A Difference for Shorebirds: Interview with Esther Sumner
Esther Sumner is a local artist and photographer who volunteered on our Intermountain West Shorebird Survey this fall and spring. She stepped in as team lead for one of these surveys at the last minute and has been a dedicated contributor to this project. We’re excited to honor Esther as our July Volunteer of the Month!
Esther surveys for birds at Lee Creek. Photo by Sierra Hastings.
What has your experience been with the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey?
Volunteering with various bird counts has helped me to become a better birder, led me to form new and treasured friendships with like-minded birders, and given me a way to contribute to conservation.
When I participated in the first survey of this three-year study in August 2022, I signed up with two friends I had met through the birding community. Our survey spot, near Lee Creek, was both challenging and fun. It was such a dry year, it felt like we walked a long way on the cracked, dry lake bed before we neared the shore. We had some gulls fly overhead, and a lone snowy plover out there in what felt like a vast, cracked earth (see photo). When we arrived at our destination, the sun was just starting to rise behind us, the moon was still in the sky in front of us, and we were blasted with the beautiful soft colors of the gorgeous, massive, double rainbow in front of us and the sunrise behind us. Most importantly, there were thousands of shorebirds already busily eating, taking flight, and re-landing. We counted over 1,000 phalaropes and over 500 avocets. We spent quite a long time counting and trying to distinguish different birds from the mix, and then going home and reviewing photos to count and confirm further. This was because there were so many birds mixed in together, but also because there were some birds that look very similar to each other, especially peeps.
For the second survey of this series, in April 2023, I planned to survey in the same location with the same friends but one friend had an out-of-state birding conflict, and the other had a health emergency at the very last minute. These two friends are very active volunteers and amazing birders so at first, I was disappointed and worried when things sort of fell apart. The latter was the team lead. She was so dedicated that she had pre-scoped the site two days prior so I know it was very disappointing for her to have to drop out. The three of us had pre-scoped the site together with the previous survey. I was also a little terrified when she realized she would not be able to lead the survey because that meant that I was the new lead surveyor. However, I met my new partner the morning of, and we really clicked! We were both so delighted to be out in that beautiful area on the southern end of the Great Salt Lake, admiring the view, and listening to and watching the birds.
We also had a very different survey experience than my previous time out there. The water levels were much higher and there were not nearly as many shorebirds at the same spot yet. In fact, there were no phalaropes and less than a dozen avocets. We saw a gorgeous group of willets immediately but overall, rather than having to play "Where is Waldo" with thousands of birds, we were instead walking up and down our observation area, scanning for any of the sparse birds we might have missed. After an hour, we added a little western sandpiper to our list. It was just a little rock-like smudge in the distance. It had likely been there all along but was so hard to pick out in the distance, along the shore. A bit later, a group of 5 sanderlings flew past so quickly we couldn't get a good look or photos. Luckily, they briefly landed, likely in the next observers' section, then turned around and flew back past us, giving us just enough time to confidently photograph and ID them. We saw other shorebirds, too, but those two were particularly satisfying because we really dug in to find them. It was such a beautiful, rewarding morning with such great company.
Esther is a talented artist and photographer.
What do you love most about birds, and what originally drew you to them?
I have had several significant moments with birds. When I was a teenager, what I now think was a snowy egret landed on the veranda right outside my upstairs bedroom window in San Jose. It was probably 10-15 feet away at eye level with me. It stood on one leg, gazing at our yard (which is an unplanned bird's paradise with a variety of plants and back then, water features). It probably stayed for less than a minute before flying away. I never forgot that incredible moment. It was many, many years before I came that close to a snowy egret again (again, by accident).
What does conservation mean to you?
For me, a lot of conservation is about education. I've seen evidence of people stressing out upset parent birds in nests or stressing out rare birds that are getting flushed just to get footage; people not understanding why finches at feeders have weeping, bulging eyes (a contagious eye disease, i.e., wash your feeders); or people trying to wake up nocturnal owls in the morning. We all make mistakes, and I suspect the vast majority of these people love birds and are not deliberately hurting them. Volunteer opportunities and self-education have helped me to learn and be smarter about how I can enjoy birds while also contributing to their well-being. There are some easy things we can do at home, too, like changing the focus of our yards to native plants that support native birds. (There are several nurseries in the Salt Lake area that have native plant sections.)
What do Great Salt Lake and shorebirds mean to you?
I'm so proud to have one of the major stopping points in the United States for shorebirds right in our own state. To me, the Great Salt Lake is a beautiful place but it's also a very big canary in a very big coal mine. The shorebird survey is an important indicator of how our environment is being affected and to help tell that story to a bigger audience.
Avocet at Great Salt Lake. Photo by Esther Sumner.
Great Salt Lake wetlands the morning of a survey. Photo by Esther Sumner.
Do you think one person can make a difference for wildlife conservation?
Absolutely. My dad took our family hiking and camping along the northwest coast every summer of my youth. I remember going to ranger campfires and learning about John Muir and Muir's love for wild places. As an adult, I read "Where the Crawdads Sing," by Delia Owens. While it's a fictional story, the main character's connection with and love of birds is a beautiful thread throughout the book. My dad, the camp ranger, John Muir, and Delia Owens are some immediate examples that came to mind of individuals that personally impacted my love and appreciation for protecting wildlife even if it might have been through indirect means. I think we can all do this with people around us.
What would you say to those considering volunteering for wildlife conservation?
Don't worry if you don't know anyone. Just find opportunities and sign up. I have met so many cool people and made treasured new friendships just by jumping in. Those friends have pointed out additional volunteer opportunities that I might have missed.
Esther surveys for birds with the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey. Photo courtesy Esther Sumner.
See more of Esther’s photography and paintings on Instagram at @iliketocreatestuff. Thank you so much, Esther!
Article by Sarah Woodbury.