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!
Thanks for this info. My children like birds a lot. I am now planning to buy a bird feeder for our backyard.
Hello there,
It’s a great article and informative indeed.I have a great interest in birds and have some passion for birding. After reading your post I guess my interest increases a lot.
I appreciate the effort you took to share it with us. Hope, will get more from you soon.
I am planning to go have a bird watching expedition with my wife as we used to plan all these years. The peace and detachment from the everyday worries of deadlines, rude drivers, family concerns, or even the economy is simply a must-have experience for us. Having this in mind, I would be sure to find a place that can offer us a wonderful experience to remember for a lifetime. Thanks!
Yes, I also noticed bird watching is becoming popular today. I agree, it’s great to do this hobby with your little ones, I couldn’t help but smile when I see a child gets excited to see a bird. I have plans to turn my backyard into a bird’s paradise.
I love that you mentioned people of all ages can bird watch and that it can be a good activity for grandchildren! My grandson recently expressed an interest in learning about birds in our area. I’ll have to see if I can find a cute bird feeder to help attract more birds to our yard!
My mom has been into bird watching since my dad built her a birdhouse in the back yard. You said that this hobby is a great environmental-friendly pastime, and it’s an inexpensive hobby. I will find a few supplies that are needed so she can try this hobby before the fall.
I like the idea of bird watching being a cheap and easy thing that different ages can do together. My parents love having the grandkids over but can’t really keep up with them physically anymore. Maybe getting them a birdhouse would give them something they could do to connect with the kids.
That you for pointing out that bird-watching is an inexpensive hobby and we can do it anytime and anywhere. My wife and I are running out of activities to do together. I think I will suggest bird-watching to her.
You made a good point that bird watching can be quite the fulfilling hobby for very minimal equipment and effort. I’m currently looking for birdhouses for sale so that I can attract birds in my garden. Getting to do some bird watching during my afternoon tea would be very relaxing I suppose.