If you ask a birdwatcher or birder why they watch birds, you will probably get a similar answer that mountaineers give, ‘because it’s there. The more obvious reason for it would be that bird watching or birding is one of the easiest yet most thrilling of nature-related hobbies. Birds are not season bound like the butterflies, easier to access than large mammals and simpler to watch compared to herps. They come in a variety of sizes and colours, they can be found anywhere from a bustling city to the open sea. For most of the early days bird watching was considered as a gentleman’s hobby, and became popular in the Victorian era. The hobby was brought to the country by the Britishers who on seeing the vast variety of birds began collecting skins and eggs. The collection of these skins and eggs used to be conversation starters at ‘high teas’ and birding was stuck to the elite. The term Bird watching was first used in 1901 by Edmund Selous. Birding as a hobby in India can possibly be credited to Dr Salim Ali’s Book of Indian Birds which was published in 1940s.
Getting Started:
To enjoy birds you do not require anything, ask anyone who has sat down for an hour to watch a fidgety group of sparrows. However to take birding to the next level, the basic starter ‘kit’ should ideally contain 3 essentials a pair of binoculars, a field guide and a notebook. Other than these a spotting scope and a camera can also be carried.
I will elaborate on each of them in later blogs...
