Category Archives: License Plates

Birder License Plates

Many winters ago in Texas I met a Canadian birder who had an interesting side hobby: she collected birding vanity license plates. So for a while, one of the things I did as I traveled the country was to keep an eye open for vanity license plates and snap a photo of each one. I tried to get a little info on the owner but sometimes the vehicle was unoccupied. It did led to some interesting stories and some interesting people.

However, the project slid as I started to do less traveling — until a couple of weeks ago. In the midst of the Covid-19 homestay I got an email from a Michigan birder who is an avid collector of license plate images. He suggested that we trade a few of his for a few of mine. Thus, another initiative gets underway for this period of waiting. I arranged my images into a gallery and hope to start up my collecting again this summer. Here is the image Don sent me to pique my interest.

photo courtesy of Don Chalfant

Here’s what Don told me about the plate — “My own SCREECH is quite popular, as it raises questions from non-birders. One man from Maine asked me about it, and asked if I was from Newfoundland. I asked why he might think so, and he responded that screech is the name of a local moonshine made in Newfoundland! Certainly not what I had intended.”

I’m going to put up Don’s images in a gallery soon. In the meantime, do you have an interesting plate or know someone who does?  Why not take your phone a grab a photo of it and send it to me:  vtbirder at gmail.com.

Ah Vanity, Thy Name is: Goshawk

For several years I have been taking photographs of birder license plates, starting with a couple here in Vermont. I have written about birder plates in a number of blog posts and they have a spot of their own on the web site. It got me thinking of what would I choose for a name if I decided to get one — and during our last SW trip, I started a little list of seven-word birder-related words — and then lost the list. A few months ago, I began again, hampered by the fact that the state does not have, to my searching, an online listing of taken names.

I’m not quite sure why, but I settled on Goshawk as my first choice. The pilot in me likes the soaring, hunting nature of hawks (Buzzards aka Turkey Vultures also are wonderful soarers but ….) and I’ve not yet seen a Northern Goshawk in my travels — so I submitted it. I figured I’d see a Goshawk every time I went birding with the truck and perhaps that would be the charm.

Plate2W

So I didn’t know until the plates arrived yesterday whether I had gotten my choice. I’m a little undecided; I’m really not a vanity plate guy. The only one I’ve ever had was very prized — CFI — for certificated flight instructor back in the ’70’s.

We’ll give this a try for a year and see how it feels — and if it brings me luck. Plus, it gives me another plate photo for my collection. Good birding.

Collector’s Items

Just before I left the lower Valley, I found this license plate at the [Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park](http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/bentsen-rio-grande-valley). I did not find the owner but thought it was a good birder plate.

The other day, here at [Falcon State Park](http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/falcon), I came across this one while walking the dog. John, the owner, is an old single guy traveling nearly full-time in a 2005 Airstream and a serious birder.

For you non-birders, twitchers are committed bird-watchers who travel long distances to see a new species just to add a species their “lifelist”, “year list” or other lists. (I generally do not include myself in that category but a really rare bird …..)

John is not only a chaser, he’s a collector. I should have figured this from the back of his vehicle which had probably fifty stickers – non political – all birding places and events he’d been to. Then, while visiting with him, I learned of his liking for old postcards, old photos and the like. He invited me into the trailer for a look and it was indescribable: hundreds of cloth patches from everywhere, a stuffed dog, all sorts of, to me, crap. I can see why he travels alone.

John collects old license plates as well and has a 1972 Wyoming plate on the front of his truck. He switches them out periodically since PA, like many states, only requires a rear plate.

To each his own. I think I’ll stick to electronic images of license plates. And continue to avoid flea markets and lawn sales.

Aluminum Envy – A Vintage Airstream Moterhome

Mary noticed that the shiny Airstream as we drove down our loop at the state park, and I nearly hit a post gawking at it. Not only was it an antique, it was self-propelled and towing a Jeep. Here’s what we saw:

I walked Penny past it yesterday morning and later at our rig a voice asked, “Did you polish that yourself?” Steve and Ann were out for a walk so, after asking, we heard some of the story of the vintage Airstream.

Steve told me that he bought the 28 foot unit for $5,000 and it was a wreck. “The windshield was so cracked and crazed that I had to drive it home with my head out the window,” he said demonstrating the technique. “It leaked so much gas that I had to carry gas cans and stop and fill it every few miles. people thought I was crazy.” His partner Ann just grinned and certainly didn’t disagree.

It went into his garage and didn’t emerge for four and a half years, as he worked on it in his spare time. By then, he’d replaced the engine and complete drivetrain (did I mention that he was a GM mechanic?), replaced the dashboard and much of the interior, and spent neTly five months polishing it.

I have had enough experience stripping and polishing an Airstream that I could relate to that. The rest of the work is well beyond my ability or life expectancy.

To top it of, he even has a cool license plate.

And is an angler and free spirit as reflected on his spare tire cover:

Airstream are rather rare out here – we often are the only one in a park. To have one arrive that is so unique and beautiful is a treat. Happy “stremin.”

Father Bird

Yesterday morning, Mary and I ( and our bird dog) were at Estero Grande Llano State Park to check out some of the wonderful array of birds there – it was Mary’s first visit. As is my custom, I did a quick scan of the parking lot for birder license plates and found this interesting one.

We wondered for a moment about it (not realizing it belonged to one of the pillars of Valley birding) and went on to a great couple of hours with the birds, and a bellowing male alligator, before heading home.

Last evening, I started reading a book, Heralds of Spring in Texas, that I had borrowed from the RV park’s library.
I was just reading the Preface skimming the acknowledgements when I saw, "Father Tom Pincinellli, a Catholic priest with a deep interest in birds of the Rio Grande Valley and in helping other birders;" and I was on to Google to see if this might be the owner.

Three pages of articles flashed up and it was obvious that a.k.a. "Father Bird" had been at Estero as well. He’s a well-known birder, environmentalist, spokesperson, and articulate person of faith and I think we passed him on the trail, but of course, did not know him. From all that I have read, he would (will) be a wonderful guy to talk with. Mary, as a retired Episcopal priest would have a lot in common while I, a "learning" birder, would have a lot of questions.

Here’s a snip from one article describing his leadership role in the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival:

That expert would be Tom Pincelli, a Catholic priest who has been a fixture in RGV birding community since arriving in south Texas in 1980. In birding circles, all you need to say is "Father Tom" or "Father Bird," and many in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond will know exactly who you are talking about. Pincell is a Connecticut native, who started birding in 1972. By the time the church offered him a congregation in Harlingen in 1980, he was well acquainted with the special birding opportunities in south Texas. For a birding priest, this assignment must have been like winning the lottery. Ever since, Father Tom has tirelessly promoted birding and bird habitat conservation in the Valley. When the festival organizers came calling, he was arguably the region’s most well-known birder, thus his involvement brought the fledgling event instant credibility.

Here is a short interview with him.

So, while we are heading westward in a few days, I’m sure that we will try to connect by email now, and in person on a future visit. I’ll also be more aggressive in tracking down the owner’s of birding plates – right then. As this exercise taught me, there are a lot of interesting people driving vehicles with avian vanity plates. Do you know any?

More Birding License Plates

A few years ago, I started collecting photos of birding license plates after One of our Canadian friends mentioned that had started a collection. So their plate, shown here, was my first one.

We are in prime vanity plate territory so this week I’ve gathered a few more including this one (with a bonus Red Sox frame) from our next door neighbors, Ray and Linda. Ray is a former Vermonter from Wilmington.

The owner of this plate was a former Vietnam era chopper pilot so besides birding, we had some things in common.

I saw this last one at the county park yesterday afternoon, telling the owner that she had to be a hardcore birder with a plate like that. Empids are flycatchers that look alike and are virtually impossible to identify if they are not singing. They drive most birders a little nuts when it’s not breeding season.

As I wrote this, I realized that I don’t have the iconic Vermont plate, the one that everyone down here mentions when they see my green tags. It is Fred and Chris Pratt’s "Pipit" which I see on the backroads of Vermont and just a day ago here. In Vermont the plate is often muddy from their outings but I need to track it down before we leave for my license plate life list.

Have you got one? Send an image to me by email and I’ll add to the collection.

Another Birder License Plate

A Twitter friend, @Birder_Katie, sent me a photo of her boss’s license plate.  It’s a cool one.

A cool birder plate on a cool car.

You can see some others here.  Do you have a photo of a birding plate?  Send it and we’ll post it.

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