Leading a recent four-day birding field trip to the Owens Valley, trip leaders Mary and Nick Freeman (center) were joined by a dozen or so birders who were introduced to many lifers, including the Greater Sage-Grouse, Sooty Grouse, Gray-crowned Rosy Finches, Pinyon Jays, Chukars, Mountain Quail, Sage Thrashers and more. Birder Celia Gerry (left) listens as Mary outlines the day’s plans. Photo by Robbie Lisa Freeman.
By Robbie Lisa Freeman
When you sign up for a birding excursion with Mary and Nick Freeman, you may find yourself learning a lot more than you expected. In addition to bird identification by color, features, calls, and habitat, you may learn about flora and fauna, geology, biology, and even archeology. That’s because the folks who tend to go on their trips are amazingly diverse in their backgrounds and happy to share their knowledge. On a recent four-day Owens Valley sage-grouse trip led by the Freemans, the dozen attendees included two biologists, a geologist, an archeologist, and birders and photographers of all levels, including one world birder whose life list encompasses more than 7,700 birds! The sharing of experiences, knowledge, and fun is what makes a trip with these bird guides so special. After our Owens Valley adventure, I caught up with the Freemans to learn more about their history as birders and what inspires them to keep birding.
Both Mary and Nick were bird enthusiasts from early childhood. Nick recalls his mom sharing her field guide with him when he was about five, helping him identify his first California Quail! His mom continued to foster his interests as a birder and all-around junior naturalist. Later, as a boy scout, he earned the boy scout birding merit badge. This was his first time documenting and substantiating bird sightings in a structured way. But it was the Willow Flycatcher that first sparked him to “chase” a bird. He learned their spring migration route and made a dedicated effort to “go find them” — and he did! To this day he has a soft spot for this bird. He has organized numerous identification workshops on Empidonax Flycatchers, and is always eager to break down the ID characteristics of these flycatchers when encountered!
Mary recalls growing up with pets, including birds, but she had a fascination for watching wild birds. She especially loved the song of one particular sparrow. In elementary school, while acting as book monitor for the library, she discovered a bird book that enabled her to identify her beloved song bird — a White-crowned Sparrow! That spark bird led her to identify many of the other backyard birds she and her dad had been feeding. In high school, her biology teacher, Mr. Hendrix, was a birder and gave her an application for Los Angeles Audubon. She joined and has been a member ever since. She fondly recalls her father escorting her to LA Audubon field trips as early as junior high, and on through high school. By 19, she was leading occasional trips.
Mary’s first big Audubon overnight adventure was to the Owens Valley to see the Greater Sage-Grouse. That was in 1985, and the grouse were plentiful. “We saw about 200 sage-grouse on the lek,” Mary recalls. She had no idea at the time that those birds and the beauty of the region would blossom into a 30-year Owens Valley odyssey. But In 1991, after a second trip to the area that turned out to be disappointing, she decided she was going to lead her own Owens Valley trip. By then, she had met Nick, who was LA Audubon’s field trip chairman from 1987 to 2017. He helped her set up and lead her first trip to the area. Over the years, with their growing familiarity of the area’s birding hot spots, the trip expanded to a multi-day, multi-site adventure that has thrilled many birders who ticked off coveted lifers such as Sagebrush Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, Sooty Grouse, Chukars, Mountain Quail, Gray-crowned Rosy Finches, Pinyon Jays, and more.
Through the years, the Freemans have led hundreds of LA-area bird outings, too, along with many other overnighters. Their favorite field trips include a couple to southeast Arizona, and their “owl prowls” in the southern Sierras. The Freemans began studying local owls around 2000, when they learned that data on the Northern Saw-whet Owl and other mountain owls was sorely lacking in the Los Angeles County Breeding Bird Atlas. They began familiarizing themselves with the owls, studying their habits, status, and distribution in the San Gabriel Mountains. Along the way, they became passionate about Flammulated Owls, Screech Owls, and other small owls of the area, and began leading evening “owl prowls” around the county, which they continue to this day.
As avid birders, the Freemans have visited 37 states in the U.S., plus Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, and Thailand. “We went to Thailand to see one of the most endangered species of shore-bird in the world – the Spoon-billed Sandpiper – and when we finally saw that charismatic little bird, I just sobbed because it is so endangered, and because it had been a dream of mine for so long to see one,” recalls Mary.
After an early morning of sage-grouse viewing, we headed off to see more birds of the area, from Sooty Grouse to Sage Thrashers, Sagebrush Sparrows and many more. Left to right, Dawn Garcia, leader Mary Freeman, and writer Robbie Lisa Freeman. Photo by Randy Freeman.
When asked what’s next for the Freemans in terms of birding, they list a few countries they want to explore, including Panama and Colombia. As for leading more local trips, they are considering their options. But regardless of where they go or what trips they may lead, Mary’s mission is clear: “My goal in life is to teach people about birds and inspire a love of birds.” Who could ask for a better goal?
Robbie Lisa Freeman is a public relations professional in the health and fitness industry, an avid birder and traveler, and a contributing writer to Western Tanager Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @freebird2020lf. (The writer is not related to Nick and Mary Freeman, featured in this story.)
