Birding During the Pandemic: It’s Catching On
Written by Andy McCormick
Current news reports indicate that more people are appreciating birds while they shelter in place. Confined to home during partial shutdowns this spring, people have had a lot of time on their hands and many of them have started watching the birds in their yards, discovering just how much fun it can be. Downloads of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird identification app, Merlin, and the Audubon app have increased dramatically. Sales of bird feeders and bird seed have expanded during the pandemic. People are starting to notice birds.
DAVID SIBLEY’S TIPS FOR WATCHING BIRDS
Noticing birds is the first of David Sibley’s 7 Tips for Watching Birds During the Spring Lockdown, an article he wrote for The New York Times. The tips offer a helpful guide for rookie birders and a good reminder for veterans birders. The other six tips are: Listen to the birds; Look at the bird’s bill; Think about what the bird is doing; Watch for patterns in the bird’s behavior; Be curious; and Draw and write notes about what you see and hear. These tips can help us all become better birders and more aware of the nature around us.
PEOPLE WANT TO BE CLOSE TO NATURE
Human evolution began in the area of the Serengeti in East Africa. Closeness to nature and other species is part of our humanity. We can see how people express this urge for closeness to nature as they flock to parks and beaches, even at the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. When the closures were recently lifted, we headed to parks, trails, and beaches for solace and a sense of freedom. What Sibley is trying to do is help people deepen this experience.
CONNECT WITH NATURE FOR YOUR HEALTH
Research on the effect that nature has on humans has demonstrated that walking in the woods or by water is a health-producing activity. Research with hospital patients indicates that those who have a bed by a window heal faster. We now know that children who get out into nature are less stressed. Our Eastside Audubon motto “Your connection to nature,” reflects an awareness of these benefits.
All of us need opportunities to be in nature, and especially so in this time of pandemic disease. For us in Audubon, birding is a way we experience nature. Birds bring an accessible wildness to our lives. They are curious about humans and respond when we feed them. We are fascinated with birds and we envy their ability to fly. There is a tremendous amount to learn about the lives and behavior of birds and increasing our awareness of birds only increases our appreciation of them.
EVERYONE NEEDS NATURE’S BENEFITS
The benefits of nature are available to everyone who can access a place to walk among trees and near water. Confinement to home has brought to the foreground the need for people to get outside on a regular basis. To help with this access, some cities are closing streets and making them available for walking and biking. There is a new recognition that the parkland we have preserved is not enough to meet our needs. This is especially true for urban dwellers.
Cities are growing around the world and becoming more crowded. There are many people who live in crowded parts of town, in small apartments with extended family members, and continue to work in an essential job to keep our society functioning. They cannot easily access a natural area and many neighborhoods have not maintained enough open space to meet people’s needs.
The environmental justice movement has been an important component of conservation work and is addressing the need for protecting the environment for all people. We are now more aware of the need to ensure that everyone in all neighborhoods and communities has the right to enjoy a healthy environment where they live and work.
JOIN THE EFFORT TO PROTECT THE AIR, WATER, AND LAND
Audubon is a leader in this effort. I recently read the Fall 2019 issue of Audubon and I recommend reading the entire issue. It is devoted to good works underway to protect the environment for forests, coasts, cities, oceans, and rivers and the birds which need healthy ecosystems. You will be inspired to read these stories of success. We Audubon people can be leaders in the conservation of birds and their habitat and help humanity heal our planet at the same time.
In the meantime, take your binoculars with you on walks. Make eBird checklists of the birds in your neighborhood. Keep your bird feeders full. Help a new birder learn some birding basics. Read about and study birds. Learn bird songs. Be patient with the changes we are experiencing. Be kind to essential workers. Stay safe and healthy.
Photo by Mick Thompson.