asset I can crow about is to know where to find birds. One of my all time favorite books is
the “Habitat Guide to Birding” by Thomas P. McElroy. I read it often as a teenager and absorbed its
presentation of habitat importance for locating particular birds. I am still inspired this day by the final
chapter of this excellent book.
Here in the desert southwest though, I cannot claim this experience without acknowledging those who
contributed to it. The well known references, the local bird finding books, are all excellent and provide a
solid foundation on where to find specific species. The Internet information network here (BIRDWG05)
is amazing and a cooperative network of birders routinely share their birding experiences. Notice of a
rarity often occurs within minutes of its discovery!
Furthermore, the Audubon network is strong and accessible and hosts a top notch Rare Bird Alert
system and a packed schedule of events led by knowledgeable birders. There are numerous personal
tour guides and companies here, some of which are kind enough to share information, host web sites
with valuable planning information, bird status and distribution, and contain journals or logs of recent
experiences.
Finally, too, a thanks to all of the kind people who open their yards to birders for key species, the network
of state parks, the wealth of national parks and monuments, the Nature Conservancy properties, the city
parks and open spaces, national forests and even golf courses and business owners who preserve
habitat and provide birders a place to “do their thing”.
It is because of this network and family of information that my knowledge base has grown to the point
where I believe I have an asset of experience to share with you. I offer my thanks to everyone who
contributed to this learning process. I hope to give back over the years ahead!
Facebook - Twitter
I have a profile on Facebook and a Twitter account...explore if you're interested!
I was born in Dayton, Ohio on December 22, 1961 to Charles and Judith Cathers of Trotwood. My
interest in the natural world grew out of early forays into the fields and forest behind our home on
Greacian Avenue. Shortly after my 12th birthday, my grandfather passed away and my grandmother
gave me his copy of the “Golden Guide to Birds of North America” and I was gradually hooked. My first
identified bird in the field was a Slate-colored Junco on November 15, 1974.
I spent my education years birding in and around southwest Ohio graduating from Wright State
University with a B. S. Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1985. I spent my first seven years in the
corporate world with the local power company all the while birding further and further afield. Family
vacations took me to Washington D. C., the Tampa Bay area of Florida and to various “exotic” locations
around Ohio.
Birding Trips
I began taking formal birding trips in 1985 after college and found my way to Florida, Wisconsin,
Minnesota and Michigan. The year 1989 will always be memorable, however, as I took my first trip west
of the mighty Mississippi River, landing in Phoenix, Arizona on September 1st. Over the next week, I
toured all of the famous southeast Arizona locales and racked up 85 life birds! The thrill of that one brief
trip and the adrenaline rush from so many new birds is why I still love to help other people find birds.
My second visit to Arizona came just one year later when I spent two weeks during the monsoon season
mopping up on rarities and picking up another 33 life birds along the way. After that, it was so hard to
leave Arizona that I vowed I would be back to stay someday. I found a job in Arizona and moved here in
November of 1992. The desert is in my blood now and it would be very hard to ever leave it.
A Change in Direction
I recently left the formal corporate workplace in favor of a new beginning, a second chance at a good life.
I stared at computer screens too long, sat motionless behind a desk in search of miracle solutions
without budgetary or corporate support and ate Tums by the bottle. Uninterrupted sleep was an
unknown commodity and too many pounds found a home around my waist.
My primary goals for this change in direction were to lose weight and strive for a healthy lifestyle, to
follow my son through school and be his mentor when class is not in session and to share what
knowledge I have gleaned in my birding adventures with those who wish to partake of it. Up to this point,
other than vacation days and a few birding trips, I've been a sporadic weekend birder (there always
seem to be weekend chores when you have a family) but I hope to work my way up to daily birding in the
near future!
And yes, I might be the first to admit that southeast Arizona might not need another bird guide. Believe
me, I thought four times before committing to this endeavor. In the end, I have to believe I have skills
you'll find useful and that my goals are realistic! I strive for perfection in everything all the while knowing
it is quite impossible and impractical.
Birding Assets
Big days, target birding, bird banding, breeding & winter bird surveys, state atlas work, Christmas
counts, bird photography, birding trips and planning, rarity chasing, Audubon field trip leader, Audubon
Board of Directors, coordinated owling trips, feeder watches, binocular and scope research, kestrel
banding, landscaping for birds, vegetation surveys, bird song recording, habitat restoration …at one
time or another, I have done it all.
My days of bird banding and recently photography have shown me the importance of field marks and
subtle plumage details that birds possess. While I find such details interesting and valuable, you’ll find
I’m not much of a scientist. I bird mainly by ear, overall characteristics, prominent field marks,
seasonality, abundance and habitat.
My main goal today is to help others find birds. Each and every field trip is a learning experience for me,
a lifetime hobby with a wealth of unending information available. Although I’m definitely not the “new
kid”, I doubt I’ll ever claim to be an “expert”.
In fact, you’ll find that I have two main assets to bring to your birding investment; knowledge of bird
songs and experience on where to find specific species.
Auditory Knowledge
My primary asset is my hearing. I trust my ears more than my eyes. I spent my teenage years listening
to the vinyl record inserts inside the back cover of the National Geographic “Song and Garden Birds of
North America” learning a wide variety of eastern songs. It took me a bit longer to learn the western
songs, but they too have sunk in.
It is always amazing to me what intimately knowing the songs of birds adds to a birding adventure. If
you stand in one spot in the desert, it’s easy to see a handful, perhaps ten or so species, in a half hour.
However, if you know the songs of the birds around you, the list easily doubles or triples for the same
time expended. I realize that most birders use sight for lifers and confirmation, but hearing a bird sing
alerts you to its presence, an experience you might not have if just using vision alone.
Who knew that Rufous-winged Sparrows had 10-12 different songs? That kind of experience is
achieved only through time in the field (or having a pair nest in your yard!).
Local Experience
The second asset I can crow about is to know where to find birds. One of my all time favorite books is
the “Habitat Guide to Birding” by Thomas P. McElroy. I read it often as a teenager and absorbed its
presentation of habitat importance for locating particular birds. I am still inspired this day by the final
chapter of this excellent book.
Here in the desert southwest though, I cannot claim this experience without acknowledging those who
contributed to it. The well known references, the local bird finding books, are all excellent and provide a
solid foundation on where to find specific species. The Internet information network here (BIRDWG05)
is amazing and a cooperative network of birders routinely share their birding experiences. Notice of a
rarity often occurs within minutes of its discovery!
Furthermore, the Audubon network is strong and accessible and hosts a top notch Rare Bird Alert
system and a packed schedule of events led by knowledgeable birders. There are numerous personal
tour guides and companies here, some of which are kind enough to share information, host web sites
with valuable planning information, bird status and distribution, and contain journals or logs of recent
experiences.
Finally, too, a thanks to all of the kind people who open their yards to birders for key species, the network
of state parks, the wealth of national parks and monuments, the Nature Conservancy properties, the city
parks and open spaces, national forests and even golf courses and business owners who preserve
habitat and provide birders a place to “do their thing”.
It is because of this network and family of information that my knowledge base has grown to the point
where I believe I have an asset of experience to share with you. I offer my thanks to everyone who
contributed to this learning process. I hope to give back over the years ahead!
Facebook - Twitter
I have a profile on Facebook and a Twitter account...explore if you're interested!
| Me, A Few Years Back |
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