Why do people get so obsessed with birds? Like amateur bird watchers I mean. They'll drive 8 hours each way just at the chance to see a new bird, and sit out in the cold for hours until they do. What is the fascination, can someone explain it to me? I think birds are okay but I wouldn't wake up at 4am to go sit in the snow to look at a goose. I ask because a lot of the people where I work go apeshit for the hobby and I ask why they like birds and no one can really explain it. Yet there are some that get up at dawn every day to go do it.
>>2023411
I've gotten up at 4am to look at geese but my intention was to shoot them with my shotgun and not a camera.
>>2023411
Its like pokemon for the real world.
There's something incredible about seeing a bird that only a few people will ever see.
But your question is silly, why would people fly across oceans, travel for hours for a look at an elephant they can see in a zoo?
Bug collectors are even worse.
I'm obsessed with birds but I've only gone out of my way once or twice to view some, such as snowy owls that decided to show up in a large group. It was like an hour drive for that, and another drive was to go watch some seals. My other bird watching adventures just goes along with hiking/taking walks, because I like to be outdoors. I also stop to watch deer, moose and bears(from a distance, of course).
I just like the outdoors and I guess bird watching is just similar to sitting by your fishtank. Its just nice to look at it.
>>2023411
Because they're beautiful and fascinating for some people.
There's nothing to understand really.
>>2023411
Today I drove 3 hours round trip to see a Pacific-Slope Flycatcher in Pennsylvania, a bird only found on the coast of California. i don't know why I wanted to do it, but it was the best Christmas present I could have gotten. There were 6 other people there doing the same thing. It's just a lot of fun seeing birds, and collecting species on your life list is very satisfying.
>>2023411
I do wildlife photography and even i'm not as nuts as some birdwatchers. I draw the line at more than hour's drive or more than an hour sitting still to get the shot.
>>2023411
Because loving something is the only thing that makes life worth living, and the only thing that makes you feel truly human.
If seeing a bird makes your heart swell and makes the world feel beautiful and real, than you would walk a mile to do so.
Everyone has that one thing they are obsessed about. You could ask why do some people go crazy for MLP and devote their whole life to it?
I like birds, I love seeing them in the wild, but I dont know all the species and I wont drive for hours to see some goose in the snow.
But I do find that if you go out for a walk or something, the birds will come to you.
