Birding is Fun!
February is almost over, and spring is just around the corner. It's going to be a fun time. Sure, any time is good for birding - in spring, summer, fall, or winter. Yeah, maybe not so much in summer when birds are kind of quiet, busy with nesting, but you can still find plenty of birds out there, especially at the beach.
Some people may think, how can bird watching be fun? Guess what, it is! Just try it; it opens up a whole new world to you.
It's not that you go out to find birds just to enjoy watching them. There are a lot of different ways to have fun with birding. Most birders are also bird listers. You record what you see and go out to find new birds for your list.
That brings simple bird watching up to the next level; you become a birder. The better you can identify the birds, the more interesting it gets. You're trying to find birds you haven't seen yet, or haven't seen yet this year, or this month, or in this location.
You can start keeping your life list, your year list, your yard list, or any other list; there are many ways to have fun with it. Also, you can start comparing your list with other birders, have some fun competing with each other.
One of the best birding tools out there is eBird. It is a perfect way to keep your bird list, compare it with others, and at the same time contribute data to science. Check it out if you haven't done so yet. It changed my life, and it can change yours.
Birds draw different types of people together: bird watchers, scientists, photographers, conservationists, listers, bird artists, backyard bird watchers, people who enjoy birding together as a social event, and so on. Everyone can find something they like about birding. I personally fit into all these categories, yeah maybe not as much for bird artist, but still, more people means more eyes to find interesting birds out there.
Birding is fun because it is so easy, inexpensive, and you can find birds any time and anywhere. Just buy a good pair of binoculars and a field guide, and you are ready to have some fun. Write down what you see and look for more. Soon you'll find yourself drawn in, wanting to see birds you haven't seen yet, not today, not this month, not this year, or in your life. Birding is fun!
Keeping a bird list has become so easy. You don't even need to carry a notebook to record the birds you see. You could just download the phone app Birdlog to your phone, and you are set to record all the birds right in the field when you see them and submit them to eBird. How easy is that!
Birding is also a healthy hobby. It requires being outside in nature. It is a good way to get yourself out of the house into fresh air. You'll get double benefits, getting healthier, losing weight, and having fun at the same time.
Looking back on your life at any time, I can guarantee you will not say that you wasted your time birding. You'll say, 'That was fun!'
