Bird watching!!!!
 

I have a stump in the back yard so Monday last week I went to the Birds Unlimited store and bought this pole set up, some bird feeders, and some fancy bird feed with dried fruit in it. Then I drilled a one inch hole five inches deep right in the middle of the stump and put everything up using the stump as the base.

While I was at the Birds Unlimited store they had really nice binoculars, so I was looking at them and ended up buying a pair of binoculars. Then of course I had to have a bird identification book. So I got everything all set up on Monday and on Wednesday I got some catalog in the mail for on line classes. One of them was a National Geographic bird watching class. Twenty five bucks, so I got it and my wife and I have started on it this weekend. Anyway, I have always thought that bird watching looked like one of the most boring and goofy past times that anyone could do. But I was wrong. It is crazy interesting if you get into it.

Timing is everything
 

This was on today's CBS Sunday morning show. Hope you enjoy!

https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs-sunday...for-the-birds/

It seems what you’ve done is pretty neat.

My wife and I never thought we’d take an interest in birds, but since volunteering during winters months at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida, we’ve discovered our interest. We’re not obsessed with it by any means, but it’s pretty cool and our fellow volunteers are terrific people. For us, it’s not just the birds, it’s all the wildlife that hangs-out in that beautiful sanctuary...gators, crocs (yep, there are a few crocs which have ventured that far north from the Everglades), fish, etc.

Thanks. That is interesting. Maybe I'm on the leading edge of the next trending topic.

I love it... it's fascinating watching their behavior. I've been a birder for decades... everybody in my family was. Binocs these days are fabulous. Hope you enjoy... it's a wonderful pastime and a good way to get out in nature and get a little exercise. :)

I think bird watching, gardening and reading the obituaries (I do all of these but only enjoy the first two) are a function of getting older!

Fog

I really enjoy watching birds, especially those who come to my feeders. Watching hummingbirds this time of year is especially fun....

It is a great hobby. Been birding since I was a kid. Now that I am retired and moved to a new part of the country, I have become a bit more involved (not obsessed :-) For the past 2 years I have been using a Sierra Club desk calendar to record the bird species I see on our property. I have recorded 90 species so far and 70 so far for this year. The cool thing is to see the year to year similarities/differences of when the migratory species arrive/depart. Also this year we noted the first hatching of the Wood Ducks were on the exact same day as last year. The second hatching was off by only 4 days. Great fun and as mentioned above is a great excuse to get out and enjoy the outdoors and other wildlife. Be warned however, bino's are great but you'll be wanting to upgrade to a spotting scope in no time!

Amazing what a fine clock those little guys have, isn't it?

For several years, I was in a spot to view the annual arrival of Painted Buntings, the most gaudily-colored bird in North America. We could pinpoint the day they'd arrive and I don't believe it ever failed. Probably if a big storm comes up, they might be late, but not much gets them off-track.

I didn’t take this photo, a friend did. It is an example of the incredible wildlife at the Ding Darling refuge in Florida. These are Roseate Spoonbills. Apart from their bright color and long spoon-shaped bill, it is interesting how they use their bill to stir-up the bottom which draws a host of other aquatic creatures around them which feed on what is raised.

Great photo of the Spoonbills. A friend here in Louisiana refers to those as Cajun Flamingos :):D

Uh-oh. BWAS?
(Bird watching acquisition syndrome????):D

We have far more pedestrian birds in our area - the state bird, the Cardinal, several types of house finch, rusty blackbirds, and robins. Years ago my parents gave us The Audubon Field Guide to North American Birds and we've love using it ever since. My wife bought me a bird feeder for Christmas and we've recently mounted it up, right in sight of the breakfast table. I ended up with two pairs of my father's binoculars, one of which stays on the breakfast table.

Bob

Learned something today. I thought Florida just had alligators and caimans! Crocs too. Fascinating. :)

One of the nicest features of Florida golf is the amazing wildlife you see on the courses. The many bird species alone is a sight to behold. And bald eagle nests the size of a garage in those tall cypress trees.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great resource for birders, and they have a great app (Merlin) for your mobile device. :up:

Beautiful Spoonbills, Tom!