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Why we go birding .... (1 Viewer)

John Cantelo

John Cantelo

Well-known member
An operation on my right hand at the end of October hasn’t gone entirely to plan as I am still have very little grip in that hand (although some say I lost my grip years ago). Hence I’m still not able to drive and, largely as a consequence of this, I’ve not been able to get out birding since then. It’s the longest I’ve gone without birding since I was about 12 (a long time ago!) and served to remind me just how important getting out in the field is for me. Note the slight change in emphasis. Happily, yesterday I managed to get to Stodmarsh – seeing Marsh Harrier, various ducks, Cettis Warbler, Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker, etc (but missing Bittern). What rather surprised me was that it wasn’t really the birds that I was missing as much as enjoying fresh air, the countryside and simply walking through fairly 'wild' habitats. Don’t mistake me, I still enjoyed the birds, but it made me realise that, in some ways, they are an excuse and almost ancillary to the whole experience.

It made me wonder why we go birding ….
 
Fully understand you ...some years back one of my cars had terminal issues. After a couple of weeks virtually tied to the city, I was right cranky :)

Hope all goes well with the hand ...or trade car in for an automatic, could still drive then, no?
 
The reason I go birding is for all the reasons above, fresh air, countryside walks, peace and quiet, but always the birds, some of my greatest memories involve birds and I have no doubt there are many more to come. ��
 
Jos Stratford said:
Fully understand you ...some years back one of my cars had terminal issues. After a couple of weeks virtually tied to the city, I was right cranky :)

Hope all goes well with the hand ...or trade car in for an automatic, could still drive then, no?
Click to expand...

It's a bit premature to trade in the car, but the thought has occurred to me.
 
I'm sort of a crummy birder and I don't have a lot of birds on my life list, but it's still a good day being outdoors and seeing whatever I see. Sometimes I watch an individual bird for so long that I'm probably missing out on something else (maybe a new life bird, etc), but I like to be in the moment and slow it down. The only thing I find annoying is extreme cold or extreme heat. Extreme heat and/or humidity makes me feel sick. I will limit my time outside in those conditions, view from the car or I just won't go out that day. With that said, I am enjoying bird watching in the cold weather right now (when it's not extreme). It's nice to feel the cold crisp air ... it makes me feel alive.
 
One of the main reasons that I currently go birding is to spend quality time with my elderly parents. As a child, they would take me birding, but over the years I moved halfway across the country, got married, etc. Now, it is my turn to take them birding. At least once a year we do a trip together. The last 3 years have been Ecuador, and we're going to Costa Rica this March.

While I love the birds and the places we go, on these trips, there is a lot more to birding than just the birds.
 
Closer to nature

Hello all,

As I live in the middle of one of the megalopolises, Greater New York, and perhaps 300 metres from Broadway, my 1km. walk to Central Park, for bird watching, makes me feel closer to nature. I usually manage to walk almost 5 km on my excursions, which does me good, and I get to see birds even suburbanites never notice. The only things that keep me home are precipitation and ice on the footpaths. One of my best birds was seen from my garden window: an American woodcock.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:
 
John Cantelo said:
An operation on my right hand at the end of October hasn’t gone entirely to plan as I am still have very little grip in that hand (although some say I lost my grip years ago). Hence I’m still not able to drive and, largely as a consequence of this, I’ve not been able to get out birding since then.

It made me wonder why we go birding ….
Click to expand...

I hope your hand resumes normal function soon John.
I stopped being able to drive over twenty years ago due to a stroke and rely on short walks and sometimes buses to go out by myself. At the weekends, my wife drives to further away places and we both enjoy the scenery and I enjoy the birds, although I'm sure my wife secretly likes them too. Well, all except crows that is. Its a matter of adapting to a new sitution and overcoming the difficulties involved. I only took up bird watching in 2010, so I've never been able to jump in the car and drive to the woods/lake/sea. Its good to get out and enjoy the fresh air, rather than just vegetating in front of my pc. Mind you, if I only had daytime tv to occupy me, I would have taken up bird watching or some other activity, like paint drying watching years ago.
 
John, I too hope your hand recovers soon to be able to get out and about sooner rather than later.
Having only started birding a year ago, and working full time, I love to get out of the house at the weekend to enjoy the countryside and fresh air. Whether it is walking around Stodmarsh, Sbbo, Oare Marshes, Seasalter, Reculver or one of the many trails through Blean Woods. Being a novice I like the way that most birders are so helpful at the reserves with id and generally are very friendly. Watching the various birds is good in the garden but I really enjoy seeing them in their natural habitat. Last Sunday I enjoyed a 5 mile walk through woods at Dunkirk and really enjoyed watching long tailed tits, blue tits, great tits and coal tits flitting from tree to tree. Watching a green woodpecker and greater spotted wood pecker in action in trees was rewarding. Listening to all the different sounds of the woods and the general peacefulness of the surroundings is something I really enjoy. The exercise must do some good too, so birding really does give me an excuse to get out and about.
Les
 
John, I hope that your hand improves soon.

I know how you feel. I get "grouchy" if I can't get out. Even if it just a walk to my local lake and I don't see any interesting birds I still feel much better for it.
 
Hope your hand improves, it must be really frustrating. I started birding about 10 years ago whilst signed off work with stress. It started with me hearing a few birds whilst out walking my old dog and not knowing what they were, tracking them down and IDing them. Soon I'd bought a field guide, and feeders for the garden and started birding without the dog.

I then started seeing butterflies whilst out, bought another field guide, started looking at the wildflowers and some names came back to me from walks I went on with my mum when I was small.

I never did go back to that job and am now self-employed selling online, which gives me lots of time to get out into the local countryside, which is pretty spectacular where I live. I don't just look at birds, I'm interested in pretty much any wildlife.

The only thing that really keeps me inside is ice, I had a fall a few years back, which has left me a bit nervous walking on it. If I don't manage to get out even for just a week or so, I feel myself starting to get tense and snappy, even a half hour walk in the woods cures that.

Regards, Audrey.
 
LesR said:
John, I too hope your hand recovers soon to be able to get out and about sooner rather than later.
Having only started birding a year ago, and working full time, I love to get out of the house at the weekend to enjoy the countryside and fresh air. Whether it is walking around Stodmarsh, Sbbo, Oare Marshes, Seasalter, Reculver or one of the many trails through Blean Woods. Being a novice I like the way that most birders are so helpful at the reserves with id and generally are very friendly. Watching the various birds is good in the garden but I really enjoy seeing them in their natural habitat. Last Sunday I enjoyed a 5 mile walk through woods at Dunkirk and really enjoyed watching long tailed tits, blue tits, great tits and coal tits flitting from tree to tree. Watching a green woodpecker and greater spotted wood pecker in action in trees was rewarding. Listening to all the different sounds of the woods and the general peacefulness of the surroundings is something I really enjoy. The exercise must do some good too, so birding really does give me an excuse to get out and about.
Les
Click to expand...

Hello, neighbour! If you haven't already done so I recommend joining one of our local birding groups - Canterbury RSPB Group, Sandwich bay Bird Observatory (which organises many walks/talks in the area) or the KOS. It's a good way to learn from others.
 
earthdragon64 said:
Hope your hand improves, it must be really frustrating. I started birding about 10 years ago whilst signed off work with stress. It started with me hearing a few birds whilst out walking my old dog and not knowing what they were, tracking them down and IDing them. Soon I'd bought a field guide, and feeders for the garden and started birding without the dog.

I then started seeing butterflies whilst out, bought another field guide, started looking at the wildflowers and some names came back to me from walks I went on with my mum when I was small.

I never did go back to that job and am now self-employed selling online, which gives me lots of time to get out into the local countryside, which is pretty spectacular where I live. I don't just look at birds, I'm interested in pretty much any wildlife.

The only thing that really keeps me inside is ice, I had a fall a few years back, which has left me a bit nervous walking on it. If I don't manage to get out even for just a week or so, I feel myself starting to get tense and snappy, even a half hour walk in the woods cures that.

Regards, Audrey.
Click to expand...

Having suffered from stress myself in my time, I can wholeheartedly recommend birding as a brilliant way of de-stressing (unless you're heavily into twitching).
 
Thanks for all your kind wishes re my crock hand. I'm hoping I'll regain more grip, but the limited progress over the last couple of months isn't encouraging. Oddly enough it'll be less of a problem when I'm in Spain (as I often am) since I'll have my good hand holding the wheel when I change gear!
 
I too become difficult if confined to quarters by rain and suchlike. I have been compared to a zoo Polar Bear in such circumstances. Garden birds just aren't enough - there must be movement, mud and that excitement of not knowing what is round the next corner.

John
 
Sublimated hunting instincts also play a part, at least for me. Many of my fondest birding memories are of the kill – a photo or a tick – at the end of a stroll or stalk. Anyplace with birds will do, urban or rural, it doesn't make that much difference (though rural is often pleasanter), the thrill is the same.
 
John Cantelo said:
Thanks for all your kind wishes re my crock hand. I'm hoping I'll regain more grip, but the limited progress over the last couple of months isn't encouraging. Oddly enough it'll be less of a problem when I'm in Spain (as I often am) since I'll have my good hand holding the wheel when I change gear!
Click to expand...

John,
If you changed your UK car for a LH drive - these tend to be more difficult to sell and therefore cheaper - you could solve your problem.:t:

On second thoughts, perhaps eastern Europeans in this country have the market sewn up for taking a vehicle back once they've done their stint...:eek!:
MJB
 
I agree, John, regarding the excitement of "what's round the next corner", but I find this is far more often the case in Spain and elsewhere than it is on my local patch.
 
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