Nebraskaland

36 Nebraskaland • April 2025 in 2022. They were so impressed with the boys' skills and interest that they each gave them one of their old cameras. Andi was humbled and tried to pay the women, who refused to take anything. "It was like they gave them a quarter for a gumball," Andi said. Childers said she and Edwards had both recently upgraded their cameras. "I thought, 'Oh, man. I bet they'd love to have cameras,' too because I knew they were big birders. I saw their names on eBird all the time," Childers said. "It's no big deal. They just came off as really kind, respectful lovers of nature, and I knew they loved birds. They are such good kids, and they do know their stuff ." The cameras opened a new world of birding, Eli said, allowing him to document what he's seen and do research at home to help identify birds. "It's really useful if you see something you don't quite know what it is and could be rare for the area," he said. He's also now able to post photos to accompany his sightings on eBird. There had been some who doubted the sightings the boys reported, simply because of their age. "I think a lot of the local birders trust my sightings more than they used to. But still, I'm far from being an expert, and I still make mistakes all the time, but it's always good to have a little proof." Now Childers and Edwards text the Webers whenever they make a trip east to go birding. The family has gotten to know many other birders from the Omaha area as well. "We always run into somebody we know, and they always know who the boys are," Andi said. "Everyone is just very kind and welcoming to them in the local birding community." They've stayed in touch with the Brogies, too, and even called Ed when they were visiting Corey's parents in Wisner on Mother's Day in 2022 and spotted a cerulean warbler. They kept eyes on the bird, a rare sighting in Nebraska, until Brogie could make the drive from Ponca. Ed Brogie said he doesn't see many children who get their start in birding as young as the Webers did, and even fewer who stick with it. "It's a pretty good deal that a lot of older birders kind of gave them some kudos, so to speak, and boosted their interest," he said. "They still have good eyesight — they're good at spotting things — and good hearing. And they're very enthusiastic, so I really enjoy those kids." Eli, now age 18, and Silas, 16, both play baseball for Omaha Central High School, so schedules are full in the spring, leaving Sunday as the day the family often goes birding. They have more time in the fall when songbirds are heading south. In the winter Eli will be looking for horned larks, waterfowl or "any random rarity that shows up," he said. Silas's interest in birds has waned as he focused more on baseball. Not Eli, who is preparing to study wildlife in college later this year and hopes to someday have a career involving birds. He received a scholarship to attend the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union conference in McCook last fall. Andi went, too, and they birded their way home across southern Nebraska, adding species to their lists. Eli's list has grown to 334 species, more than half of what is in the Bird Songs Bible, with 262 in Nebraska. Last summer, Eli attended an American Birding Association Eli photographed this scissor-tailed fl ycatcher in 2024 near Flanagan Lake in Omaha. ELI WEBER Eli followed a report on eBird of a hooded warbler at Towl Park in Omaha in 2024 and captured this photo. ELI WEBER

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