Birdwatching

[citizen cane]

Does anyone else enjoy birdwatching as a hobby?

 

[Agent Jelly]

I love birds. I have a pet ring neck dove and I am obsessed with penguins. I have a butterfly bush that attracts humming birds and I like to sit by the window and watch them move around! But I do not go to parks to watch them, if they are there then I will watch.

 

[gromit]

Used to go with my parents and siblings, but I haven't recently. Maybe I'll set up a birdfeeder this winter by the front porch.

 

[Mal12345]

Does anyone else enjoy birdwatching as a hobby?

I used to go out birding all the time.

 

[Owlesque]

Absolutely. I do have a pair of society finches but I'm more into birdwatching than aviculture. I go birding whenever I get the chance... owl season is right around the corner here, and I've been improving my gull ID skills before they arrive in droves to loaf around on the ice so I can hopefully spot a rarity or two. In the spring I bird mostly by ear with all the different sparrows and warblers. I'm a big fan of owls and birds of prey in general (and shrikes!). I love winter wrens and mockingbirds, too.

 

[Tiger Owl]

Does anyone else enjoy birdwatching as a hobby?

Your avatar and this thread made me laugh (uncomfortably). The last serious birder I knew ended up being a rapist pedophile...

That being said, I try to ID all the birds I see or hear whenever I am outdoors. I rarely go out just for the birds but I enjoy the wilderness with them in it.

 

[NPcomplete]

I went birdwatching with a friend and her mother once. I wasn't able to spot most of the birds by myself but once I got into it, it got pretty interesting.

 

[Mal12345]

I used to bird almost everyday back before my neck and shoulders gave out. There were some important birding spots within walking distance of my house. I think my most important or interesting find was a Broad-Winged Hawk. This was an extremely difficult id to make, but luckily the bird stayed around for a few days. The most relevant aspect in solving the id problem was the fact that, the first time I saw it, this hawk had a snake in its claws. The fact that it's not very shy was telling too. But most of the hawks that migrate through here don't go after snakes. And in this case, our area is not part of its migration pattern, so it was a very rare find.

Edit - the BW Hawk is not shy, but bears many resemblances to the Red-Shouldered Hawk which is extremely shy. Perhaps the only telling distinction is that the RS Hawk will take off like a bat out of hell, while my BW Hawk just sat there and let me video tape it from 20 yards away.

 

[giegs]

Not especially, but I was working at Bosque del Apache NWR as the Sandhill Cranes were beginning to arrive recently. Honestly I don't care much for the birds themselves but the management scheme for the refuge was absolutely fascinating. Glad I was able to help it along .

 

[Falcarius]

Falcarius does in fits and starts.

 

[citizen cane]

Not especially, but I was working at Bosque del Apache NWR as the Sandhill Cranes were beginning to arrive recently. Honestly I don't care much for the birds themselves but the management scheme for the refuge was absolutely fascinating. Glad I was able to help it along .

That sounds amazing. How'd you land that job, if I may ask?

 

[giegs]

I work for a youth conservation corps. We basically function as a subcontractor for land management agencies or anybody else that has money to throw at conservation related work. I spent 3 weeks there cutting tamarisk/saltcedar and russian olive to move their restoration efforts along. Such a small dent in what needs to be done, but it was a nice change from office work.

 

[AphroditeGoneAwry]

I went through a birding phase. Got up early a few mornings to 'track' this bird I could hear calling. Couldn't really see it too well (lol....my Se sucks), but by the second day I had Id'd it as a .......

common robin.

I wish I knew every bird song and call by ear, but I don't. My proudest moment as a birder was tracking down and identifying the semi-elusive Swainson's Thrush. I even used the written chord in a book to nail the diagnosis down between it and another kind of thrush. Consequently, it is now my fav bird.

I despise crows. nestrobbers that they are.

I <3 this bird. It sings at dusk and dawn only.

Swainson's Thrush:

and for those intersted, here is its song:

[YOUTUBE="G-pgV6-A8ZA"]It has a most beautiful warble at the end of its song. <3[/YOUTUBE]

 

[cascadeco]

I began birding in late 5th grade and was very occupied with it through high school, learning all of the species, trying to learn many of their songs, documenting what I saw during migration, etc. Once college began I dropped it for a while, but picked it up again after and am still always very interested in seeing new species. I've seen close to 400 species in the U.S., and worldwide, close to 600 (or over that? I don't really know, I'd have to look at my list which I don't have with me right now )

Have been interested in birds for over 20 years!

 

[crayons]

I like to watch birds outside my home. Once in a while, I'll spot something interesting like a great horned owl but usually I just see scrub jays, house finches and white crowned sparrows.

 

[Mal12345]

I like to watch birds outside my home. Once in a while, I'll spot something interesting like a great horned owl but usually I just see scrub jays, house finches and white crowned sparrows.

Keep your ears open as well as your eyes. Once I heard a very high-pitched call, just barely within hearing range, and after looking around with my binocs for a while I spotted the source: a tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet.

 

[crayons]

I saw a few cedar waxwings today. I also saw that they managed to build a nest in a tree of my front yard. Aww. Never seen them IRL before even as common as they are.

 

[Mal12345]

I saw a few cedar waxwings today. I also saw that they managed to build a nest in a tree of my front yard. Aww. Never seen them IRL before even as common as they are.

Ever seen any Bohemian Waxwings?

My birding days are really over with. I tried to watch the lunar eclipse through binoculars and ended up with a very sore neck the rest of the day.

 

[crayons]

Ever seen any Bohemian Waxwings?

Pictures yes in person no. I don't think they go this far south in the winter. The ones I spotted today had yellow feathered bellies and red spots on their wings, so I'm assuming they're cedar waxwings...

 

[Mal12345]

Pictures yes in person no. I don't think they go this far south in the winter. The ones I spotted today had yellow feathered bellies and red spots on their wings, so I'm assuming they're cedar waxwings...

They don't go much farther south than the southern boundaries of Idaho, Colorado, and South Dakota.