Amish birders use their scopes and binoculars outside of Toledo
By Kevin Williams
A flooded field on the west side of Toledo, Ohio isn't a place you'd typically find a lot of Amish people. Â But it's also not typically a place you'd spot a Curlew Sandpiper. Â The bird is rarely spotted in North America, being more common in Asia and Europe. Â You can read more here
Birding is a passionate hobby for many Amish (especially, it seems, in Holmes County, Ohio). Â Many Amish were already about an hour away at Magee Marsh in Ohio to enjoy festivities associated with the annual Biggest Week in American Birding. Â The birding grapevine is incredibly effective and fast, so once word got out about the Curlew, plenty of birders (Amish and non-Amish) flocked to Raab Road on the west side of Toledo to spot the bird. Â Rachel and I stopped there also since we were on the way to Magee Marsh anyway. Â A bunch of Amish people arrived at the same time. I had a chance to chat with one of the men there. Â He said they were from Holmes County, but were in town for the bird festival anyway. Â It's a bit jarring to see the Amish in their old-fashioned dress toting some of the more sophisticated spotting scopes money can buy, but birding really does fit into the Amish lifestyle as a great, generally low-tech, back-to-the-earth type hobby.
Hafsa
Wonderful ! I like your blog!