I met a Canadian birder many winters ago in Texas 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 birder 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 has led to some interesting stories and some interesting people.
I met a Canadian birder many winters ago in Texas who had an interesting side hobby: she collected birding vanity license plates. This is the one which got me started.
The vanity plate I got for my Ford Truck
This adorned my Airstream Sprinter for a few years.
Fred and Chris birded under the name of Team Pipit, and they were a great team.
This plate belongs to Pat Folsom, of Waitsfield, VT — a friend of mine who is a great birder
A Twitter friend, @Birder_Katie, sent me a photo of her boss’s license plate. It’s a cool plate on a cool car.
Ginny from upstate NY told me that she wanted a Loon plate so she used Gavia, the genus to which loons belong.
This plate is one that I spotted in a parking lot in Texas but never met the owner.
“Father Bird” was a well-known Texas birder, environmentalist, spokesperson, and articulate person of faith. I never met him in person.
I saw this at the county park and told 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.
The owner of this plate was a former Vietnam era chopper pilot so besides birding, we had some things in common.
This one (with a bonus Red Sox frame) was from next door camping neighbors in Texas, Ray and Linda. Ray is a former Vermonter from Wilmington.
I met the next birder at Falcon State Park and he’s definitely a “twitcher,” one who chases birds. Owner of a new Airstream which was packed with collectables of all sorts, he was out bright and early and home late.
These “empty nesters” were looking forward to retirement and more birding.
The project slid as I started to do less traveling — until earlier this spring (2020). 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 got underway for this period of waiting. I hope to start up my collecting again this summer. Here are the images Don sent me to in trade.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant
I was wondering why I didn't recognize this acronym -- it is for Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
Photo courtesy of Don Chalfant.
How about helping out? Do you have an interesting birder license 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.
