When people often think about birders, they may not picture people like Joe Zeno. The 18-year-old Terra Linda High School and the School of Environmental Leadership senior started photographing birds in Marin when he was just 12 years old.
Known affectionally around the area as “the bird guy,” the Marinwood resident has spent the last few years photographing and identifying birds in the county and beyond, leading bird walks for the Marin Audubon Society, as well as showcasing his bird discoveries on Instagram as @joebirding and Flickr, which has garnered more than 360,000 views.
A solo exhibit of his bird photography, “Finding a Rare Bird,” will be shown from June 2 to 11 at the Marin Art and Garden Center.
Q How did you begin?
A In sixth grade I had a science teacher who taught a unit on birds, and our challenge was to find 30 different bird species in the month of April. While doing that, I made some friends that got really into it and it opened a new door of environmental awareness for me. Before you hear a lot of birds singing in a forest and you can’t pick apart which is which, but once you do, it makes the experience when you are outside that much more valuable because you know what’s going on. I joined a group of other young birders that helped further my passion and further my talent in identifying birds, the California Young Birders’ Club. We took trips around California looking for different species of birds in different habitats. We went to the Salton Sea in high heat to find a rare Eurasian shorebird. Birding has brought me to places I would have never gone to before and I am really grateful for that.
Q Your exhibit is called “Finding a Rare Bird.” Is that a priority for you?
A Some of my favorite birds are not the rarest of birds, but finding a rare bird is one of the best feelings you can get from birding.
Q How long have you waited for a bird?
A I took a trip to southeast Arizona a couple years ago and there was a rare bird called a white-eared hummingbird reported at hummingbird feeders at Miller Canyon. I went with friends and we sat at the hummingbird feeders and waited for like five hours with no luck and came back the next morning. I waited another three hours and I got up to go look for the bird at a different spot and my friends stayed back and as I got up and walked down the stairs, the bird flew in for them and they were able to see it super close. I was disappointed I wasn’t able to see it, so I went back and waited for another hour while they looked for other birds and eventually I was able to see it. It was worth it. It was one of the largest grinds I’ve had to do to get a shot of one bird.
Q What is your unique style?
A I always try to capture the bird with a little bit of personality or have it with an interesting background, a lot of time that means crouching down to get to eye level with the bird or changing your position to have different lighting. I try to make my photos more dynamic. At the same time, making sure the bird is comfortable. One of my favorite parts of photography is being able to capture a cool moment I have with the bird.
Q How has this passion shaped you?
A I think this passion has definitely contributed a lot to who I am as a person, because I found a community that I felt I belonged in and I was able to spread my passion with other people, which really opened up a lot of opportunities for me. My hope with things like the gallery show is to be able to share these birds with other people and teach them about why they are important to protect. My goal is to support conservation by teaching people about what there is to conserve, and I am hoping that a lot of people will become more interested in the natural beauty of Marin County. I am studying wildlife, fishing and conservation at UC Davis in the fall to pursue a career in conservation as well. Birds are one of the best indicators of the health of our environment as a whole.
