Birding Chic with Nathanael Swecker
By Carla Miller
If the weather seems miserable and you see Nathanael out birding, then not to worry, he has a system for dealing with it. His three dimensional model of acceptable birding weather is based on wind, temperature, and precipitation (which he plans to put on an x, y, z axis after he completes Calculus 3!) He can deal with TWO variables at a time, but not three! If there is rain & wind, he can dress for that; rain and cold? Yup; cold and wind, all good. But if it’s all three variables, “Why am I here?” is his mantra.
On this winter Wednesday at Nisqually, he fought off wind and cold temperatures with complimentary black and khaki green outerwear with accents of gray, including his Merrill boots and fingerless mittens, a must for many an avid eBirder. Nathanael also realized his biking pants could double as birding pants as they are windproof. Speaking of doubling up, he wears two pairs of socks, one with holes in the toes (but they take care of his ankles), and the other pair takes care of his toes.
His Ushanka Russian hat is the best purchase he ever made, and he has been wearing it for years. The rabbit fur helps with warmth, and underneath the hat his wool balaclava seals out the wind. Keep your eye out for Nathanael if it’s rainy and windy, or windy and cold, or rainy and cold… but not all three.
Photo Credit: Nathanael Swecker, by Carla Miller.
