#Microblog Monday 265: The Birders
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Josh and I decided about a month ago that we were going to go all-in with becoming birders. Remember the whole trying-to-set-up-things-to-do-before-the-kids-leave-for-college crisis? So birding in moderation felt like a good fit. The moderation is a nod to the fact that we have no intention of photographing them and asking our friends to watch long slideshows of birds we’ve seen. But we’re going to mark down finds in a notebook and go on some birding hikes this year. I just bought a book on birding. Bird steps. (Get it? Like baby steps… because birds are small…)
And then the New York Times did a piece last week on how the bird population is dropping off. “The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past half-century, scientists find.”
This made me so. damn. sad. We’re still going to be birders, but now seeing each one feels like a moment of last chance tourism.
Do you notice birds?
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11 comments
Oh wow, I notice birds all the time. I never used to, but went on a safari where they pointed out the birds when there were no lions or giraffes to see. I loved it. About the same time, our city had a population explosion of rare native birds, and I now see them every day in our trees. And my oldest blogging friend is a birder, and gives quarterly reports of the birds she’s seen, and I just adore all the crazy names of birds in north America. So I can understand the attraction. Looking forward to following your birding adventures.
I notice birds – we have Cardinals that live in our yard, the mourning dove makes his calls from our roof, some little brown birds hang out on our deck, and the occasional red tail hawk swoops by to catch something in the field next door. Plus, we had a mama turkey and her babies come through this spring. It’s fun to watch them, and that report is alarming.
My Mum is a huge birder and I’ve been sucked in despite my initial resistance. I don’t tend to bird at home much but I go all in whenever we go to Australia. I keep a running list of the species I see on each trip and I also track life birds (species I’ve never seen before). Last visit I managed 81 species and 25 lifers but we were there for a longer trip than usual and we travelled outside our usual area. I usually hit around 50. I like how it ties me to my children’s second country and the birds there are so much fun!
I will say that hiking and birding are two separate activities since if you’re in a good birding spot you end up standing in one spot for ages and even when you’re moving you go really slowly. I can hike with my kids but I can’t bird- they’re too noisy and they get too bored.
I’m heading in the direction of wanting to photograph them (which I swore I’d NEVER do) so it’s a slippery slope! But I think there’s a lot to be said for knowing the nature around you and birds are a great place to start! Have fun!
Yes! I would not call myself a “birder” — I don’t go around with notebooks & cameras, etc. — but yes, our family has always noticed & loved birds. My grandparents had a bird feeder in their yard & a book to help them identify all the birds who came to eat there. My first thought when I heard that sad report was how sad that would have made them. 🙁 My parents have a hummingbird feeder and a bird bath in their back yard too.
That number is shocking! so sad! I’m not a huge birder. When I’m home in the Dominican Republic I love seeing the birds but here I guess I never pay attention.
Oh wow, I saw that about the birds dropping off. But, I feel like I still see a lot of birds where I am. I think you can still do the birding! But I get the sadness. Living more country like I do now, I see a lot more martins, and barn swallows, and bluebirds, and little songbirds. And even a green heron, which I’ve never seen before! Funny little long-necked birds, those. It sucks that the Earth is changing right before our eyes and taking these things away. I hope you can still enjoy your birding adventures!
Birding is not something I’m drawn too, but I like them! I had a little chuckle when I read about taking bird steps. LOL.
I absolutely notice birds. I can’t tell one from another but I love seeing them in the backyard or on our back deck. Sometimes I stand there and watch them until they fly off. What a beautiful part of nature. Good for you!
I love the line “bird steps”. I like watching birds, but not enough to note it in a journal. I take pictures occasionally. More often than not I write poems about them and other animals.
Just hummingbirds.
I notice birds where we live now because we have so many…robins, cardinals, tons of little chickadees, a very noisy woodpecker, and an OWL. We also have crows and turkey vultures. And probably more that I don’t know how to identify.
We did one of those cheap build a birdhouse crafts and hung it up, and to our surprise birds actually nested innit, so we made 2 more. We also spread birdseed around the yard, because we also have a large family of chipmunks as well.