Larry of The Brownstone Birding Blog shares five symptoms of this affliction.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their indoor cat, B.B. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
YES I Do.
Seriously though. Show me the person who is just as awestruck with wonder when they see a Mourning Dove now as when they first saw one 20 years before. Show me that person and I will show you someone who is not right in the head.
That said, I like Mourning Doves, don’t worry.
OK, so I’m guilty of number 5…but I really do like to study/observe bird behaviour…for AT LEAST a minute at a time. So nyeugh.
Seriously though, I have learned to enjoy and appreciate watching common birds just going about their business – if I hadn’t I probably wouldn’t be into watching birds today since I live in an area with very little scope for seeing anything rare, or out of the ordinary and had little opportunity to travel in the past. I just like watching animals do stuff 🙂
I thought the article was going to be how rude many birders can be to each other and to novice birders. However, the article is true. I’m a novice birder and still love watching robins walk across the lawns, looking for food. I haven’t reached the, “been there, done that” attitude. Yet:) Maybe check back in 20 yrs:)