Get a Hobby! Birdwatching
Author: Kyla Sterling, July 2017
Greetings, denizens of Tar Valon! After a long hiatus, this reporter is pleased to present a shiny new "Get A Hobby!" article! This month, I interviewed Resident Citizen Blu al'Eloquene about her hobby - birdwatching - and learned a lot in the process!
So to start off, can you give a basic summary of birdwatching - what people might picture vs. what you actually do, for example? I know I've seen what I'm sure are exaggerations in the media - when you see an obsessive birdwatcher dressing up as a bird or a tree and doing elaborate mating dances for comedy...
Birdwatching (also known as birding) is a hobby with little requirement other than a fascination and appreciation of birds. The goal of birdwatching is not only to see but also be able to identify as many birds as you can--keeping a list (sometimes offered in the backs of field guides with boxes to check) is optional. Some folks are backyard birders, who set up feeders and watch various birds come and go through their window, and others might be nature photographers--who have lots of equipment and travel to specific places at specific times to observe rarer sightings of birds. In general, birdwatching is a hobby on par with the relaxation of fishing but the attention to detail and classification of botany. It is a hobby that can be as casual or as invested as you deem fit--you can go out to the woods in the morning specifically to spot birds, or you can birdwatch as you walk through the parking lot to go shopping. The beauty of it is that birds are everywhere!
A note of what birdwatching is NOT: You will never see a birder feeding birds bread or human food of any variety. This encourages domesticity of wild birds, creates an imbalance in the local ecology by overstaying, and is obviously detrimental for the health of birds and their natural diet and hunting abilities.
Ooh, that's good to know! DON'T feed the birds, folks! So now you've got me looking out my windows and staring at the birds... how long have people been doing this? Any ideas how long birdwatching as a hobby has been a "thing?"
Though birds have a long standing symbolic significance across cultures going back into ancient times, my own knowledge about birdwatching in the formal sense is limited to its establishment in America. It started with a Frenchman named James Audubon, after which the Audubon Society is named. Ironically, though this organization is dedicated to the conservation of birds, Audubon was a notorious hunter of birds and surely killed at least tens of thousands in his lifetime. Still, he is credited as the first person to truly study birds to a level in which their distinct identifying features and movement were reflected in their depiction on paper and in art. Audubon would watch their behavior in the wild and fashion the birds that he'd slain in such a way to draw them proportionately and life-like. Hundreds of years later, his drawings are still a dominant resource for ornithologists and birdwatchers alike. In the Americas, birdwatching established itself as a bona fide hobby throughout the 20th century as local birding clubs began popping up. These groups are easy to find in your area either by contacting local conservation organizations or doing a quick google search.
One of the libraries I worked in was lucky enough to have an Audubon book - he really did some beautiful work! What made you get started with birdwatching? And how long have you been doing it?
I started birdwatching in my backyard when I was gifted some second-hand binoculars with a zoom feature. I was living along the southern Appalachian chain at that time, an area which experiences a wide variety of colorful songbirds and migratory species, and I decided to learn how to use my new binoculars by sitting in my backyard and focusing on birds that came by.
You say you were gifted binoculars - is it expensive to start birdwatching if you have to buy your own equipment? Does it get more expensive the more into it you get? Will you need to invest in higher quality binoculars and other gadgets?
Getting into birdwatching is not expensive, but it can be an investment depending on how thoroughly one wishes to become involved. The very basic tools that I would recommend to get started are binoculars (if you don't have some lying around, decent binoculars generally start at $15), and a bird field guide either for your continent or region (anywhere from $5-$35 or you can loan them for free from the library). Additionally, it's helpful to have a resource to audio samples of birdcalls (like CDs or access to YouTube) so that you can begin to familiarize yourself with common calls, and know what kind of bird that you are keeping an eye out for. Other supplementary items include a birdcall tool, a camera, tripod and fancy long-distance lens, fold-up seat, bird feeders and bird feed, or membership to a local birding society. The library is an invaluable resource to begin studying about bird anatomy and distinct identifying features, as well as becoming familiar with what regions various species frequent and subsequently your likelihood of spotting them or making a correct ID.
You know me - I'm always a fan of encouraging the use of your local library! I'm glad to know that it can be a valuable resource for this hobby! So if another Tower member wanted to start birdwatching, is it as simple as just going outside, or is there more to know? What are some resources you'd recommend? Do most places have local clubs/societies? Is it worth joining them?
Birdwatching is an activity that you can do entirely on your own, or with company. It is something that you can either go out of your way to do (like camping for a weekend or going to a nearby pond in the morning), or do throughout your day (like looking at the tree from your office window, or while getting the mail from your mailbox). It starts with learning more about the the birds of your region and becoming familiar with their shapes and sounds--you can do this simply by immersing yourself in nature or going to the bookstore or library and pouring over the field guides. At first it may be easier simply to identify the bird family when you're out spotting--for instance, knowing the features of a shorebird from a distance without necessarily identifying the specific species. Good places to begin birdwatching are parks and places where there is water. Open fields and places with fences or trees to perch are also promising. The best times of day for birding are at sunrise or before dusk (the primary times in which birds feed) but of course any time is a good time!
I have not yet joined any clubs myself, so I cannot advise upon the worthiness of joining them, but I have spoken to a couple of different conservationists who run local birding walks (generally in the early morning as this is the best time for spotting birds) and undoubtedly participating in these sorts of events is a great hands-on way to become acquainted with spotting birds and getting an educational 101 on the birds in your area.
It sounds like it's a great hobby for a wide range of people - and so easy to start, as well as dedicate as much or little time as you're able! Is there anything else you think people should know?
Birdwatching is a hobby that informs the birder about the importance of valuing and preserving our unique local ecological environments, as well as how we can look to birds to understand the effects of our impact on it. Being primarily migratory in nature and acutely sensitive to changes of weather among other things, noticing the differences in their patterns, population, and territory is a good indication to whether or not our society is functioning in the best interest and longevity of the land on which we live. Not to get super self-righteous, haha, but birdwatching is indeed a hobby that has a positive impact and educational value beyond the scope of general enjoyment of the activity, and that is why it is easy to say that it is a lifetime passion and hobby for me.
I had never thought of birdwatching in relation to environmental concerns and education, but you're right - it's a great gateway! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with our readers!!
Remember, readers - the "Get A Hobby!" series can only continue as long as people like Blu are willing to share their passions with us! Do you have a cool hobby? Please let Kyla Sterling know, and you could find yourself featured in a future article!
