Skimming Bluet (Enallagma geminatum)It seems inevitable to me, that anybody who develops an interest in birds, also gains a greater appreciation for the rest of the natural world around them. After all, birds are just a piece of the eco-puzzle, and to understand them better, you really need to know more about the world they inhabit. I'm not saying that all birders must become interested in other things - but those that go beyond just looking at the birds (and there is nothing wrong with that) will eventually find the other members of the ecosystem interesting too. As I have become more and more interested in what birds do, why they do it, etc, my interest in the rest of the natural world has grown too. No where is this more evident to me than in my growing interest in dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, moths, and various bugs. I know several birders that have been interested in dragons and damsels for a while now, but until this past year I liked seeing them go by, and maybe was able to identify one or two of the easier ones. Now I am making a much more concerted effort to photograph and try to identify them - and have even started to consider purchasing a good dragonfly net to help get a closer look at some of those ones that just won't seem to sit still for more than a second.
Has you interest in birds led to any other new hobbies?
3 comments:
Yes, without a doubt. I started hunting as a teenager, but at 15 I turned in my gun for a camera. After the mammals, I began noticing birds and their behaviors. By 20, I found out that each one had a name and there were more than just the dozen that I knew, Robin, Cardinal, Chickadee, etc. This lead to wildflowers, but every time I stopped to learn the flowers, I was forced to move to a new location. So when I’m somewhere I like, I don’t learn the flowers. The butterflies came into the picture and now I see that dragonfly type bugs are all the rage. Personally, I think that if people know what's around them, they are less likely to destroy them.
Yes it seems a natural progression. what else do you do when there are no birds..
I Look at butterflies and dragonflies and all the other things that are around.
but like you, I now want to learn a bit more about these other creatures.
Nice blog, and great question. For me I have always liked camping and hiking, which led to photography, more hiking, birding specifically, mammals, herps, wildflowers, insects, now trees. Not that I know too much about any of the above - but taken in total it is like scales falling from my eyes in regard to the natural world. All of that leads to more camping and hiking, slow driving trips along backcountry roads, geology, history, photoprocessing and bloging. I think its one of those good positive feedback reactions. Can't wait to see where it will lead me next.
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