As a member of Tyler Arboretum, I try to take advantage of the wonderful benefits of my membership. One way I do this is by attending the free-for-members events that interest me. The most impactful event that I have attended is the Weekday Bird Walk, offered every Wednesday morning from 8:00 to 10:00 am.

My husband and I have attended a few of these sessions together and have enjoyed ourselves while learning new things. Birds have long fascinated us and hold special significance for both of us, so we wanted to try birdwatching together. When we learned that the Arboretum offers weekly birdwatching sessions, we were thrilled. Moreover, Tyler is recognized by the Pennsylvania Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area, so what better place to begin birding?

My experience birdwatching at Tyler Arboretum

When I first attended a Weekday Bird Walk, I felt a little intimidated by the group. Not only was this my first time formally birdwatching, I could tell that I joined a group of birders who were experienced, knowledgeable, and had birdwatched together many times before. However, my nervousness gradually faded away as the bird walk went on because the group of birders took us under their wing (pun intended!) and shared their knowledge and passion for birds with my husband and me. One birder even brought along his telescope and would allow others in the group to take a peek through it if there was a special or rare bird sighting. This was especially a treat for my husband and me, who shared one pair of cheap binoculars between us. As we walked along through Tyler, I was impressed by how quickly the birders were able to identify the various birds, either by their sounds or appearance. I told this to one of the guides who explained that the more I practice birdwatching, I would learn to identify a bird by its call or song alone. I hoped to be able to get to this level of expertise, so I was eager to study bird calls and songs.

Indeed, as we attended a couple more bird walks at Tyler, I was proud that I could slowly start to identify birds by their plumage or sounds. I am an auditory learner, so I found that I was able to differentiate between various birds by taking the time to listen to their calls and songs closely. During a later bird walk that I attended, another guide shared a birdwatching tool that helped me to better train my ear for birding, which then increased my enthusiasm as a novice birdwatcher. She shared a free app that she uses when birdwatching called Merlin, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which identifies a bird by recording its call or song and storing these recordings for you to listen to again later on. Additionally, the Merlin app gives other facts and important information about that bird to allow you to learn more about its species. I had never heard of this app before, so I eagerly downloaded it after that birdwatching session. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the app was to use, especially for a beginner birder. Since learning about the Merlin app from one of the Tyler guides, I found myself using it frequently, even outside of the Weekday Bird Walks. In fact, using the Merlin app has allowed me to study bird species more easily and continue independently learning about birdwatching.

How I have incorporated birdwatching in my life

Ever since I attended Tyler’s Weekday Bird Walks, birdwatching has now become a regular part of my daily life. I am lucky that where I live in Media, birds call our backyard their home too, visiting our trees frequently. This has allowed my husband and me to continue birdwatching from the comfort of our own home, at our own pace. When we see a bird land on a branch in the tree, we use our binoculars to observe it up close and take note of its colors, feathers, tail, and other features. When we hear a bird, we record its song or call using the Merlin app and will read more about the bird if it is a species we haven’t seen or heard before. My husband and I have always shared a love for nature, and birdwatching has become another nature-centered activity that we enjoy doing together. We also enjoy traveling together, and birdwatching is something that we have learned is even more fun doing when we travel domestically and internationally. Traveling to another region of the US or another country altogether means seeing and hearing different birds not local to us in Media, which adds to the exciting novelty of traveling to a new place. We make this into somewhat of a game, using the Merlin app to “collect” new bird species and seeing who can collect more.

On a personal level, birdwatching has become something that I enjoy doing in solitude as well. I have a newfound appreciation for birds; they were something that I noticed before, but I never thought more about them. Since starting birdwatching, I notice and observe every bird that comes to the tree in my backyard, or lands near me on a walk. Using the Merlin app to identify birds I don’t know helps me to learn more about new species and as I see them more regularly I am learning to identify them on my own. I still consider myself a very novice birdwatcher, but I am proud of the fact that I can recognize the chirp of a cardinal or the loud call of a blue jay. Birdwatching has given me yet another reason to admire the beauty of nature.

Birdwatching benefits

Since picking up birdwatching as a hobby, I enthusiastically tell others about it. I believe it can be a hobby for everyone, from all walks of life. If you are interested in becoming a birder but don’t know how to start or are worried about the cost of your time or money, I have great news: birdwatching has little to no barriers of entry and is very low-cost!

Unlike certain hobbies where you have to buy supplies or materials in order to get started, birdwatching can be done by simply stepping outside anytime, anywhere — you don’t even need binoculars in the beginning, only your senses of sight and sound! Download the Merlin app to record and study bird calls and songs that you hear around your home or wherever you go outdoors. There are other apps that also help with birding, such as in-depth field guides with hundreds of bird species that you can have access to right in your pocket.

For further research on birds themselves, check out books from your local library. I like using the Libby app offered by the Delaware County Library System, which includes magazines in addition to audiobooks and ebooks. Through the Libby app you can access birding magazines such as Birdwatching or Birds & Blooms.

Looking for a more guided approach to birdwatching led by experts? I would recommend starting the same way I did by attending one of the Weekday Bird Walks at Tyler. These bird walks are free for members or with a guest pass, or $18 for non-members, $15 for non-member seniors. Remember to BYOB: bring your own binoculars and join the group bright and early on Wednesday mornings at 8:00 a.m. to experience birdwatching with a seasoned and welcoming group of avian enthusiasts. Also be sure to check Tyler’s event calendar for other birding opportunities.

Personally, I think the best part of birdwatching is that it is a hobby that allows you to take it slow. Keeping your eyes and ears open for birds allows you to immerse yourself in your natural surroundings, which can help you to feel more connected to nature and unplug from your phone (unless using it for birding) in a world where technology reigns. If you are in search of a hobby that is low energy yet highly rewarding, birdwatching is for you! Birdwatching is a beginner-friendly, slow-paced hobby for anyone with an interest in the feathered friends you may have never noticed before, which can expand your perspective of the natural world.

I am grateful that I have found a lifelong hobby in birdwatching, which has given me more reasons to appreciate Mother Earth. I am excited to continue developing my birding skills so that I can one day be able to identify dozens of bird species by their appearance or call/song alone.

Furthermore, birding has only increased my love of learning with each new species I discover and read more about. Birdwatching is something I can enjoy at home or across the globe, by myself or shared with my husband. I cannot recommend birdwatching highly enough to everyone – it is never too late to start! You can even start birding right now by merely going outside and taking a moment to look around your surroundings for birds. Observe a bird more closely than you usually would. Without even realizing it, you have just started birdwatching!

Whether you are interested in the bird’s physical appearance, the sound of their songs and calls, or their unique personalities and behaviors, birds have plenty to teach us if we only take the time to learn.