Why do middle aged people become obsessed with birds?

[HauntedBungalow]

I have seen it many times. Onset appears to be between 40-45 and by 50 they are deep in the grip of it.

What is going on?

I think I spend upwards of a pound per day on bird food, I have some very spoilt birds. Absolutely vital that the job is covered when we go on holiday.
Just started soaking my mealworms overnight for the baby birds.

I got to this stage at about 30. I saw some green and red woodpeckers the other day and I was beaming from ear to ear for hours.

I have one come to my bird feeder most afternoons, I never get tired of seeing him and hear him knocking in the woods in the mornings! Although, if I'm honest, I never get tired of seeing ANY of the birds that come to my garden, I even love the carrion crows and pigeons (wood and regular!), although the nuthatches are my favourite becuase they hang upside down and chuck anything they don't fancy on the floor, cheeky, funny monkeys! 😍

I'm obsessed with Penguins. Does that count?

I've been like this a long time, but definitely elevated as I reached my 40s, and tea consumption has also increased megafold. Also love watching the bees and trying to identify them. Plants and the garden too, very exciting when you realise you can name quite a few plants. It's the peace but also actually, liveliness of the natural world and an escape from constant tech.

I love this BBC beginners guide to birdsong - the wood pigeons are announcing who they are, 'wood pigeon, pigeon'.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/34jF1nwh8Z32sbB92dH23yf/listen-and-learn-a-beginner-s-guide-to-identifying-birdsong

Because it's healthier than having your nose stuck in a phone. I'd rather watch the birds in the garden than doom scroll.

When I was a kid, we had an apple tree opposite my bedroom window. Every year we had field fares and one year we had a flock of long tailed tits and loads of good finches. This started a love of nature and long tailed tits.
I'm in my 50's now and have all sorts of bird books.

Yes to this

Yet another person here who loves the Merlin app. Went to Cambridge Botanic Gardens last week and we identified loads of rare birds by their beautiful songs. Highly recommend it.

I need to get this Merlin app! My interest in birds sort of crept up on me and I always say hello now if I see one. I can't wait to get my garden sorted so I can start putting feeders in. Last year my late 30s friend, who I never suspected would take an interest in things like that, also commented to me that just recently she has started noticing nature a lot more and loves looking at plants and birds, etc. I was like "Me too", and felt quite excited to have that in common.

As you get older you learn to appreciate the small things in life. I will never be obsessed with birds, but I do notice and appreciate nice birds, plants, trees, clouds and lots of other little things.

I am 37 and I love birds, plants, garden centres and the National Trust 👵
On weekends, I tell my husband things like ‘honey, can we drive somewhere to find bluebells today’

The concentration of birds is high in built-up areas due to lots of people feeding them, and there being many gardens with trees and plants which provide food. You see more birds in gardens than you do on farmland.

It isn't middle-aged people buying the rural idylls round here, it is thrusting young corporate upstarts. 😂

Yep! Happened to me! Binoculars on dog walks at first, then a camera to capture the birds. Eventually I stopped taking the dogs and now walk to spot birds.
I've taken it a stage further now and am training to be a bird ringer. My hands got pecked to bits today by a fiesty woodpecker.

Too much tea early in life.

😆😆😆😆. My husband and I never had the slightest interest in birds when we reached our 40s and neither did any of our friends. Having said that, I'm assuming you mean feathered birds rather than women?

Because you realise that a lot of the things young people are supposed to be interested in to demonstrate that they’re part of the cool crowd are actually dull af and completely unimportant. And then that leads to the realisation that the people who genuinely care about these things are actually dull af and their opinion of you is completely unimportant. And once you’ve shed those tedious mental loads you have lots of space in your brain to consider what is really interesting and life-affirming. Including birds.

Example- I haven’t had the faintest idea about any music currently in the charts for the past ten years. This has made not one jot of difference to my happiness or place in the world.

Kids.

You feign a keen interest early on and then you- the adult- are left calling out bird names whilst your child looks at you like a loser. Although having said that, my 5 year olds enthusiasm for bird spotting shoes no signs of abating! My 8 year old nephew is too cool for it now though.

Me and my 5 year old literally name and call out every time we spot greylag gooses, jackdaws, rooks, kites, you name it- it's been spotted and shouted at.

Going to "feed the ducks" is an exciting activity for a young kid. I also have a one year old and he loves it. You honestly just start rolling with it and before you know it, you're also kinda enjoying spotting the little guys.

Ugh, stupid neighbour is obsessed with birds. As a result about 80 pigeons live on their roof. Not normal!

This is so true. I'.m 54 and have this year properly become obsessed. I absolutely love going for a walk over the fields and listening to the many different birds singing. I can only distinguish a few birds but it makes me so happy listening to them.

I too, have a robin friend that visits 😀

Time to appreciate all the wonderful nature around you, the luxury of time to sit and stare...

Have to constantly watch out for vultures past 50. They circle above waiting for you to shut your eyes for a second.

My mum came over last week. We drank a lot of tea... But first I asked her, in all seriousness, if she would like a wander around the garden with me to look at what was blooming, coming up, or otherwise looking promising. So we did. I've thought on this interaction a few times since. I'm early 40s. My 'twitch switch flip' is probably imminent? I think I'm ok with that.

Get the Merlin App, honestly, absolutely fascinating. And free!