Bird Watching for Homebodies
June 12, 2008 8:41 PM   Subscribe

Taking a look through this site, I can see why bird watching is such a popular hobby. From the common to the bizarre to the downright adorable. this site has a little... no, scratch that, a whole lot of everything. I suggest starting at the family list on the lower left hand column of the main page and trounsing about for a spell; it's good for the soul.
posted by ignorantguru (12 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Download plugin? What is this 1997? I'll just look out my window.
posted by Science! at 8:46 PM on June 12, 2008 [2 favorites]


Awesome find! Many hours of my life will be spent on this website now...
posted by MaryDellamorte at 8:56 PM on June 12, 2008


O RLY! (cover your ears). Great site, ignorantguru.
posted by tellurian at 9:27 PM on June 12, 2008


None of the links work for me because I'm missing some video plug in but WOO BIRDS.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 9:34 PM on June 12, 2008


Ditto no plugin, but there ain't anything more adorable than the dozen baby quail in my yard today--no bigger than ping pong balls, pecking through the grass.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:22 PM on June 12, 2008


The videos require Windows Media Player 10. If you don't want to get the update, there's always the source code. The common link above can be accessed directly by using http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/videos/Anatidae/Anas_platyrhynchos_20g.wmv, and similarly, all of the other videos offered.

Bizarre | downright adorable

Great find! Thanks, ignorantguru.
posted by sluglicker at 12:45 AM on June 13, 2008


Bird watching was a required activity in my high school biology classes. We even took field trips to Canada and the Okefenokee swamp for bird watching. I was very surprised when I discovered I really loved birding and it has become a life-long pleasure.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:05 AM on June 13, 2008


Thank you.
posted by Stewriffic at 12:16 PM on June 13, 2008


I became a bird watcher by accident. Two years ago, I got a nice DSLR and promptly dedicated myself to learning to be a better photographer. My buddy, a professional, suggested that I focus on a specific style that way I could better gauge my progress, and I opted for birds. The logic being that they are typically fast moving and unpredictable.

As I shot more and more of them, I began to enjoy figuring out what they were. This led to doing some research into their behavior so I could better be prepared when in the field to find the ones I wanted to get shots of.

Then, one day, when having a conversation with a coworker, a bird appeared on a TV and someone asked about it. I was able to explain in great unexpected detail what it was, where it could be found, what it ate, and some other silly trivia.

No one was more shocked than me. I had become, completely without my knowledge, a bird watcher.
posted by quin at 3:45 PM on June 13, 2008


This is a great site, thanks for finding it.

My grandparents were bird watchers, and I would often spend time while visiting them watching the different birds visiting their feeders. They gave me my first field guide, and my fondness for birding just grew from there. Now, as an adult, I have at least five feeders in my yard to accommodate the most amounts of birds. And I've begun keeping lists through the year to note how many species visit at various times of a season; when the first hummingbird arrives; any unique sightings. It's become my favorite hobby.
posted by annieb at 11:45 AM on June 15, 2008


Bird songs from the Americas [adversaria]
posted by tellurian at 4:42 PM on June 18, 2008




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