Why Birdwatching Finally Won Over This Reluctant Newcomer

I’m old. There are no songs on my running playlist from after 2010. All my jeans are skinny jeans. And while I’m glad modern discourse has evolved, I still wish airports had smoking lounges.

So it came as no surprise when, earlier this week, I woke up at 6 a.m. to wander a park, binoculars in hand, tracking birds—and then spent the evening playing a video game about it.

Birding’s Pandemic Boom and My Reluctant Curiosity

Birdwatching surged in popularity during the pandemic, and suddenly, all my friends were obsessed. I’d resisted the trend for years. Outdoor activities I enjoy—running, biking—require speed, not stillness. But I’ve always paused to admire colorful or unfamiliar birds. My attempts to identify them online usually ended with a vague “huh, neat” or a near-panic moment while camping, when I mistook barred owls for monsters.

The Push to Try Birding: A Morning Off-Screen

My motivation was simple: I wanted to start my day outside, away from Slack notifications and spreadsheets. Waking up and stepping into the fresh air, I traded my computer screen for trees and water. I joined a local birding group led by an expert who knew the names, behaviors, and habitats of every bird we encountered—details I’d never considered before.

Birding, I learned, isn’t as passive as I assumed. It demands skill, patience, and a bit of humility.

Binoculars: A Skill I’d Forgotten

I hadn’t used binoculars since childhood, and my lack of practice showed. I’d spot a bird with my naked eyes, lift the binoculars, and immediately lose it. The others in the group would excitedly point out a bird, while I fumbled, whispering, “Where did it go?” like a frustrated child.

The Challenge of Patience

Birds don’t pose for observers. Once spotted, they flit away—especially the smaller ones. I spent much of the morning listening to others exclaim over a bird while I struggled to keep up. It turns out, birding requires a patience I thought I had but clearly don’t.

A Morning Well Spent

Despite my initial struggles, I returned home feeling unexpectedly satisfied. When I finally opened my laptop, the contrast between the morning’s quiet observation and the digital noise of the day felt stark. Birding, I realized, is a reminder to slow down, look closely, and appreciate the world beyond a screen.