by David Escobar
The early morning walk around John Brown Farm in the Adirondacks began with silence. As a faint call drifted from high in the trees, about a dozen people tilted their heads upward, scanning the bright green canopy for movement.
Their guide, Giselle Pemberton, listened for a moment before opening the Merlin bird identification app on her phone. The answer appeared almost instantly: Magnolia Warbler.
“They hide very well within these leaves,” Pemberton said.
The small songbird’s yellow-and-black feathers blend easily into the fresh spring foliage, making it much easier to hear than to see.
For Pemberton, the challenge is part of the appeal.
Originally from Trinidad and now living in Brooklyn, she discovered birding almost by accident while looking for something to do in New York City. A guided walk through Prospect Park introduced her to a world she hadn’t noticed before.
“I got hooked,” she said.
Nowadays, Pemberton leads her own bird walks through the New York City Birding Alliance, helping newcomers learn about the birds that share their neighborhoods.
“That’s one of the great things about birding,” she said. “You get to know the birds that are around you all the time. You get to know what they sound like. And then from there, that’s the start of a lifelong birder.”
Pemberton was one of several leaders guiding participants during a recent Black Birders Week event in Lake Placid.
Hear the full story on North Country Public Radio.