While I still have no idea what the mate preferences of female sparrows are, I have learned equally as valuable insight into myself. First, I have learned I strongly dislike going to the bathroom in the wilderness and second, I should never personally pursue a career in bird research.
I joined this research group because the biology interested me, not the birds themselves. In fact, as my mom will tell you since she had pet birds when I was growing up, I have never been particularly fond of birds. This makes me the odd man out in the research team because everyone else is an avid birdwatcher and really passionate about birds (which is great). But, I do feel a bit guilty when they all rush to get their binoculars to their face in time to check out some special bird while mine are aimed at a patch of grass I am considering for my next tanning locale. The best is when we are sleeping in the car and are abruptly woken up by a sudden stop. I bolt up, bleary eyed, and frantically look around thinking, fire?! No, just a bird. I’ve found it convenient to forget my binoculars some days.
But I try. I try and grapple with this love they have for birds, though I find it so hard to understand. Sure, they are nice here and there up in the sky but when it comes to holding them, they bite and they poo. My god, do they poo. My favorite move they do is poo and then flap their wings so that it sprays all over me. I have half a mind to leave them in the nets a few extra minutes when they do that, but I fear it might be a tad unethical. Apparently they have no qualms about going to the bathroom in unusual places.
Anyways, I am not saying this because I regret my research group, because on the contrary, I think they are great, I’m really lucky, and very excited about my thesis. I bring this up just to point out that I have never and will never be a bird person.
Ps. I miss Marc.
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