Birding: Connecting Us with Nature, Part 1 of 2

Also known as bird watching, it is defined as the hobby of studying birds in the wild. It is one of the fastest-growing hobbies in North America. Birding is gaining in popularity for very good reasons: it has many solid benefits for the body, mind and spirit. Getting to and from your birding spot usually includes hiking, which is great cardiovascular exercise. And while doing so, you are breathing in fresh air and soaking up the sun and producing natural vitamin D. Birding also enhances mental alertness and makes one physically engaged as it takes quick eyes and arm coordination to scan and track our fast-moving feathered friends using binoculars. Birding involves being in nature for long periods of time, which contributes to better mental health.

According to a paper called “Doses of Neighborhood Nature” published in 2017 in the journal BioScience, the more birds the respondents saw, the less they were depressed and anxious. Moreover, birding requires focus and being quiet, similar to meditation. And when you finally see the birds after a long wait, their sheer beauty will catch your heart immediately, and you will concentrate on what’s happening at that moment – the head bobbing, the tail flicking, the colorful plumage, their curious hops, and heavenly song as if nothing else exists.

For maximum birding enjoyment, here are the essentials to prepare before your outing: The first requirement is a good field guide. For a novice, each bird you encounter is a mystery, and playing detective to solve the case is a core part of birding fun. Thanks to modern technology, there are many field guide apps to aid in your detective work, and some of them are free! If you cannot or don’t feel like traveling that far, you can simply try birding in your backyard. You may be surprised by how many bird species visit your garden. Here are some tips for backyard birders…