Birding — exciting, economical, educational Published Feb. 12, 2009 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS. -- Cindy and Roger Milford are birds of a feather who've nested together for 22 years. The Woolmarket residents are nature lovers who've developed a keen interest in bird watching that's flourished over the past 15 years. According to enthusiasts, birding is the fastest-growing outdoor activity in the United States. A recent survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that 51.3 million Americans report that they watch birds, and more are taking it up all the time. In North America alone, there are more than 800 species of birds to observe. In these tough financial times, the Milfords promote birding as a family hobby that's exciting, economical and educational. "Keesler, on a peninsula between Biloxi's Back Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, is a perfect place for birders," said Mr. Milford, a retired master sergeant who's worked as the 81st Force Support Squadron's services training manager for the past eight years. "It's a diversified ecosystem with water birds, shore birds, meadow birds and birds of prey." "It's an exciting pastime -- physical abilities don't matter, so it's perfect for young or old, athletic or not," explained Mrs. Milford, who's worked at Keesler for 12 years, most recently as a graphics illustrator for CSC. "It's a hobby that can get a family out of the house together. For military families, it's an activity you can take with you wherever you go." Mrs. Milford said bird watching is great recreation for youngsters. "Birding teaches patience, discipline, recordkeeping and an appreciation of nature and different types of habitats," she pointed out. The Milfords began bird watching when they moved from Italy to an assignment at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., in 1994. Mrs. Milford's mom, Jewel Zimmerman, is an avid birder who offered pointers and birding books to get them started. In New Mexico, the Milfords lived near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, where thousands of birds, including sandhill cranes, geese and ducks, make their winter home in a mountainous area that straddles the Rio Grande River. Birders keep a "life list" of all the birds they've seen and identified. The Milfords began their Keesler bird list almost two years ago. They do most of their birding during their lunch hour at the marina. "It gives us a healthy break in the middle of the day," Mrs. Milford said. "And it's a little like hunting, but we don't kill our prey," Mr. Milford added. Birds commonly sighted at Keesler include the great blue heron, tricolored heron, double-crested cormorant, snowy egret, osprey, red-tailed hawk, eastern bluebird, northern mocking bird, house sparrow, European starlings, red-winged blackbird, killdeer, brown pelican and laughing gull. Near the Back Bay shoreline at marina park, the Milfords have seen a horned grebe, red-breasted merganser, common ground dove, Canadian geese, cedar waxwing, barn swallow, mallard duck, hooded merganser and magnificent frigatebird. Near Mrs. Milford's office in Locker House, they sighted a scarlet tanager and a nesting great horned owl. They marveled at a bald eagle soaring over the base soccer field and an American kestrel perched on a sign at Bay Breeze Golf Course. As late as Feb. 5, they added another new bird to their Keesler list. "When we left the marina, we stopped at one of our favorite 'hot spots' and we saw a male and female black-crowned night heron," Mrs. Milford reported. "Cold fronts get us excited, because they push birds down into this area," Mrs. Milford remarked. "And south Mississippi is an awesome fallout area in April, when tired, wet, hungry birds 'fall out' on their return trip north." There are many characteristics to consider when identifying birds -- habitat, size, color, markings, plumage, flight patterns and various shapes and sizes of heads, wings, beaks, legs, feet and tails. They have distinctive sounds, calls or songs. Birding is a comparatively cheap hobby, according to the Milfords. Binoculars, an identification guide, a notebook and a camera come in handy. "McBride Library has several birding books, and outdoor recreation is in the process of obtaining binoculars and field guides for free checkout," Mrs. Milford noted. This weekend, the Milfords join birders across the country for the 12th annual Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by Cornell University's Ornithology Lab and the National Audubon Society. The four-day event, Friday through Monday, engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. For more GBBC information, log on to http://www.birdsource.org.