SEATTLE — There's a good reason why Evening has devoted an entire show to the birds. Birdwatching has spiked in popularity since the start of the pandemic, expanding the number of Americans who have taken up the hobby to 60 million.
The Pacific Northwest is one of the best places to go birding because of the diverse habitat and the number of migratory birds who fly through our region.
Studies show birding improves hobbyists' well-being for up to eight hours. So the more birds you see, the better you feel.
It's also an easy hobby to get into.
"For me, personally, I get a big kick out of sharing birds," said Joey Manson, director of the Seward Park Audubon Center.
Manson knows the exact moment he became a birder.
"On my way to work one day, driving across Lake Washington on 520, an eagle just drops out of the sky, pulls a fish out and I'd never seen anything like that before," he said.
Manson leads people on treks through the park in search of native and migratory birds.
As humans, we connect with the sounds of birds and bird songs have brought a lot of comfort.
"I think that the pandemic forced us into a moment of social isolation and quiet," said Joshua Morris, with the conservation group Birds Connect Seattle. "During that time we heard bird song louder and I think that got more people interested in the birds that were making those songs."
Birdwatchers know you can't be in a hurry.
"One thing I like to tell people to do is every once in a while just stop and let all of nature get used to you being present," said Manson.
Merlin is a free app designed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It offers three ways to help you identify birds, by taking a picture, describing the bird, or recording the sounds around you and showing what birds are singing nearby.
"Turn on the sound ID and just let it listen for those birds and if I don't talk too much it will probably tell you what kind of birds we're listening to," Manson said.
"One of the other ways that have helped me learn about birds is Bird Note, which is a free two minute story that comes on many NPR affiliate stations," said Manson. "I find myself repeating things I've heard on BirdNote all the time."
It's not always necessary to go on birdwatching hikes. Sometimes you can bring the birds to you. Here's a recipe for a bird feeder, done on the cheap.
Take a pinecone and add some string to hang it from a tree. Generously spread peanut butter on it and dip it in bird seed. Make sure you hang it high, out of reach of squirrels and cats. You just saved yourself $80 on a bird feeder. (Though to be honest, our pinecone feeders were both snagged by leaping squirrels.)
Connecting with nature is the first step to protecting it.
"People take care of what they love and they love what they know," said Manson.
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