Bird Watching

     Bird Watching is a hobby which is growing faster than any other hobby in the world. More than 50 million Americans watch birds and many more millions across the globe. These people including myself call ourselves birders. Birdwatching is something for everyone. Birdwatching can lead you to a lot of other things or other hobbies can bring you to birding. For example, Photography, Gardening(to attract birds in your yard), travel(to see a more diverse range of species), woodworking(to make bird houses), hiking, and even pets.
     Birders usually keep something called a life list. This is a record of species they have seen/heard. Some are strict with their lists and some are pretty sloppy with it. I am one who is strict. I keep my list neat and up to date. My list says what I saw, when I saw it and where I saw it. I also don't count a bird unless I saw enough that I understood what i was looking at. You may be asking how do you prove to others what you saw/heard...do you need a picture/recording? The answer is no! Something my friends and I call your birdginity. See birding is for yourself and if you lie and say you saw something. First of all, good birders will be able to tell since if your inaccurate with your sighting and where you saw it we may know that, that species doesn't live there. Secondly, why would you lie there isn't a prize for anything. birding is for yourself and that's it.
      The last thing to know about birding is you must be ethical. There are some rules you must follow. First, you must not use any electronic device in the field. You can't go on a device with calls and play it to attract the bird. This isn't just unfair but it can make the birds scared or mad. If something says private property because those birds have a specific niche or they're endangered or anything else you for no reason should ever go on that property even if it means extra birds. For example the other day if I went on this private property which is protected for some species I could have got a Snowy Owl, Ring Necked Pheasant, Peregrine Falcon and an Eastern Meadowlark. Lastly if you think you saw something but not 100% sure then don't count it you can always see it again. Join me next time when I help you become a birdwatcher.
                                                                                                                -Til next time bird boy out

      

Intro

This is my first post of my very first blog and I'm very excited to inform my viewers of the knowledge I carry. Like my bio says I'm a 16 year old boy from New Jersey; to be a little more exact north Jersey about 20 minutes from New York City. I love to take hikes and explore mother nature with my older eagle scout brothers. I additionally am part of a school club where we meet twice a week and study and watch birds. I have a passion for birds and nature that's indescribable and I would like to share it with the world. The reason I love birds the most is not just for their magnificent colored feathers, or their beautiful songs, or even the fact they can fly. Its that their so "ordinary" and "nothing special" or "boring" to the common eye but I see them in a way most people don't and I feel they almost symbolize me and give me an outlet to get out of the house and spend some quality time with my best friend, mother nature. To just walk out my back door and feel mother's wind hit my cheek while seeing a bird ride it like a wave is a joyride that most haven't rode before. To me though, each bird is so different and it doesn't need to be something I've never seen to be exciting I can watch a "plain old" cardinal or blue jay for ever and it would never get old because you'll never know what its gonna do next. Then, to watch it interact with other species is even cooler. However, the feeling when you see a new species is just incredible. Each trip birding always provides you with a new very unique story with it. All in all, Birds and I can get judged all we want by our cover but we both know our special talents we behold. Hopefully the world can go out and buy some binoculars to get a better look at us to realize what their missing out on. When they do I'll be on the other side of their scope laughing this time. Stay tuned for the next post about birding and the rules the hobby comes with.
                                                                                                            -Til next time bird boy out