Bird Watcher Stumbles Upon Million-Dollar Treasure

I realized something during the Christmas holiday: I'm turning into a bird watcher. I've had feeders in front of my house for a few years, but never actually paid that much attention to the birds themselves. Then one day last week, I said to my wife, "I might look into getting a camera with a telephoto lens so I can take pictures of these birds." I think that may be a symptom of birding.

There may be other benefits to walking in nature and looking at birds. A few months ago, one birder in England stumbled upon a million-dollar treasure. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, discovered a cache of ancient Celtic coins while tracking a dogfight between a buzzard and a pair of magpies one autumn evening in a rural area.

The lucky birder told Treasure Hunting magazine that after watching the quarreling birds in a farm field, he looked down and spotted something in the plowed soil. He didn't think it was anything until he felt how thick the objects were. According to the New York Post, the gold medallions date back over 2,000 years to the time when the Celtic queen Boudicca was at war with Rome. Appraisers estimate the coins to be worth £845,000, or about $1,144,000. Not bad for a walk in the country.