Ask Lemmy

I dont do it but I can see the appeal of photographing a wild animal. Its like hunting, but instead of shooting a gun and killing the animal, you shoot a picture and you get a nice souvenir without hurting anything.

Birds are awesome. Loved them even as a kid when it was hopelessly uncool.

I don't get it but they're not hurting anything so meh.

Up until last Saturday I thought it was an old person's thing I wouldn't care much for.

Here I sit watching and feeding my flock of Grey catbirds and enjoying sounds of the cardinals and chick-a-dees. It's nice.

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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.

I don't think about them at all

Brd

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

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!

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.

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.

Sounds fun. I like birds

If someone's into birds that's cool. Not really my area of interest but more power to them.

I was attacked by crows once and these bird watchers who were watching the whole thing didn't help, they just considered the scene the birds were making par for the course of the bird watching, like it reminded them of the hunt. So it's definitely not for me.

Cool, I have Birdnet and whenever I hear a bird I launch it, it's cool! I'm also an old dull man.

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.

It's probably a great hobby, with pleasantly little potential to turn into a side hustle.

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.

If you like it, do it. It's a hobby after all. That's what they're for.

I hate those birdwatching fucks.

It’s cool. I’m a massive fan of tits, boobies and shags.