There are far too many benefits of bird watching and birding to name them here (I’d be bound to my keyboard for days on end!), but I did want to pay homage to this wonderful pastime by highlighting a few.
Whether you call them hobbies, sports, or pastimes, Bird watching and birding are extremely popular, and for good reason(s). What better way to relax and unwind than watching beautiful, peaceful birds – and, of course, the squirrels and other wildlife that frequent your yard.
It’s nearly impossible to worry about deadlines, rude drivers, family concerns, or even the economy when you lose yourself in a world of colorful feathers and beautiful sounds.
Below are just a few of the other reasons that bird watching is as popular as it is:
- You can do it almost anywhere, almost anytime.
- People of all physical abilities can enjoy bird watching.
- People of all ages can take part.
- No learning curve!
- No one can tell you you’re doing it wrong.
- It’s an inexpensive hobby – if all you do is observe, all you have to pay is attention.
- Bird watching is a totally green and environmentally friendly pastime.
- There is no better way to unwind.
If you have children and/or grandchildren, do them a huge favor and turn them onto bird watching as well. It’ll provide them with..
- An appreciation of the world around them. People who appreciate the world around them are more apt to take good care of it. They’re more apt to be environmentally conscious and less likely to be litterbugs (a personal pet peeve… nearly to the point of an un-Christian hatred!). I can’t help thinking that if we turned more young people onto bird watching today, we’d have fewer problems with the environment tomorrow.
- An education. Anytime we learn something new (no matter how old we are!), we stimulate our minds and increase our ability to learn even more. The facts your child or grandchild learns from you may even help him/her in an upcoming science class.
- It gets them outside! If you’re interested in “unplugging” a young person in your life, you’ll have to offer them a fun alternative. Learning about and watching birds is a great way to go. There’s an old saying that you grow to love anything you take care of – so let the young people in your world help fill bird feeders, put up bird houses, leave well-placed items (string, hair from a hairbrush, straw…) around for nest building, and so on.
- Any time spent with young people is like time spent in Heaven. This one’s pretty obvious, but I’ll mention it anyway – anything that creates a bond between you and a young person is a beautiful, beautiful thing. It gives you a common interest – because, let’s face it, you may not know all the new Justin Bieber songs and you may not be up to date on the newest Wii games. Birds and bird watching gives you something you can talk about, watch, and enjoy together. Priceless.
My youngest child gets so excited every time she sees a bird flying around, so I’ve been wondering if it would be a fun idea to put some bird feeders in our backyard. It is so true that taking the time to appreciate the small things in the world will make us more inclined to be more conscious of how we’re treating it. I’ll be sure to remember this and use it as an opportunity to teach my kids about the world!
Jane – I love when a parent or grandparent encourages a love for (and respect of) nature and wildlife in their children! Bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, and bird baths allow children to see up close and personal how amazing birds are. Hopefully if enough parents/grandparents do this, one day there won’t be a dove season!