Avian Adventures: Passion, Technology Feed The World Of Rare Bird Chasing

Nicholas Lund stood in a small side yard one early morning, surrounded by a crowd of people. Some were in business suits, just stopping by before work.

He watched as others commuted by, probably unsure of what they were seeing: a silent mob of people holding large cameras, just waiting.

Standing in a small space next to someone's home, those people were putting off life for a morning. But it was a bird's own displacement that had called them all together.

This is happening across the world: People like Lund feel a rush of adrenaline after getting alerts via emails and websites with the names of birds that are not where they're supposed to be.

And then it's time to act. These enthusiasts get in their cars, sometimes driving several hours to reach