I’ve got a confession to make: I’m into bird watching.
Now, what are you thinking?
That I am perhaps a bit weird, a bit of a geek, a fuddy duddy nerd…?
Let me try again. Since the start of this year, I’ve picked up an old interest in earnest and it delivers on some different levels.
It’s good for mental and physical wellbeing.
It makes me get out and about, walking in the fresh air. I have to focus and concentrate, so it keeps me ‘in the moment’, and I naturally end up appreciating tiny little details of the environment around me, so easy to miss otherwise.
It involves learning, goals and targets.
This is important for continued motivation and means that there is more than a one-off high or moment of excitement. This new hobby keeps you coming back as you pick up more expertise and uncover new ways to stretch yourself and discover new horizons (literally) to explore.
There are low barriers to entry: it’s cheap and easy to do.
Apart from upfront investment in some good equipment, I really don’t need much to participate. There are no real membership or access fees, I can travel but don’t need to: just being in the garden can be surprisingly rewarding.
I don’t need to look good and so won’t get distracted with dressing up and fancy clothes. Comfort and practicality are the guiding priorities.
And often being in the middle of woods, on clifftops, tramping through fields or round wetlands means no temptations of artisanal foodie options. Packed lunches are the way forward. I have even dusted down the thermos flask for some expeditions.
It helps build valuable social capital.
This is at several levels. It is one of the rare and precious activities that we all enjoy as a family and thus do together as a family. It is something we all can share and discuss together, adding to the stock of memories and anecdotes of adventures in which we have taken part.
In addition, we often chat with other people on our trips, sharing sightings etc. Many reserves are staffed by volunteers and I have a sneaking suspicion that we might be giving back/volunteering ourselves later.
It’s a planet-positive interest.
My family and I have developed increased respect for nature and have become more willing to invest in conservation and other forms of support. I am sure it will have influenced how my children, the next generation, think about the world around them.
It’s a future-proofed hobby.
By this, I mean that it is an activity which can see me through into retirement. It doesn’t require an excess of physical exertion – you can take it nice and slow if you want – not like triathlons. And though fading eyesight will take its toll in later years, I’m hoping this will be compensated for by more knowledge and expertise.
And finally, the icing on the cake: though it has always been popular (one survey puts the number of those who regularly go birdwatching at close to 3m), it’s suddenly getting rather cool. I have come across various articles heralding the rise of the hipster, urban or Millennial birder who makes use of the latest tech and apps to bring new energy into spotting.
What do you think now? Not such as a geek or fuddy duddy nerd I hope!
