By Jonah Eckels-Galbreath
Technical Ecstasy (definition)
The state of mind a birder reaches when they get drop-dead looks at a bird that typically makes its presence scarce.
A Czech / Bohemian Pilsner brewed by Second Shift Brewery that has a “medium bodied mouth feel that produces a soft crackery maltiness, followed by spicy slightly grassy notes.”
Example Sentence: Participants on this fall’s The Birds and the Beer achieved technical ecstasy when they spotted many amazing birds, and later they received a free Technical Ecstasy (if they so desired) at Second Shift Brewery.
The Birds and the Beer
Hosted every spring and fall (and with rumors of a winter edition in the works), The Birds and the Beer has quickly become a fan favorite. Each migration season, birders gather at Tower Grove Park—one of the city’s premier birding locales—for a morning of birding followed by an afternoon of beverages at a local brewery. The brainchild of Matt “The Younger” Rowe, this birding event with benefits operates under the simple promise of providing participants with at least “one good bird and one good beer.” And this fall’s batch of initiates received more than they signed-up for.
It all started on a late September Saturday morning near the entrance to Gaddy Garden. Thirty or so gathered around Matt; who held court, while his co-hosts Tara Hohman and the author passed out binoculars. After a quick introduction, the group divided themselves up between the three guides—our biannual form of a popularity contest. Despite having the smallest group, my crew included some newcomers and a few familiar faces—who deserve a special shout out, so here’s a sincere thank you to Katie and Mike, and Grace and Logan for picking me once again.
After a quick phoebe, we set off. Fleeting looks at a treetop of silent warblers and an unassuming Least Flycatcher kicked things off in typical fall migration fashion. The hardest part of guiding a fall birding trip, you see, is always the resounding silence of the many migrants; no lovely singing voices this time of year. Plus every falling leaf and every hawk-shaped butterfly sow further confusion and frustration. However, our luck changed once we found ourselves at the Gaddy Garden Bubbler.
I will admit, I have never had much success at this prominent and well-known water feature. The small waterfall and accompanying pool are said to attract migrants looking for a drink or a bath, and I have seen many a standout photo from this site of warblers at eye level or of skulking birds out in the open. Yet, I have always failed to replicate their success for my BaB crew—at least until the fall 2026.
For at the bubbler, we found ourselves mere feet from a roving flock of migrants. In the bubbler bushes we spotted three skulking thrushes—Swainson’s, Wood, and Gray-cheeked. Later, Matt’s group would spot a Veery, making for quite the thrushy day. An acrobatic Red-eyed Vireo tight-roped across the hempen barrier meant to prevent humans from taking a dip. Meanwhile, a Halloween-colored American Redstart energetically bounced around, fanning its black and yellow tail every chance it got. Then, as if summoned from the ether, a bright, yellow and gray, male Golden-winged Warbler stepped out of the shadows and graced us all with its radiant presence. Only thirty minutes in and our merry crew had already achieved technical ecstasy.
You can’t ask for better looks at a Golden-winged Warbler! Photo Courtesy of Katie Balella.
From our peak we continued, and things kept coming up Team Golden-winged. With intel from the other groups, we found another mixed flock of migrants moving in the shadows of a small grove of towering cypresses. Kinglets, the country music twins—Nashville and Tennessee Warblers—and a Blue-headed Vireo all made an appearance. Then our friend from Washington, who was just passing through and decided to join, pointed out a large flycatcher with a tuxedo vest perched atop a bare branch. This find turned out to be an Olive-sided Flycatcher—one of my personal favorites. Although this one was silent, I could imagine them urging us on with their “quick three beer” call. And eventually, after a quick chase of a stunning adult Red-shouldered Hawk, we made our way back to the garden and then to our second form of technical ecstasy.
The Olive-sided Flycatcher would make a worthy mascot for The Birds and the Beers with its “quick three beers call.” Photo Courtesy of Kyle Charlier.
Our party soon reconvened for our guaranteed “good beer” at Second Shift Brewery. As we sipped our beverages, Technical Ecstasy or otherwise, we not only swapped tales of good birds, but caught up with old friends, made connections with new ones, and brainstormed the best bird and beer pairings—a Cedar Waxwing and a Cider seemed the most appropriate. And if I’m being honest, the second half of the Birds and the Beer—the chance to enjoy fellowship with like-minded birding friends—may be my favorite part of these events.
So if you’re looking for some technical ecstasy of your own, keep an eye on the St. Louis Audubon Society’s calendar, or subscribe to this blog, where we’ll break the news if we finally decide to go through with a winter edition of The Birds and the Beer!
Until then Prost!
Our merry band in front of a magical grove of cypresses.
