One of the greatest yet unheralded pleasures is counting birds in your back yard. It is free, requires no travel and is therapeutic.
Here’s how it works: Go outside, preferably in the early morning. Dress for the weather and bring four things: a cup of coffee, binoculars, a note pad and pencil. You might want to add a bird book to this list (see my website resources section). Then sit quietly for 20 minutes. Watch, listen and take notes. Look at the sky as well as the trees, buildings, and landscape around you. Don’t do anything else; this is not the time to multi-task. It almost does not matter if you see birds or wildlife, because the calming effect by itself is so beneficial. If you are quiet and patient you will experience a lot. In addition to the various birds, squirrels, raccoons, opossum, cats and dogs, you will notice the sounds, activities, smells, wind, weather and clouds of your neighborhood.
A raccoon once stood and stared at me for five seconds while I admonished him for even thinking about eating our garden vegetables. A House Finch landed and perched on our deck railing three feet away. Anna’s and Rufous Hummingbirds have buzzed by at close range. A Sharp-shinned Hawk once silenced the yard with its presence, then sat and watched me for nearly the entire 20 minutes I was there. Once an escaped pet Cockatoo flew down our alley.
Yes, you will also hear sirens, garbage trucks, traffic, car alarms, train whistles, mechanical tools, and other urban noise. But even in the city there are times when these sounds abate – besides, they are part of our soundscape.
In an era when so many are distracted, wired, on the phone, online, on IPODs or mentally somewhere else, this is your chance to tune in; to actually be here now. It is a free and simple meditation.
What do you see and hear? I see 50-plus species of birds each year in my north Seattle back yard, ranging from finches to raptors. Right now, in the Spring, the bird song is fabulous. It is the best time of year to practice birding by ear. At the same time, ideas flow into your head, you celebrate the simple things like a spring breeze, a cloud formation, a sunrise, or the distant (in my case) smell of Puget Sound.
It is a fine way to start the day that only takes 20 minutes. Try it.
P.S. You can log your sightings into: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
In so doing, you can participate in meaningful data gathering for citizen science.
