Welcome back to the debate at hand! Last time, I put forth an interesting query: Is the age old favorite hobby of bird-watching receiving a major face lift in our high-demand and highly-charged age? Will traditional backyard birding become a thing of the past in the dot-com decade? Let us continue with the digitalization of the hobby of over 60 million North Americans.
As if our society wasn’t computerized enough, the art of bird-watching has also undergone a digital revolution. The internet is now a popular venue for birders to post and swap information, sightings, and questions with other birders. A popular birding website, eBird, allows members to enter sightings for their state, look at charts displaying the prevalence of species in their area, and to compare the stats with historical data. The eBird website claims that its “goal is to maximize the utility and accessibility of the vast numbers of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers.” It’s a wealth of information at your fingertips. Want to know whether there are any Bald Eagles in your area? eBird can help you find the answer.
Next, if you want a shock, look at the amount of money spent per year on wildlife watching. According to a survey conducted by the Scottish Natural Heritage society, Americans spent over $24 million on equipment—including blinds, cameras, tents, camouflage, etc.—and food for wildlife watching in 2001—a far cry from a pair of well-worn binoculars and hand-me-down galoshes.
But is this change really for the better? Are we commercializing bird-watching too much? Well, the answer is yes and no. Yes, it is a wonderful thing that increasing amounts of people are deciding to travel to far-away places to see the stunning and unusual birds that call the jungles home. Yes, it is fantastic that birders can correspond via the Internet and have access to years’ worth of birding statistics at the click of a button. But what are we sacrificing? Perhaps we lose the simplicity and joy of discovery that attracted us to the sport in the first place. After all, bird-watching is not about the number of species you can spot in twenty minutes, high-tech equipment, and being able to identify 627 birdcalls with the help of your iPod. It is a hobby of quiet discovery and awe of the avian world. What’s my opinion? I think I’ll stay on the back porch with my iced tea and pair of well-worn binoculars waiting for something interesting to cross my path. After all, isn’t that what birding is all about?
If you have any questions, comments, or sightings about this column or any happenings in your backyard, make sure to e-mail me (highly inappropriate at this time, I know) at chickadee@att.net. Happy Birding!
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