THE ALLURE OF BIRD WATCHING

 

Those of us in retirement have adopted a slower pace with empty nests. No longer are we anchored to a punishing work schedule while nurturing a growing family. As seniors, we get to slow down and watch the frantic activities taking place in other unique nests. The action is year-round with a changing cast of characters. I am referring to birds.

According to the U.S. Field and Wildlife Service some 57 million Americans feed the birds for the allure of observing them from the comfort of their homes. During the pandemic, this number skyrocketed. Bird feeding is a big business. Americans spend $4 billion each year on about a billion pounds of bird seed. In addition, millions of pounds of suet are deployed throughout our nation’s backyards.

Bird watching outside the home has also caught on with older folks. My wife and I have visited many domestic and foreign locations where bird watching became part of the adventure. Observing the shore birds and twice-yearly migrations through Chincoteague, Virginia has always captivated us. We will never forget the many varieties of colorful hummingbirds or noisy parrots from Costa Rica. During our trip to the Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania, we saw more varieties of unusual birds than mammals and reptiles combined.

However, nothing makes us happier than observing the life cycles of the local birds in our backyard aviary. From the short visits of Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and the one-time nesting of a family of Brown Thrashers, to an unusual two-week show of Barred Owls at dusk, and our regular year-round bird population, there are always new surprises.

Watching a family of Chickadees or Cardinals nest, fledge and take over the yard keeps us filling the feeders and bird baths year-round. Coming face to face with a curious hummingbird is close to a spiritual experience.

Why does bird watching captivate us? One book to read is Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce and Conversation. (Baicich, 2015) The Council for Environmental education calls the book “a fascinating history of our love affair with feeding birds...wrapped with wonderful insights on how bird feeding can be used to connect people to nature right at our doorstep. It's a treasure.” In reviewing this study, the National Audubon society says “This book chronicles our growing love affair with birds.”

One of my favorite authors is Joanathan Franzen, fellow Swarthmore graduate and winner of the National Book Award. As Franzen got older and began looking up while walking through Central Park in New York City, he fell in love with birds. His observations in an Audubon Magazine interview are educational, heartwarming and worth repeating, “There have been two kinds of amazing animal developments.  One is us—in terms of totally transforming things—and the dinosaurs were the other. And the birds are what became of dinosaurs. The dinosaurs got all light and they got feathers, truly one of the remarkable adaptations in the history of evolution. They sing. They fly. They make nests. Flight, the complexity of their behavior, their beauty.  You can love nature in the abstract and care about it, but once you actually start having an emotional connection with part of nature like birds, then it becomes a wholly different thing.”

Other factors draw those of us in retirement to become enamored with birds. Bird seed is not expensive. Bird watchers in the field only need a pair of binoculars and a smart-phone app, or guide-book for identification. The moderate physical exercise is exactly what our physicians are recommending.

Retirement biological clocks often come into sync with the local bird population. We go to bed earlier, after the final robin chirps in mid-summer. We wake up early on spring mornings to a loud chorus of nest builders. Now we have the time to pay attention.

A study published in 2024 in the Journal of Environmental Psychology finds that “even half an hour of bird watching makes us happier, healthier and can help foster a deeper connection with nature.” The psychological concept of “noticing” is an essential aspect of awe. Noticing means that our full attention is on the birds rather than ourselves. Moreover, being in nature and noticing wildlife requires us to immerse ourselves in the activity. This provides “a deep engagement and profound sense of tranquility through prolonged observation.” 

Bird watchers become fully engrossed in identifying bird species, deciphering their behaviors, and observing their actions. After being “in the flow” birdwatchers “can experience a rush of endorphins and a profound sense of satisfaction and wellbeing.”

One would think that bird watching is an activity that is above the controversies that have recently divided America. After all, in our back yard, even the “red” cardinals and the “blue” jays seem to get along.  However, on Oct. 3, NPR reported that birders are arguing over a plan to change dozens of bird names. It seems that the American Ornithological Society wants to do away with those names that honor people. The goal is to rename over one hundred North and South American birds to purge names with links to racism and colonialism. Many birders are not happy and the upcoming debate promises to be bitter and divisive.

Thankfully, none of the bird species of Pennsylvania appear to be affected. We can continue to post the photos and common names of our backyard visitors without offending the neighbors.