# Anyone here into birdwatching?



## pingpong99 (Mar 21, 2021)

Self-explanatory title. I'm an amateur myself, still learning how to id some pretty basic/common birds, but man if it hasn't been fun to learn! Would love to hear from other birders on here!


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## TemetNosce88 (Mar 21, 2021)

I enjoy bird watching! I still have a lot to learn but I know maybe half to two-thirds of the birds that I commonly see around my farm. I'm trying to get better at learning all of their calls so I can identify without having to see them.


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Mar 21, 2021)

I like seeing birbs, but I rarely sit down and watch them.


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## TyraWadman (Mar 21, 2021)

Wait for the duck to land.


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## Deleted member 134556 (Mar 21, 2021)

There is a beautiful bird sanctuary in India that I really wish to visit. It's a massive outdoor exhibit where tropical birds are cared for, and visitors are allowed inside to view them from all around. I consider it a massive milestone in human efforts to bird conservation.


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## Zehlua (Mar 24, 2021)

YES


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## Pomorek (Mar 26, 2021)

I hardly go and look for them on purpose, but because of my interest in nature I can recognize quite a few species. And as I'm strolling off the beaten track, I'm always happy to see some pheasants, patridges or lapwings.

My favorite is the blackbird though, which doesn't give a damn and will be singing its heart out even in the middle of worst urban decay.

Also, the swifts. I like to go out on the balcony on a summer evening and see huge flocks of those little maniacs swirling all around me at insane speed!


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## Simo (Mar 26, 2021)

Casual bird watcher, here!

Got out this old pair of powerful binoculars today, and was sitting out on the dock. Since the ice melted off, the lake has been pretty busy with birds, and saw some very noisy ducks, a pair of geese, and later on, two loons. Have not seen a loon in quite some time; amazing how long they can dive for, and how far they travel, when they come back up.


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## Tallow_Phoenix (Mar 26, 2021)

Kind of an casual myself but yeah! There's a little nature trail near where I live, but I still see mostly urban birds. Sometimes I'm surprised by an egret or hawk though!



Spoiler: my favorite bird picture: sandhill cranes!


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## pingpong99 (Mar 26, 2021)

TemetNosce88 said:


> I enjoy bird watching! I still have a lot to learn but I know maybe half to two-thirds of the birds that I commonly see around my farm. I'm trying to get better at learning all of their calls so I can identify without having to see them.


Oh man, I SUCK at identifying the calls! Unless they're really distinct. And it's a really important skill to have, too, since some of them are very rarely seen or only seen in flight. It's a shame that some birds refuse to sit nice and still for you where you can see them clearly


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## pingpong99 (Mar 26, 2021)

Tallow_Phoenix said:


> Kind of an casual myself but yeah! There's a little nature trail near where I live, but I still see mostly urban birds. Sometimes I'm surprised by an egret or hawk though!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm visiting the US later this year and I'd love to see these! It's in Florida, so my greatest wish is to see a roseate spoonbill... They're just so cool, I love their weird naked heads. 
I didn't know they walked into town like that, that's pretty funny. There's a place here in Sweden called lake Hornborga which draws birders from all around europe because an insane amount of common cranes always stop there around spring to do their mating dance.


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## Tallow_Phoenix (Mar 26, 2021)

pingpong99 said:


> I'm visiting the US later this year and I'd love to see these! It's in Florida, so my greatest wish is to see a roseate spoonbill... They're just so cool, I love their weird naked heads.
> I didn't know they walked into town like that, that's pretty funny. There's a place here in Sweden called lake Hornborga which draws birders from all around europe because an insane amount of common cranes always stop there around spring to do their mating dance.



Just looked up Lake Hornborga, that looks amazing! I can see why it's popular. ^^

I've only been lucky enough to see a roseate spoonbill once, and I wasn't even looking for it; I was just hanging out in a backyard at a party and happened to see one puttering around in a little pond off in the distance. They're definitely distinctive!


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## Kuroserama (Mar 26, 2021)

I am an amateur, too. I love birds, though. For my birthday this year, my grandmother gave me a lot of bird houses and feeders and nesting material holders so I am hoping to bring more birds to my yard. I have a pair of Cardinals who live nearby and visit often (whom I've named Churro and Maria), and occasionally a pair of Blue Jays (Miss Fontana and Billy Bob Blue Jay). 

Wren's are some of my favorite, as they're little scoundrels. I put that mesh screen over my sliding door opening to keep out bugs and birds.. But those wrens will hop on the floor and sneak in and hang out in my sunroom until I gently guide them back out. Silly little things. 

I'm hoping to attract a Bluebird family with my new Bluebird nesting box this year.


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## Marius Merganser (Mar 29, 2021)

pingpong99 said:


> Self-explanatory title. I'm an amateur myself, still learning how to id some pretty basic/common birds, but man if it hasn't been fun to learn! Would love to hear from other birders on here!



Not sure how I missed this thread.
Yes, I've been birding for about 3+ years and started getting into more serious bird photography back in January when I got a real camera.

If you have a smartphone, I suggest checking out Merlin Bird ID, eBird, GoBird, and Birds Near Me. These apps help you ID birds and show you what has been reported near your current location.  Otherwise, any of the recently published field guides from a book store are good for reference.


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## Netanye Dakabi (Mar 30, 2021)

i have a friend of a friend called Adam that likes to watch birds.

he's a carpenter.


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## pingpong99 (Apr 5, 2021)

Marius Merganser said:


> Not sure how I missed this thread.
> Yes, I've been birding for about 3+ years and started getting into more serious bird photography back in January when I got a real camera.
> 
> If you have a smartphone, I suggest checking out Merlin Bird ID, eBird, GoBird, and Birds Near Me. These apps help you ID birds and show you what has been reported near your current location.  Otherwise, any of the recently published field guides from a book store are good for reference.


I have the first two! They're what allowed me to get into birding more seriously back when I started. I got them when I lived in Spain and there were a lot of parakeets around that I wanted to ID. Man, those things were loud


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## Marius Merganser (Apr 5, 2021)

pingpong99 said:


> I have the first two! They're what allowed me to get into birding more seriously back when I started. I got them when I lived in Spain and there were a lot of parakeets around that I wanted to ID. Man, those things were loud


Keeping a life list?
Have a nemesis bird?


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## FayeBunny (Apr 5, 2021)

I more just like to see *any* animals, but birds are the ones I see a whole lot more than any others. Last week I was at a lake watching a blue heron catch fish. ^u^


Spoiler: Here's some bird photos of mine.



Blue Heron



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Northern Mockingbird



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Cedar Waxwings



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Brown Pelicans





I might not be specifically looking for birds, but I do enjoy watching them, especially when it's a species I've never seen before.


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## Faustus (Apr 6, 2021)

Mmm not really, but there's a big fat pigeon we call Chungus that visits our bird table, he's always fun to watch, and a blackbird recently built a nest in the bush right outside the living room window, so we had some fun watching her feeding her chick. Think they might have left now though.


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## Netanye Dakabi (Apr 13, 2021)

the boys watch the girls watching boys who watch the girls go by...


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## Orange Olive (May 9, 2021)

i like to go outside and read and wait for the birds to land on my arm and look at me.


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## Saokymo (May 9, 2021)

I love birdwatching! We have a good variety of birds that show up to our front feeder, and I get a kick out of trying to identify them all.

Here’s a painting I made recently of one of our yard visitors - a male painted bunting.


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## Adrian Gordon (May 15, 2021)

i like birdwatching. it's very relaxing.

we get quite a lot of activity at sunrise and sunset around here.


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