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
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