Parking Lot Lifers

I started keeping a bird species life list ten years ago. On it, I note the date and place where I first saw a bird of a specific species, known to birders as a lifer. Of course, I don’t actually know or remember when I saw common birds that I’ve been seeing since I was a kid. But I do remember some special sightings because of the remarkable setting or the effort involved. 

Unfortunately, not all the memories are pretty ones. Lifers don’t always happen in pristine wilderness or wild habitat. To date, five of my lifers have happened in parking lots. On our our current road trip, I finally got to see a Chihuahuan raven behind a gas station, and a band-tailed pigeon on a street. 

I love getting to see birds in urban settings; it gives me hope that nature is going to survive our crazy industrial world. But I confess I do not relish writing “gas station” as the location for a sighting. “National park” or “wilderness area” just feels better.

I’ve written a song parody about my experience. I kept thinking “parking lot lifer” and hearing the tune to “Paperback Writer.”

Parking Lot Lifer by Kit Dunsmore
(to the tune of “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles)

Parking lot lifer, parking lot lifer
The Chihuahuan raven I had never seen
Though I’d scoured the south; I was really keen
Then I heard a croak from a gas station sign
And I craned my neck
That’s how I got a parking lot lifer
Parking lot lifer

Two extended visits to Hawaiian lands
But endangered Nēnēs I could not command
We drove for miles, not a goose in sight,
Till we chose to stop
And it became a parking lot lifer
Parking lot lifer

The band-tailed pigeon should be an easy one
But they were no where near where we had gone
The only pigeons were the classic ones
Till we stopped the car
And we got another parking lot lifer
Parking lot lifer

To find new birds you can drive for miles
You can hike and toil and use your wiles
You can get up early and stay up late
Or just stop for gas
And get yourself a parking lot lifer
Parking lot lifer