Watching a House Martin Colony at Staithes, while bewildered coast-goers stare. . . Why am I watching a rock-face??
Although Britain is, in general, a nation of animal lovers, we have one extra quirky twist: we have an obsession with birds. But what’s so special about them? Arguably, they are not the most intelligent of animals, nor do they have the incredible super-senses like some animals, and they are not always bold and colourful. However, some people live and breathe birds and will do anything to see a new species – it doesn’t matter whether it's grey and inconspicuous or a bright little gem with a glorious song.
I think, perhaps, it is something to do with the sheer variety of bird species. Even in the UK – we have the familiar robin, with its round body and lollypop-stick legs with a bright red chest, to the heron with its long, crocodilian legs and robust, powerful beak. We have the shimmer of irredesence on the lapwing’s plumage, the melancholy expression of the sweet little goldcrests, and the endearing waddling mallards, always looking for the next crust of bread from the nearest child by the pond’s edge. If you spent your lifetime looking at birds, it’d surely be impossible to get bored.
Then there’s their accessibility. This might seem a weird one, but if you think about it, you’re never very far away from a bird (or a rat, but do you see rats running past you everywhere you go? No. Exactly). In the city or town you might notice the pied wagtail pattering along the paving slabs, the feral pigeons playing with cigarette buts, or starlings whistling and clicking from the rooftops. On your local farmland you might hear the yellowhammers singing their little hearts out: “a-little-bit-o-bread-and-no-chee-eeeese”, or the linnets rosy breasts as they flit over your heads. In your garden you might marvel at the morning soap opera of the goldfinches fiercely fighting over the sunflower hearts, and the house sparrows chirping from the hedge you meant to trim a few weeks back, but couldn’t due to it being thronged with their tiny nests. At the nearby pond, you’ll watch the mallards chasing females in the spring, and the moorhens coyly drifting in the shade of the banks. Even if you don’t know it, your daily lives will be glittered with the gems we call birds. It is just that some of us care to listen to and watch their comings and goings.
There may also be the sense of the unfamiliarity or even envy. Most of us, at least once in our lives, will have wished we could have wings. What would it feel like, to be able to extend your arms, spread your feathers and take to the air – go wherever you please? One of my favourite things about the summer is waking up to the screeches of swifts past my bedroom window, and watching them whiz round the rooftops is like the epitome of freedom and wildness. Next time you’re bogged down with work at school or college, or you’re at a job you hate. . . think of swifts, and they might just let you borrow their wings.
Last but not least, most birds can sing, sometimes beautifully. This, in itself, is a wonderful thing. Imagine a world without bird song? It heralds your morning and closes your day as the dusk draws in. When the robin begins singing, we know autumn is in full swing and winter is on its way. When you hear your first chiffchaff, we know that spring is no longer a far-off dream and before we know it the summer will be here, lush grass beneath our feet and glorious hot sunny days (just kidding, we live in England). And what would dusk be, without the chinkchinkchinks of blackbirds as the light fades?
One of the saddest things about being passionate about wildlife and the environment is that many people are ashamed to show it – often because some people have a silly, judgmental view of those who love wildlife. Tell a non-birder to tell you what a birder is like. They will probably say around 50 years old, male, with a beard, an anorak, a pair of binoculars, and slightly weird. I have had people that look at me like I have two heads when I say I watch birds. “B-b-but... you’re a teenage girl...” their eyes seem to say. Even wildlife-enthusiasts have done this to me, and this is what astounds me the most. If I said I was going to India to watch tigers, or out to sea to try find orcas, would anyone react the same? I highly doubt it. Anybody enthusiastic about birds has a big fat label slapped across their face – and this needs to stop. A birder or even just someone who likes birds is not a race – they can be students, salespeople, chefs, lawyers, doctors, dancers. . .
Looking for Choughs in Jersey.
I decided to ask the teens over at RSPB Phoenix Official (Come find us at Facebook if you haven’t already!), why they loved nature/birds, and of course, they never let me down! Here’s what they had to say:
“Birds are an easily accessible piece of nature, that whilst being very different to us are relateable. They are beautiful and intriguing, I can be captivated for hours just watching.” – Nathaniel.
“Birds can be found in any place; whether it be the countryside or train stations, parks or city centers. I think as a child there is just something fascinating about creatures that take many shapes and sizes and fly above our heads in both day and night.” – Kayleigh.
“Personally, you can't not enjoy wildlife. Everyone on Earth has some form of affinity with the natural world and in the UK it is hard not to walk out of your door and encounter some form of bird life at some point. Britain may not be the Serengeti but it still has an astonishing diversity of species that's capable of igniting an overall appreciation for the natural world that can last a lifetime.” – Jack.
“They are incredibly good at adapting to their surroundings, like the cuckoo looking like birds of prey and then copying other birds eggs or thrushes using stones to break open snail shells, and it is so amazing witnessing this in person. They have adapted with use by nesting in our homes or feeding in sewage works.” - Joel.
“Caring about wildlife is an outlet for our warm and fuzzy side - a chance to lose the typical British reserve! It connects us to people of all cultures and backgrounds too - just my ramblings :) I'm into wildlife because you can lose yourself in the natural world - different way of saying the same thing I guess.” – Meg.
“Wildlife has been around longer than any modern world and no matter how much we try to change that it will always conquer us, even if it has to evolve and adapt around us to survive. That's why there so much more to learn. Nature is infinite.” – Lydia.
“It's always changing and not controllable, and therefore utterly fascinating to watch. It's like learning another language with only half a dictionary, and you don't have to teach it to anyone else.” - Daniel.
Whether you’re a quiet enthusiast who will stop maybe once a day and take a moment to marvel at a bird song or view ; an armchair birder, watching the blue tits and robins come to your back garden feeders; a regular birder who seeks out all types of birds daily, or an avid twitcher, prepared to go thousands of miles to see a bird you have never seen before, it cannot be denied – we need birds. They are good for our health and our happiness and sometimes, they simply make a pretty messed up world a better place. So, next time somebody laughs at you for being a “bird nerd”, have a good laugh at them back, because they’re missing out on something good.