Things to do when you're stuck at home

Every birder has felt the feeling at some point or another. After counting and frantically recounting on the calendar, you realize that--is it possible?--you haven't gone birding in three weeks.

Usually, you desperately clear a day the very next weekend to go out. And standing on a beach scoping skittering shorebirds or standing in a thick deciduous forest surrounded by warbler song, you make a vow to never, ever go that long without birding again.

Imagine, then, how I felt after counting the days and realizing that it had been a whole month and five days since I had been birding. What could be done? I knew I probably couldn't get out this weekend or even the next. I had to resort to some at-home techniques to keep myself from going round the bend.

And so in order to assist you, kind restless reader, I shall list some of these little things that can be done to maintain one's sanity at a somewhat reasonable level until you can get back out. I proudly present to you...

7 Things to do When You're Stuck in the House

     1. Read!

One thing I've noticed is that birders like to read. I will never forget one meeting of the New York State Young Birder's Club (NYSYBC) where members laid out various bird books upon a table for a book swap. The moment lunch break was announced, all the parents ran for the food and all the kids ran for the books!

A small sample of my reading material

You can read books about specific birds, or books about people who watch and study birds. You can even read books about people who went on nutty listing quests such as North American Big Years.

Another good thing to read are magazines. Living Bird, Bird Watcher's Digest, Birding, Audubon Magazine, and Bird Watching Daily are all good magazines with interesting information. The American Birding Association (ABA) also publishes a quarterly Birder's Guide series, with information about travel, gear, conservation and community and listing and taxonomy.

Part of my magazine collection

    

     2. Learn about other facets of nature

When you simply cannot get out and go birding, it can be fun to learn about other parts of nature. Birds are only a small part of The Big Picture. A partial list of other facets of nature that can be fascinating to observe might include dragonflies, damselflies, mammals, butterflies and moths. What's great about these animals is that they can be seen in your own backyard: hang up a sheet at night with a blacklight and you might see moths; opossums and raccoons are always hanging around suburban neighborhoods, intent on getting some easy food. 

Blue Dasher

     3. Read listservs and other local reports

There are lots of birders all over the country, and what's nice about that is that there are people birding somewhere almost every day. Often, these birders post to listservs and other bird reports with their sightings. It can be nice to hear what others are seeing when you can't get out. Be warned, though: if there are good birds being seen in the area reading about them when you can't go see them can be frustrating!

     

     4. Clean your optics 

Few things are so nice during a trapped-in-the-house period as getting your optics ready for when you can get out. It is also a good time to do routine optics maintenance, as during peak warbler migration or shorebirding season, you are often to caught up in birding frenzy to clean your binoculars and scope!

     5. Watch your backyard

Sometimes we forget to look at and appreciate the birds in our own yards, instead driving constantly to hotspots in your area to chase rarities. But when you can't do this, there's nothing to do but come back to your yard. Great things can be seen there: I have seen four species of raptor from my backyard, including two Merlins perching on the highest point of a spruce tree. So fill your feeders, get out your bins and maybe a camera, and see if you can find something good! You never know what might show up.

     6. Read bird blogs

These days, as I sit in my house wasting away from the lack of birds I have seen in the last two weeks, I find myself spending increasing amounts of time on some other blogs. These blogs offer tips, techniques, pictures and sometimes trip reports. Some of my favorites include The Eyrie, the ABA Blog, 10,000 Birds, Traveling Trinovid and Birdchick. I also read some blogs run by birders who live and bird in my area, to give me more of an idea of what I can see once I get out. 

     7. Take action for birds

We all love observing birds, but if we don't hurry up and start protecting them there won't be any to look at pretty soon. So while trapped at home, take action for the birds we love. Sign a petition, write a letter, share the word with your friends and fellow birders. Buy a Duck Stamp or make a donation to an organization. You can help restore the West Pond at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, stop cormorant slaughter, or help save migrating songbirds from death while sitting at home. The National Audubon Society's Action Center is a good place to start.

So if you, like me, are sitting at home and bemoaning your birdless fate, please give one of the above remedies a try. I hope it works!