About a year ago I downloaded an app called Merlin. You can let it listen and it’ll identify all the birds around you by their calls. I’ve found myself rushing outside with my phone if I hear an unusual bird while I’m in my study. Then I look at myself and wonder, who the hell is this?

As a kid I adored being indoctrinated by my bird fanatic grandmother. I’d spend so much time looking through her Audubon’s Guide to Eastern Birds (US), and she would help me identify anything that came to the feeder.

She died several years ago and that was the one thing of hers I asked for. Now my four-year-old daughter likes to look through it with me. I even bought her a brand new copy the book’s western counterpart, since I live in western Canada now. I’ve even converted my wife who was once so ignorant of bird-related lore that she asked me one time if birds have ears.

A couple bald eagles sent me into a camera hobby, they fucking ruined me those birds. I’m broke as shit and my lens still isn’t long enough.

Damn. I though i was just getting in to a nice new hobby, but apparently I’m just getting old.

It was all over as soon as I bought a camera. I even live right next to some wetlands. Didn’t stand a chance.

… Look Raymond, a yellow crested warbler.

I need everyone to catch up. Soon it will be cool that I was a thirteen year old running around the neighborhood with a pair of binoculars. My friends are going to be so jealous that I got such a head start.

Crossposted to !birding@lemmy.world . Join us, you know you want to!

Roseate Spoonbill. That’s the end of my bird knowledge

When my grandfather passed, I got his bird call clock. I thought it was an innocent item to remember my grandfather, but apparently it’s a time bomb.

When you like looking at animals, birds are one of the easiest choice. Birds and insects are the only two categories that you’ll encounter pretty much anywhere.

As expected birds are more popular.

I’ve always lived in high migration pathways, so I had a mild interest from that. Then I picked up Wingspan in Switch which has tons of interesting birds in it. I noticed even Target sells the original tabletop game, but the Switch version is a great way to learn the game.

I just noticed during a work meeting today that the birds near my window become extremely weary when I look into them. To the point that one behaved like that Super Mario ghost that only moves when you are not looking.

Nice I just saw some yellow rumped warblers

I feel attacked. I saw some birds cross the street while driving to visit my Dad and I spent like 8 hours looking up birds to try to figure out what they were and I’ve been into it ever since.