#Microblog Monday 244: Fantasy Birding
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I just learned that fantasy birding is a thing. As someone who wants to be a birdwatcher but is incapable of convincing herself to wake up early to go birding, I am fascinated. Oh, and I get a little nauseated looking at the world through binoculars. But I really want to be a birder and like to play games. This is how it works:
Using eBird, a citizen-science database run by Cornell University where birders log their sightings, players select single locations on a map each day, and get credit for a bird if a real-life birder spots that species within a 10-kilometer radius that day.
Sign me up. As in, I just signed up for an eBird account. Now to use it.
What are you trying to get yourself motivated to start?
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8 comments
So just first about birds- at North Stradbroke Island (we call it “Straddie”) we have these noisy friar birds at the house we stay in for holidaying (http://www.australianbushbirds.info/infp/philemon_corniculatus.html) they are cute and kind of ugly little characters and have a very particular song and I like to think it’s the theme song of Straddie. Wish I could depict it in words, but no…! There is so much birdlife there it makes me understand a person’s instinct to go birding! We often have kookaburras and butcher birds coming to pay a visit when we eat outside on the deck, and we see sea eagles circling and can visit their nest that they made in a mobile phone tower a little walk up the road.
So anyways, I’ve been trying to get a bit more into meditating. I do ok with it, but from what I hear, it sounds like this should probably be an everyday practice and I’m certainly not there!
Ebirding sounds fascinating!
I’m trying to incorporate one more cleaning practice daily as a routine into my life. Husband and I finally managed to get into a daily habit of making our bed, which I am very proud of and it really is wonderful to get into a made bed at the end of the day! I think my next one is going to be swishing/cleaning one toilet per day (about a 3 minute task, but one I tend to put off).
Huh, interesting idea — I like that it’s like vicarious birding. Do they tell you all about the birds that were spotted? I feel like a surefire sign that I’m getting older is that I really enjoy watching the birds out my windows (and now I can see so many more than at the older house, and there were a lot of birds there, too!). I don’t get up early though. I like the idea of Fantasy Birding so much more than say, Fantasy Football.
Oh, wow, that sounds pretty awesome for someone who likes birds! While I wouldn’t be in to that necessarily, it sounds pretty fun. I’m overwhelmed by the number of “things” I’m trying to start. The focus now is diving deeper into spirituality stuff and slogging through another Law of Attraction book. Clearly, I’m excited… 😜
My grandparents were avid bird watchers… not that they went out on expeditions for it or anything, but they had a feeder in their yard & a book to help them identify their visitors. Unfortunately, the only birds we see much of around our condo are gulls and Canada geese. :p
I am trying to get myself motivated to start walking regularly again. We were doing pretty well when we lived at our house — one of the local high schools had a beautiful paved track that was used by the public as well as the students. We’d walk up there, do a couple of laps, and home again. Now, the condo building where we live is right on a busy main road — and while we could certainly walk around the quiet, winding residential streets in the suburb behind us, we’d still need to get past all the roadwork & other construction that’s going on right in front of & around our condo, in order to get there. Ugh. (That’s my excuse anyway, lol…)
So many things I’ve been trying to start…but so many more things I’m trying to finish. I need to START a solid exercise program and a writing group. I hope to get both started within the next week or two–after all the grading. Insert cry face.
I love the fantasy birding idea! I have a blogging friend who lists her quarterly bird sightings, and I find it fascinating that she a) knows all their names, and b) can recognise them. I became interested – or perhaps, just more aware of – birds on a safari in South Africa, and in recent years have loved the explosion of native birds around our suburb. But I can’t see myself being a birder.
Right now I’m not looking at starting anything, except decluttering. I still badly need to do that. What chances do you think I have of getting some done in the next week or two? lol
An eBirding account! Woooah. That sounds swell.
I’ve already started back on my morning walks, which I intend to be regular with. And the icing on the cake- all the birds and flora that we get to see.
Also intend to get back to cycling and doing some art. It’s been procrastinated for way too long.
Thanks for Microblog Mondays, Mel. 🙂