• @MSids
    link
    34
    edit-2
    4 months ago

    I was into film and digital photography for a while before I met my current girlfriend. Her family has always been into birdwatching. Once I realized the new challenge of photographing birds it was a whole new world of photography for me. It’s definitely part of my identity at this point. Enjoy this great blue heron.

  • @givesomefucks
    link
    English
    334 months ago

    What’s there to think about?

    It’s a hobby. Lots of people watch and record things like clouds, trains, airplanes, weather patterns, or even birds.

    If someone wants to keep track of what birds they see, more power to them.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    274 months ago

    Perverts who wait for hours to see birds having sex. That’s disgusting. Same for people who play the piano and hide their racism by using black keys as a symbol of stomping on black people.

    And don’t get me started on poets…

  • 2ugly2live
    link
    204 months ago

    I believed it was boring and weird (“Why can’t they just goggle the bird?”). But I recently bought a bird feeder for my cat and I’m more invested in the birds than she is. It’s like boring Pokémon, I love it lol.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      114 months ago

      Honestly, my husband and I birdwatch and we treat it like Pokémon Snap when we go out! Myself with binoculars, husband with camera.

      I felt like it adds another dimension or another sense to our world. When I walk from parking lot to work for example, I can hear and identify what birds are around just off sound alone.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet
      link
      English
      104 months ago

      Hold up! You bought a bird feeder to lure birds in for your cat to kill?

      • 2ugly2live
        link
        184 months ago

        Oh god, no. It was just to give her something to look at through the window. Like “cat TV.”

        • Rhynoplaz
          link
          14 months ago

          We sprinkle old bread on the front steps so our cat can watch the chipmunks.

          • 2ugly2live
            link
            34 months ago

            I leave some out for a chipmunk as well. I’ve named him Ignacio.

  • @sp6
    link
    English
    194 months ago

    Seems like a peaceful hobby. [email protected] has a whopping 3.4k subscribers, so it seems to be relatively popular around here too.

    • @AchtungDrempels
      link
      114 months ago

      Very friendly community, one of my favorites on lemmy.

  • @bugworld
    link
    194 months ago

    I currently have the top post on [email protected]

    I got into birding late last year after I decided to start feeding the crows in my neighborhood. It started with feeding them peanuts. Then it turned into taking pictures of them when then visited. Soon enough, I was naming them and really studying their behavior. I wanted to see more birds, so I bought a bird feeder.

    I started applying my other hobbies to bird watching and that is where things really took off. (Pun intended).

    I designed and 3d printed a quarter pipe that fits on my bird feeder. I bolted a tech deck to the top and I have taken a lot of photos of birds that look like they are about to drop in on the quarter pipe.

    As if that wasn’t enough, I draw the photos that I take and turn them into embroidered iron-on patches to leave on the pin board at my local coffee shop for strangers to take.

    Birding forces me to slow down and pay attention. I find it relaxing and it is the polar opposite of my normal day to day. It also gives me a way share my excitment with others. If anything I have done results in someone deciding to feed a crow some peanuts, then its all worth it.

    • @ShadowCatEXE
      link
      44 months ago

      As someone who likes bird photography and spent half his life skateboarding, this is such a badass photo.

    • @Voran
      link
      24 months ago

      What species is this mohawked cutie pie?

    • @AchtungDrempels
      link
      124 months ago

      Haha. I started feeding birds on my balcony this winter and i love it.

      I don’t go out to watch birds (yet), but i love checking what’s up with the birds in the garden, know pretty much all of them, learning their songs etc.

      Also now on vacation i am way more tuned into what the birds are doing than i used to be, kinda opened another audible dimension.

      • ArtieShaw
        link
        fedilink
        64 months ago

        I have a low key interest in birds and have been using the Merlin app to ID them by photo, description, or their song. You can set it to record, then just chill in the backyard while it lists the birds it hears.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      34 months ago

      Yeah it creeps up on you with age… I’ve recently installed an app for it and slowly adding more of the birds I see in there. For now that’s it, I don’t go out of my way for it, but I guess that’s how it starts…

      • @Voran
        link
        24 months ago

        I liked it at 11. Used to annoy teachers doodling eagles and owls on absolutely everything.

  • Boozilla
    link
    English
    144 months ago

    My parents maintained a bird feeder in our back yard when I was a kid. It was very enjoyable watching them, and you get to know individual birds over time.

    As for going out looking for specific species with binoculars and all that…I don’t know much about it, and try to stay neutral. It looks silly to an outsider, but a lot of worthwhile hobbies do.

    • @die444die
      link
      English
      23 months ago

      I do this too. It was surprising to me that I started recognizing them so quickly.

      They all get names now. This year I have a whole family of finches that I call the Murphy’s but tbh they act more like BeBe’s kids, just show up throwing seed everywhere and acting like they ain’t got no sense.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    134 months ago

    Birds are cool and I generally like birdwatchers but those people get up entirely too early. It is not natural.

    • @Dasus
      link
      34 months ago

      I like birds, and I get up around 14.00-16.00 everyday

      Would probably help to get up early I think though

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        1
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        Well I like birds too but I’m not really a birdwatcher. Are you going out and birdwatching at that hour? Not much bird activity in the afternoon from what I’ve seen.

        • @Dasus
          link
          44 months ago

          I’m not really a bird watcher in that sense either.

          I mostly follow the birbs in my neighbourhood. Made friends with a pair of crows like 13 years ago, so now most corvids in the area basically know me by look.

          That and seagulls.

          If only I had a car and could get out properly

  • @BonesOfTheMoon
    link
    74 months ago

    It’s wonderful! I reported a rare bird sighting once and ended up in a book, I had no idea until it was gifted to me and the page just fell open to the mention. It was really exciting!

  • @spittingimage
    link
    64 months ago

    I think you need to have the collector gene to get into it, but it seems like a good hobby for getting you out of the house.

  • @Carrolade
    link
    English
    54 months ago

    Courageous citizens performing the necessary duty of watching for new drone types and capabilities, and tracking usage patterns. They surveil the surveillance system. Heroes one and all.