BIRDING is many things to many people – including tens of millions of Americans! And to some of us, birding is a lifestyle, an ever-present part of our lives. For others, it’s the action at feeders outside their window, the birds along the golf course, or the flocks of birds at a national wildlife refuge an hour away. But for all of us, birds provide an interest that commands our attention and inspires a lively connection to nature that we enjoy sharing with family, friends and fellow birders.

Birding includes all kinds of outdoor activities, including listing and censusing the species we see, photographing, hiking, cycling, canoeing and kayaking, auto touring, backpacking and camping, drawing and painting, field studies, traveling to wildlife havens and even to other states or countries to explore new locations with distinctive birds - and much more. 

Birding also includes aspects of our home life, such as attracting birds by providing food and water, and landscaping our yards with flowering plants, shrubs and trees to provide shelter, food and nesting sites. We also install nest boxes for cavity nesting birds to utilize in out yards and in the field. 

Inside our homes we assemble libraries of field guides, birding books and magazines and we display bird-inspired drawings, paintings, sculptures and ceramics. Our computers provide access to a remarkable wealth of information, and we create files where we can keep records and digital photos, and use specialized programs that aid our birding endeavors. 

We can even add bird-oriented improvements to our work sites and offices, whether that may be adding some bird-friendly landscaping or a hummingbird feeder outdoors, or adding a piece of bird art in a hallway. I’ve even visited restaurants that installed a line-up of decorative bird feeders and water features outside large display windows that attracted beautiful birds that in turn attracted people to the business. Some people even choose bird-related occupations – birds, birds, birds.

In the coming weeks, we will share more about the special ways we enjoy birding, and perhaps you will be inspired to expand your birding horizons, or plan a special trip that includes some fun birding hotspots. Take your binoculars, your camera and a journal to keep field notes and enjoy the great outdoors! Then too, enjoy your own yard and office and neighborhood too, ‘cuz birds will catch your eye wherever you go! 

     Share your favorite ways of birding by sending your stories and photos to  editorstbw2@gmail.com