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What kind of birder are you? (1 Viewer)

Jack Speer

Jack Speer

Well-known member
I was birding the other day and happened to meet another gentleman birding on the same trail. We walked together for a bit, but I don't think our styles of birding meshed. He would only watch birds briefly, quickly identifying them and moving on, whereas I like to watch birds for longer periods of time, watching their behavior and really soaking in the colors. This led me to wonder what other birders are like.

Tell me, what kind of birder are you? Any and all details are welcome.

Jack
 
I often go through a series of birds quickly to not spend time I could be spending on species I'm particularly keen on seeing. Of course if a nice view or interesting behaviour presents itself I can watch almost any bird all day.,
 
Jack Speer said:
I was birding the other day and happened to meet another gentleman birding on the same trail. We walked together for a bit, but I don't think our styles of birding meshed. He would only watch birds briefly, quickly identifying them and moving on, whereas I like to watch birds for longer periods of time, watching their behavior and really soaking in the colors. This led me to wonder what other birders are like.

Tell me, what kind of birder are you? Any and all details are welcome.

Jack
Click to expand...

Variable according to circumstances. I can enjoy a common bird, or I can quickly dismiss it in hope of finding something more interesting depending on my mood, where I am, etc.

Niels
 
Like Simon and Niels, I would say my birding style is different depending on several factors. If I am watching birds in my backyard, I often watch their behavior and just enjoy them in general. However, if I am at a park and find a flock of warblers, I usually pick through the flock and try to count and ID them as quickly as possible, then sit back and enjoy them if time permits.
 
I find I enjoy the laidback casual relaxed approach suits me anytime that way I enjoy it more to me that is what Bird watchings about long term as a youngster I remembered it that way, back in april on a walk through local farmland I was lucky enough to hear a male linnet singing in the top of this hawthorn hedge I had just walked Past this spot and kept my distance because also I sensed a female linnet was nearby and woe and behold she Arrived with her nesting material and disappeared in the top of the same hedge alongside I watched her do this Three times then I carried on my journey, we all get pleasures in different ways its finding the one that suits you most.
 
For me, it's all about finding wildlife, and identifying it myself.
The best day for me would be finding something new, photographing it, watching it.. The worst day would be someone tapping me on the shoulder telling me I've just walked past a rare bird! (it has happened!)

I don't get much out of twitching.. I get a lot out of travelling to an animal's habitat / range, and finding one myself. I don't go in for year lists, don't mind going a few years without seeing something.. i'll find one eventually is more my approach!

I also love the techy side of things.. Bat detectors, overnight bird call monitoring, remote camera.

Enrol for lots of surveys too.. Marinelife ferry surveys, Reptile surveys, various Bat surveys, BTO..
 
Sounds antisocial, but I'm the solo type when it comes to birding. For me, bird + wilderness = escapism rather than excitement, and my favourite bird is the one I'm looking at through the bins at the time. A 'first' is always special, but my life list is a very slowly ticking clock. My best memories concern scarcities rather than gobsmacking rarities (Kites in Powys, White tailed Eagle on Mull).
 
Depends what I'm doing and who I'm with. If I'm doing a big day then its ID and on to the next... if I'm solo, concentrating on the best possible photos of a particular bird, I might watch it all day. And all points between, as the opportunity arises or the company suggests.

Its birding and its a hobby: do what you want when you want.

John
 
Depends where I am if the place is full of bird life then I stay longer but if the place is quieter I stay for a little while enjoying them then move on. I visited a Loch yesterday in a park and it's usually very busy with birds but it was quieter then normal so stayed for an hour then moved on.
 
Since our favourite activities are hiking and going to warm places I'd say I'm a serendipitous birder. When out I always carry the bins and a camera with a reasonable lens, just in case. It does help that the sort of habitats we go hiking in just happen to be those with decent bird populations. ;-) If there's anything of interest, we'll stop and watch (and film).
 
refreshing to hear the different views here.new to bird forum I began to believe it was basically a "twitcher" site.relieved to see it is not.i do like to watch birds, never had a "life" list although I do appreciate the knowledge of some twitchers.i remember going on a bird tour where the guide seemed to feel it encumbent of him to show us all 165 birds on the advertisement. not my kind of birding I,m afraid.
 
I'm new to 'birding' but have always enjoyed nature/wildlife and always watched documentaries on the old google box.

But just lately I have began/begun to take more of an interest in birds when out and about.

I don't think I would drive a 200 round mile trip or charter a boat to see a rare bird, but if it was not too far away then I would definitely go and see/photograph it.

At the moment I tend to go for local walks/bike rides/car journeys and take my camera and binoculars with me and just enjoy the walks/bike rides/car journeys and the company (if I'm with someone) and the wildlife - the birds especially.

I think it's because there are so many of our feathered friends that it does make it more interesting - and exciting if you spot a bird you've never seen before!

I have my own list and just enjoy adding to that.

Do I enjoy just 'watching' the birds? Well, this depends on what's happening. If there a just 100 cormorants (we get them regularly at Seaforth) all doing nothing then I'll watch them for a short time, but if I see a hawk hunting or a bunch of swifts/swallows/house/sand martins catching insects on the wing and feeding their young and just seemingly playing in the wind then I can watch that for a long time quite happily.

Since I've taken more of an interest in birding, I'm looking forward to my next holiday abroad because in the past I must admit that I've been more interested in local sight-seeing and restaurants and bars, but now I'm looking forward to seeing the local bird life (and I don't mean the girls in bikinis on the beaches ha ha) - I think I'm getting old ;)

One last thing, it's nice that friends and relatives tend to ask me 'what's that bird?' and 'what bird is making that sound?' whilst we're out (expecting me to know), and I also get the 'I saw a small bird with blue feathers last night - do you know what it was?'. I just smile and come on here and ask you guys ;)
 
Many nice replies here. It is nice to read about the different styles and many of your accounts have brought smiles to my face.

I have noticed many birders carrying cameras. Maybe I will get into photography sometime. I can see the appeal in "bringing something back" from a day of birding.
 
I am particularly keen on two types of birding: seawatching and overhead migration. Thinking about it neither gives me more than a minute on any one bird. Its the thrill of anticipation that the next one could be really unusual that keeps me going. I try to see one new british bird a year but find that less and less exciting or fulfilling.
 
On Sunday I went to my local patch and for the first time ever (apart from one Blue Tit) I didn't see any birds, not even a Pigeon or Crows. The wood was dead silent. Normally id stay an hour and a half but since there were no birds I left earlier then normal. But I did enjoy looking at plants and berries.
 
Not a very good one!

I like to think I could be a better birder if I only put in more time, but it's where to find the time that is the problem. So my birding is mostly combined with another hobby: cycling. Although this has its advantages, being environmentally friendly, allowing me to get between birding sites quicker than those on foot, and allowing me to see more along the way than those who drive; it has the disadvantage that it's impossible to do both well at the same time. So, I end up doing neither well (compared to my cycling buddies, I take a long time to get anywhere, and compared to my birding buddies, I don't linger long enough to pick up everything and only carry a small pair of bins).

But it works for me!
 
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