LIFE LESSONS FROM BIRDING

My wife, Sara, and I started birding just over six years ago while in our midthirties. Jumping in wholeheartedly, the hobby became intertwined in our daily routines within the first year.

- Adam Wilson

Constantly watching and listening for birds is certainly an unintended side-effect. Planning vacations around birds we’ve never seen or dropping day-plans to chase (twitch) after a rarity reported within driving distance are two other examples.

If you aren’t a birder, I don’t intend to scare you. You can choose to make birding as casual or intense as you like. Some days I find my connection with birding peaceful and calming. However, looking for a specific bird or rarity brings out different emotions.

Excitement. Anxiety. Elation of a bird found. Or, the anguish of a missed bird.

Birding teaches more than bird knowledge. It helps hone skills you already possess or instill new ones through experiences. Here are a few examples of things we have learned – or relearned, through birding.

PATIENCE

In May 2017, we attended the Biggest Week in American Birding, a multiday festival in Northwest Ohio celebrating the amazing diversity of migrating species that pass through the region. Closeup views of vibrant warblers are one of the main highlights.