I was into film and digital photography for a while before I met my current girlfriend. Her family has always been into birdwatching. Once I realized the new challenge of photographing birds it was a whole new world of photography for me. It’s definitely part of my identity at this point. Enjoy this great blue heron.
What’s there to think about?
It’s a hobby. Lots of people watch and record things like clouds, trains, airplanes, weather patterns, or even birds.
If someone wants to keep track of what birds they see, more power to them.
Perverts who wait for hours to see birds having sex. That’s disgusting. Same for people who play the piano and hide their racism by using black keys as a symbol of stomping on black people.
And don’t get me started on poets…
Please, do start on poets. I’m eager to hear what twisted things you perceive them as.
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I wouldn’t recognize birds having the beast with two backs if I saw it.
I believed it was boring and weird (“Why can’t they just goggle the bird?”). But I recently bought a bird feeder for my cat and I’m more invested in the birds than she is. It’s like boring Pokémon, I love it lol.
Honestly, my husband and I birdwatch and we treat it like Pokémon Snap when we go out! Myself with binoculars, husband with camera.
I felt like it adds another dimension or another sense to our world. When I walk from parking lot to work for example, I can hear and identify what birds are around just off sound alone.
Hold up! You bought a bird feeder to lure birds in for your cat to kill?
Oh god, no. It was just to give her something to look at through the window. Like “cat TV.”
Ah, okay.
We sprinkle old bread on the front steps so our cat can watch the chipmunks.
I leave some out for a chipmunk as well. I’ve named him Ignacio.
Gotta watch 'em all.
Seems like a peaceful hobby. !birding@lemmy.world has a whopping 3.4k subscribers, so it seems to be relatively popular around here too.
Very friendly community, one of my favorites on lemmy.
I currently have the top post on !birding@lemmy.world
I got into birding late last year after I decided to start feeding the crows in my neighborhood. It started with feeding them peanuts. Then it turned into taking pictures of them when then visited. Soon enough, I was naming them and really studying their behavior. I wanted to see more birds, so I bought a bird feeder.
I started applying my other hobbies to bird watching and that is where things really took off. (Pun intended).
I designed and 3d printed a quarter pipe that fits on my bird feeder. I bolted a tech deck to the top and I have taken a lot of photos of birds that look like they are about to drop in on the quarter pipe.
As if that wasn’t enough, I draw the photos that I take and turn them into embroidered iron-on patches to leave on the pin board at my local coffee shop for strangers to take.
Birding forces me to slow down and pay attention. I find it relaxing and it is the polar opposite of my normal day to day. It also gives me a way share my excitment with others. If anything I have done results in someone deciding to feed a crow some peanuts, then its all worth it.
As someone who likes bird photography and spent half his life skateboarding, this is such a badass photo.
What species is this mohawked cutie pie?
Tufted titmouse.
It’s cool. I’m a massive fan of tits, boobies and shags.
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I’m at the age now where I’m thinking about getting into it.
Haha. I started feeding birds on my balcony this winter and i love it.
I don’t go out to watch birds (yet), but i love checking what’s up with the birds in the garden, know pretty much all of them, learning their songs etc.
Also now on vacation i am way more tuned into what the birds are doing than i used to be, kinda opened another audible dimension.
I have a low key interest in birds and have been using the Merlin app to ID them by photo, description, or their song. You can set it to record, then just chill in the backyard while it lists the birds it hears.
Yeah it creeps up on you with age… I’ve recently installed an app for it and slowly adding more of the birds I see in there. For now that’s it, I don’t go out of my way for it, but I guess that’s how it starts…
I liked it at 11. Used to annoy teachers doodling eagles and owls on absolutely everything.
My parents maintained a bird feeder in our back yard when I was a kid. It was very enjoyable watching them, and you get to know individual birds over time.
As for going out looking for specific species with binoculars and all that…I don’t know much about it, and try to stay neutral. It looks silly to an outsider, but a lot of worthwhile hobbies do.
I do this too. It was surprising to me that I started recognizing them so quickly.
They all get names now. This year I have a whole family of finches that I call the Murphy’s but tbh they act more like BeBe’s kids, just show up throwing seed everywhere and acting like they ain’t got no sense.
Birds are cool and I generally like birdwatchers but those people get up entirely too early. It is not natural.
I like birds, and I get up around 14.00-16.00 everyday
Would probably help to get up early I think though
Well I like birds too but I’m not really a birdwatcher. Are you going out and birdwatching at that hour? Not much bird activity in the afternoon from what I’ve seen.
I’m not really a bird watcher in that sense either.
I mostly follow the birbs in my neighbourhood. Made friends with a pair of crows like 13 years ago, so now most corvids in the area basically know me by look.
That and seagulls.
If only I had a car and could get out properly
It’s wonderful! I reported a rare bird sighting once and ended up in a book, I had no idea until it was gifted to me and the page just fell open to the mention. It was really exciting!
… Indifferent?
Sounds fun. I like birds
I think you need to have the collector gene to get into it, but it seems like a good hobby for getting you out of the house.
There’s a few birds I love. Their calls, how they behave. It’s especially great out at camp and they show up in the morning. Just sit there and enjoy their company.
So, I totally get it. I’d never get to the levels of going out to pursue it, but sometimes I’m in a situation where bird watching is more interesting than people watching—and we all love that.
