We asked several of our writers the same questions. Here are the answers to the one above.
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I think I have created at least a casual interest in birds among some Facebook friends through my birding posts, because at some point they started posting bird pictures too (and tagged me in them) (Peter Hinow).
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The pursuit of birds has taken me (and, on occasions, my wife and friends) to many beautiful and remote places (David Tomlinson).
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They generally wish for me to be quiet about it, but some people like to hear about near-death experiences. My wife checks my will every time I go to a place with snakes and crocodiles (Peter Penning).
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I only have friends who are also interested in nature and birds. My immediate family shares my passion (Rolf Nessing).
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The blackberries I bring home in summer! (Jochen Roeder)
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I often think they glaze over when I start talking about birds, but I find sharing a photo of a great-looking bird helps engage them (John Hague).
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They enjoy the photographs and the occasional funny story. They are less enthusiastic about receiving a detailed explanation of why two nearly identical brown birds are completely different species (Fitzroy Rampersand).
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In regular life, I am a children’s author, with an upcoming nonfiction picture book on bird conservation (THE DAWN CHORUS: Protecting Birdsong Around the World, which releases with Holiday House Publishers on 2/16/27). My friends have loved hearing about the variety of ways that people have come together to try to save birds—from house building to habitat preservation to protecting migratory pathways. One of my favorite story involves habitat for the Greater Sage Grouse, where a pasta machine is used to mix mud balls that give sage seeds a better chance at germination (Susan Wroble).
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If I am out looking for a rarity and they happen to be with me, they really love it when I find it and they get to see it too. My enthusiasm for that and the hunt seems to infect them too. Also, they like the photographs I share with them of the bird. However, they seem bored by the stories of how I got the bird or what I observed (Mary Alice Hayward).
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The photographs, but even more, the stories behind them. Every image has an adventure attached (Kelly Isley).
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Everyone seems to enjoy a photo of a chicken, taken from a slightly different angle – obviously, groundbreaking content. Occasionally, they will also share a photo of a bird: “look, it reminded me of you” (Rhea Alaudra)
Photo: Little Ringed Plover, Chongming Dongtan, July 2026
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