The Bird Protector (Daily Break‪)‬

She packs her Toyota Highlander with two or three bags of food and water, a sack of fruit to share, a jacket, a hat and a cane. Sometimes there's a walker. There are always two field guides (one without a cover), spotting scopes on tripods and a pair of Swarovski binoculars because Ruth Beck doesn't want to miss anything. The seats are filled with colleagues, friends or interns. One of them keeps the tally of birds encountered because Beck drives. She drives from her home in New Kent County to Portsmouth's Craney Island to count birds and bird nests and baby birds, at least once a week year-round, and twice a week during spring and fall migration and at least three times a week during nesting season.