The “Big Morning”
The Wild Bird Habitat Stores sponsored a visit by Greg Miller to the Crane Trust Nature & Visitors Center at Alda, NE. Greg Miller was one of three extreme birders featured in the book “The Big Year” by Mark Obmascik and characterized by Jack Black in the major motion picture of the same name, “The Big Year”. An early morning field trip with Greg to area birding hot spots produced a variety of waterfowl and shore birds in the Rain Water Basin, however the highlight was viewing Greater Prairie Chickens booming. Greg is an average everyday person who in 1998 identified 715 bird species in the US and Canada in one calendar year coming in second as the world’s greatest birder to Sandy Komito, played by Owen Wilson in the movie, who identified 745 bird species. The third birder in the 1998 big year was Al Levitan played by Steve Martin. Sandy, Greg, and Al traveled hundreds of thousands of miles spending tens of thousands of dollars, enduring impossible odds to win the title of the world’s greatest birder. Although the movie is factual based the book contains many more details of these three men’s obsession with birds and birding. It was not just an honor to meet and spend time with one of the world’s greatest birders, but I highly recommend the movie and the book, “The Big Year”. By the way, of the 915 North American bird species Greg has a life list of 759. Learn more about Greg at: gregmillerbirding.com