In my case over 40 years ago it was as simple as building my first bird box and having Blue tits rear a family in it which started it all off for me. A hobby first just watching any bird that came into my garden,then a fixation about learning as much about them as possible and then the obsession and twitching around the country and parts of Europe seeing as many birds as I could. Then the lists and the targets that I set myself, 200/250 species in Britain before Xmas was one. Site lists ,life list, world list, list about lists.
Then it all slowed down for a couple of years. Got married ,had kids and worked like a loony to pay the mortgage and not too much free time to get out and about.
Now the obsession has been replaced with a way to deal with the stress of work and life. The kids have grown up, the wife has been and gone [ she wasn't a birder anyway] I don't do lists or keep any records at all. I put some of my sightings on this excellent forum.
Whether its your hobby, pastime, interest, sport, fixation or obsession .If people ask, I tell them I'm a birder enjoying life.
Sid How come when you go to Marshside you find the lovely blonde lady and when I go I only find you
Geoff you dont need to explain yourself to anyone its your interest that counts. I tell people who may ask that Im a birder and explain the difference from being a twitcher. If they are interested I tell them about the wonders of our hobby (favourite pursuit for me) like Arctic Tern migration, a young Cuckoos first flight to the sun, a 10gram warbler going back and forth to Africa etc etc.
Some may think that we are crazy standing by a canal-side on a freezing cold day waiting for a Hawfinch to put in an appearance and not appreciating what we feel when one turns up or equally when one doesnt turn up but that doesnt matter its our decision to stand there and it really doesnt matter what others think.
I too am relatively new to the hobby, for that is what it is to me, but early on I read a book called Blokes and Birds, a Christmas present about 4 years ago, and in there was a quote from James Fisher one of the founders of modern birding (sic).
"The observation of birds may be a superstition, a tradition, an art, a science, a hobby or a bore; this depends entirely on the nature of the observer".
Now having gone through the deep stuff Ill tell you a story that reinforces what James Fisher said. Earlier this year we arrived at Marshside just got out of the car when we were approached by quite an attractive blond lady who to our surprise was extremely interested in birds, asking what we might see etc etc she then produced a pair of bins and started walking with us to the hide. We had just crossed the road and the questioning continued - just at that point a car with three youths slowed to enable the occupants to call out "Get a ****ing life" to which our new birding mate replied with gestures "Go **** yourselves" - I get that all of the time she said but I don't care Im doing what I enjoy.
So there you go Geoff its what you want it to be. Good birding for the new year.
Sid,and everyone trying to follow this,what I meant to say was (in plain english I hope)I,m new to world of birding and have had to overcome some hangups about the whole thing.I,ve met loads of nice people,and had some strange experiencences whilst birding,shared some cracking birds but i just wondered how other people explain it to their family,friends etc.Its not a sport(otherwise you could gamble on it) pastime (much to intense)hobby(no that,s building airfix kits)I,ve decided it,s my ######
,what I meant to say was (in plain english I hope)I,m new to world of birding and have had to overcome some hangups
about the whole thing.
