[Mysticete]

if you are only interested in birding around the house, that is fine.

I would give the Audubon trips at least a try though, as a walkthrough. that is how I started birding 10 years ago, and I am only a year or so older than you. I honestly didn't find birding around a bunch of people several decades older than me to be either awkward or intimidating

[Amarillo]

The good thing about birding is you can do it as casually or as seriously as you want. Birds are all around us everywhere you go. You can just look at the ones you see while out doing other things or you can go actively looking. My advice would be don't make a conscious decision, just let it happen naturally. Start with the garden, next the local park or nature reserve...see how you get on.

And I wouldn't go "scanning dense foliage" as you suggest, just start with the obvious ones!

[Bird_Bill]

Only you can derive satisfaction from the pursuit and endeavor. By standards you, yourself sets. No one or no organization can say honestly that in order to enjoy yourself, a large list, certain optics, a standard mode of dress, or even who your "jamming" with currently is absolutely required. Obviously, internet connectivity drives competitiveness and marketing aspects, try to ignore myself.

Only thing I can suggest, put wildlife's requisite needs above your own during interaction and a certain measure of peace can be found.

[keith]

Originally Posted by Bird_Bill

Only you can derive satisfaction from the pursuit and endeavor. By standards you, yourself sets. No one or no organization can say honestly that in order to enjoy yourself, a large list, certain optics, a standard mode of dress, or even who your "jamming" with currently is absolutely required. Obviously, internet connectivity drives competitiveness and marketing aspects, try to ignore myself.

Only thing I can suggest, put wildlife's requisite needs above your own during interaction and a certain measure of peace can be found.

Good advice, I couldn't agree more.

[Rich Bonser]

Originally Posted by Chris Salem

Knowing my fiance, she'll quickly grow bored standing in one spot scanning the trees all in the hope of spotting one bird.

However, I haven't opened the binoculars yet so they are still returnable for a full refund. The books, too. Both of us are on the fence about it. We're young, she's finishing exams and will soon be looking for a job as a massage therapist, I should be looking for a better job, we're planning on building a house in the next few years, and she's already taken up knitting as a hobby.

So, I guess the question is: given everything I've said here, is birding even worth us pursuing at this stage?

What about getting a refund for the binoculars and taking up knitting with your fiancee? At least you won't get wet or sunburnt... and you could supply the extended family with knitted jumpers at Xmas from now til eternity.

[Archie Opteryx]

Originally Posted by Chris Salem

So, I guess the question is: given everything I've said here, is birding even worth us pursuing at this stage?

No.

[Laggard]

Originally Posted by Chris Salem

So, I guess the question is: given everything I've said here, is birding even worth us pursuing at this stage?

The more I think about this the more this seems like an odd question. It's not like you are making a commitment to buy a house or RV. Buy a cheap pair of binoculars and go check out a field guide from your library. The innitial investment is minimal. Go for a few bird walks. You may like it or not. If you don't you're out very little.

[BrightIdea]

For cripes sake, go for a nice walk in the park or the woods or along a lake and bring your bino's along with the snacks.

You're building a mountain out of a mole hill!

[Sancho]

Originally Posted by Laggard

The more I think about this the more this seems like an odd question. It's not like you are making a commitment to buy a house or RV.

Good point. BTW, what's an "RV"?
I find it odd when I hear of people making a conscious decision to "take up" birding as a hobby, as if it were golfing or Yoga. I've always assumed you have a natural inclination to observe the goings-on of the natural world, or you don't, but that might be because I've hung around with too many folk who believe in Predestination.
But the OP can test his bird-interest, and that of his partner, for the price of a bag of peanuts.
Step one: Buy a bag of bird-peanuts and hang them from a branch in your garden.
Step two: Sit and look out the window, and observe any birds that come to feed. Beer and popcorn optional (for you, not the birds).
Step three: Ask each other if you find the experience enjoyable.
Step four: If the answer to step three was "Yes", proceed as per guidelines in previous posts.

[J. Moore]

Originally Posted by BrightIdea

For cripes sake, go for a nice walk in the park or the woods or along a lake and bring your bino's along with the snacks.

You're building a mountain out of a mole hill!

Let's cut Chris some slack. He said he had gotten the feedback he wanted and had made up his mind to go ahead and give it a try five days ago in post 12, and has not posted since then. It's the forum that's made this thread go on and on, not the OP.

Jim

[Cheshire Birder]

Originally Posted by Sancho

Good point. BTW, what's an "RV"?

I believe it stands for Recreational Vehicle aka a glorified campervan to us brits.

CB

[Farnboro John]

I've only just come across this thread. Birding is something you do to the extent you want. Its a hobby, not a sport.

Twitching is something different. Twitching is a sport. It takes list size as a basis for comparison and participants are naturally competitive (its a self-selecting system). Its not compulsory, and some people do it for a while and then decide to return to a more relaxed form of birding. Some people try it and can't give it up. Some of them take it to the level of an extreme sport. Some of them are frankly completely bonkers (I may be one of them) but most of them can still enjoy common birds at home when they are not twitching.

Decide your own approach and do what you like - but giving up is probably an over-reaction to a misperception.

Incidentally, as regards asking others for help, (a) the only silly question is the one you don't ask; (b) I still cringe at some of the naive mistakes I made in public when I started - but by asking the question I learned something. It never mattered to me whether the person I asked was older or younger than me, I just wanted to tap their knowledge to increase my own.

Good birding!

John

[temmie]

I would quit the job and travel the world.

seriously, I mostly bird when going on a holiday. So if I can give you one advice: go the neotropics, book some accomodation in the middle of the jungle, and the birdwatching will grow on you and your girlfriend. I am about the same age and birdwatching is seen by me and my girlfriend to be the very best way to break free of the daily work and discover the best patches of nature around (places where most people never come).

[Vectis Birder]

Originally Posted by Chris Salem

Perhaps a dumb question for a birding forum, but better here than anywhere else!

I am having second thoughts about taking up birding as a hobby. My fiance has always really enjoyed watching the finches, cardinals and bluebirds gather around the feeders and birdbaths, etc. and I grew up in a house where my parents also enjoyed gardening and watching birds. It's been such a beautiful spring thus far and almost on a whim it occurred it me that perhaps she and I could take up birding on weekends, traveling to some of the local spots, taking light walks with our binoculars in hand, and spotting some different species of birds. She said she'd be interested, but it's not yet something which we're thrilled about.

I've purchased a couple of field guides which I've been perusing in the bed before falling asleep, looking up common birds, learning a few things along the way; I've purchased one nice pair of binoculars so far; and I've now purchased a "how-to" guide by some guy with the last name 'Dunne'. We could potentially head down to the South Mountains this weekend, go for a stroll, try to spot some birds; however, it sounds like work. After talking to friends and co-workers who also have a backyard birding interest, trying to spot birds in dense foliage and places generally outside of one's backyard isn't particulary easy. Who knows if we'll spot anything! Knowing my fiance, she'll quickly grow bored standing in one spot scanning the trees all in the hope of spotting one bird. And since we're both nubes, we have no idea what we're looking at. And we're both 30 years old, so getting together with a group of baby-boomer birders (no offence) will wear out its welcome fast.

The above scenario is mostly conjectural, though. We haven't tried it, yet - and I think that is what sustains our interest. I also would like to get outside more, experience nature, yet not experience nature in a hiking/camping sort of way. However, I haven't opened the binoculars yet so they are still returnable for a full refund. The books, too. Both of us are on the fence about it. We're young, she's finishing exams and will soon be looking for a job as a massage therapist, I should be looking for a better job, we're planning on building a house in the next few years, and she's already taken up knitting as a hobby.

So, I guess the question is: given everything I've said here, is birding even worth us pursuing at this stage?

Yes! It is definitely worth pursuing at any stage. The beauty of birding is that it can be appreciated anywhere at any time. Birds are all around us and can be watched even for a few minutes between chores or from the office window.

I'm also younger than 'baby boomers' although I am older than you but they aren't that bad and quite a few of them are very knowledgeable. Anyway, it's not what people are it's who they are that counts. And joining a local group will help get you into things faster than anything - you'll see more birds as people point them out to you.

You're already on the 'slippery slope' by joining Bird Forum and asking questions.

[Tred]

I'm 23 and I'm out looking for birds at least once a week, so you'll meet people of every age. And it's okay to be a beginner. My parents have been teaching me birds since I've been able to walk so I have an advantage, but you can start anytime. There's always something to learn anyway- I don't think I could identify all 300+ birds in the Midwest on the spot. It's only hard if you feel you have to identify every bird. The secret is to not put too much pressure on yourself.

[lmans66]

If you have to ask that question then give up birding... Obviously not that important to you

[HartleyHare]

Originally Posted by Mono

You make it sound so arduous!

You have an interest in birds, you have a few books, you have a pair of binoculars, that is all you need. There is no great commitment, there is no line to sign on, if you fancy going for a walk in the woods then go for one, you might see some birds you might not, but you will see wild flowers, maybe some mammals who knows?

Exactly!! Well put.

It should be about having fun and enjoying being out and about. My hubby and I go to the coast or to the forests. We take food, drink, binoculars and we wander about, we sit down, we wander some more. If we see something we linger to look some more, if we don't we move on. Sometimes we just stare at the view. That works for us.

I think you should try it for yourself. Birding is what YOU want it to be and YOU do what YOU want to do.

[Romafree]

HartleyHare said" Birding is what YOU want it to be and YOU do what YOU want to do."
How true!! Plus do it when you want and when you don't feel like it, then don't! I believe it is something inbred in you. To me it is a pleasure, never a chore.
All I want is a decent pair of binos basically!

[Robert M. Gray]

Originally Posted by Vectis Birder

Yes! It is definitely worth pursuing at any stage. The beauty of birding is that it can be appreciated anywhere at any time. Birds are all around us and can be watched even for a few minutes between chores or from the office window.

I'm also younger than 'baby boomers' although I am older than you but they aren't that bad and quite a few of them are very knowledgeable. Anyway, it's not what people are it's who they are that counts. And joining a local group will help get you into things faster than anything - you'll see more birds as people point them out to you.

You're already on the 'slippery slope' by joining Bird Forum and asking questions.

Go to the seashore,and look at the birds there.You'd be surprised,where you can find birds,I'm almost 80 and I find alot right around the property,without looking in the forest,or taking long walks.I think it's "GREAT"ok,just my 2 cents worth,good luck on your decision-

[Floyd Barnes]

OP's probably given up, last online on the 1st may

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by Chris Salem

The above scenario is mostly conjectural, though. We haven't tried it, yet - and I think that is what sustains our interest. I also would like to get outside more, experience nature, yet not experience nature in a hiking/camping sort of way. However, I haven't opened the binoculars yet so they are still returnable for a full refund. The books, too. Both of us are on the fence about it. We're young, she's finishing exams and will soon be looking for a job as a massage therapist, I should be looking for a better job, we're planning on building a house in the next few years, and she's already taken up knitting as a hobby.

So, I guess the question is: given everything I've said here, is birding even worth us pursuing at this stage?

Hi Chris,

It is a start that your fiance is interested and unless you suspect she is doing this to impress you, I would try it out first. This is a roundabout way of saying do not assume there will be problems before they arise. Even if you find that one of you is not quite as dedicated as the other, you may find enough common ground to still make it work. As an example, many couples go together to bird watching sites but one of the partners may go off and look at historical sites or simply go shopping. This is a nice compromise in itself but one thing I can tell you having experienced it is that if you give up something you like to do it can build into resentment if your partner gets to do all that they want to do. My ex-wife (the fact that she is now an ex has nothing to do with this subject ) enjoyed birding enough to understand when I wanted to get out for myself, I spoke to her recently and she is still a keen occasional birder now that she has re-married. We had a good understanding and when visiting London with ther family once, I was allowed to go off and spend the day at the Natural History museum because they knew that I don't do shopping. To steal the title of a baby-boomers album it is all a Question Of Balance.

[harpyeagle1]

Definately don't give it up. I am 14 and bird most weekends with a lifelist of 320 or so. I have been birding all my life. Definately keep with it. It is a good way to enjoy nature.

[featherfriendly]

Chris, Sancho said what I was thinking. There are so many other perks to birding. Being outside, walking, getting excercise instead of sitting of front of the tv, having silence and respite from this stressful life we are in. These are all the unexpected pleasures and benefits we have found when we began birding a year ago. My husband and I have grown closer, too. The natural world if full of entertainment. Unless I am going to an area dense with birds, I consider it a hike with birds as the treat. But some of the most fun we had birding was right in our car; watching bluebirds line up along the fence posts on a back highway, or spying a kingfisher on a branch overlooking Bodega Bay. For us, a new world opened, and we are really lightweight's in the birding hobby.

We are boomers. Many of the people who we have met are younger. You might try the audobon society walks for a starter. The youngest people there were about 12

All the best, Ann

[Redbridge]

Having to ask the question 'Should I give up birding?' when you haven't even began gives you an answer. HOWEVER, there is nothing wrong with enjoying birds when getting on with your daily life, you don't have to ignore them nor do you have to spend every waking hour in search of them lol

[nikiapple]

Originally Posted by Chris Salem

Perhaps a dumb question for a birding forum, but better here than anywhere else!

I am having second thoughts about taking up birding as a hobby. My fiance has always really enjoyed watching the finches, cardinals and bluebirds gather around the feeders and birdbaths, etc. and I grew up in a house where my parents also enjoyed gardening and watching birds. It's been such a beautiful spring thus far and almost on a whim it occurred it me that perhaps she and I could take up birding on weekends, traveling to some of the local spots, taking light walks with our binoculars in hand, and spotting some different species of birds. She said she'd be interested, but it's not yet something which we're thrilled about.

I've purchased a couple of field guides which I've been perusing in the bed before falling asleep, looking up common birds, learning a few things along the way; I've purchased one nice pair of binoculars so far; and I've now purchased a "how-to" guide by some guy with the last name 'Dunne'. We could potentially head down to the South Mountains this weekend, go for a stroll, try to spot some birds; however, it sounds like work. After talking to friends and co-workers who also have a backyard birding interest, trying to spot birds in dense foliage and places generally outside of one's backyard isn't particulary easy. Who knows if we'll spot anything! Knowing my fiance, she'll quickly grow bored standing in one spot scanning the trees all in the hope of spotting one bird. And since we're both nubes, we have no idea what we're looking at. And we're both 30 years old, so getting together with a group of baby-boomer birders (no offence) will wear out its welcome fast.

The above scenario is mostly conjectural, though. We haven't tried it, yet - and I think that is what sustains our interest. I also would like to get outside more, experience nature, yet not experience nature in a hiking/camping sort of way. However, I haven't opened the binoculars yet so they are still returnable for a full refund. The books, too. Both of us are on the fence about it. We're young, she's finishing exams and will soon be looking for a job as a massage therapist, I should be looking for a better job, we're planning on building a house in the next few years, and she's already taken up knitting as a hobby.

So, I guess the question is: given everything I've said here, is birding even worth us pursuing at this stage?

You never know unless you try. You seem to be ready but your friends and family are not appearing to me to be very supportive which is giving you doubts.

You should join the Audubon Society of North Carolina for $20 a year. They may have a local chapter in your area. Going on a field trip with people that are experts in birding is something you should at least try and if it isn't for you, you can plan your own expedition with someone that loves it as much as you.

Don't give it up, it is a very rewarding experience...

Sincerely,
Monique Applewhite
http://www.wildandwinged.com