Need a Pandemic Distraction in Ocean County?
It’s winter and we are still in the grips of a pandemic, board yet? I think we all need a distraction or we become bored and depressed. It’s been like a year since life changed and if you are practicing safe distancing and quarantine then you probably have become a lil stir crazy at home.
So here is my suggestion and for many of you, you might hate this idea. “Bird Watching” it’s a fun way to get outdoors, get that vitamin D, breath in the fresh air, practice social distancing and learn a new hobby. Birds are intriguing and if your going to photograph them, it’s at times a challenge. Birds do not like humans on top of them and they stay in one place for a very short time......so be ready to snap that photo because in a blink of the eye they are gone.
Now if you want to start slow do what I did, start bird watching in your back yard. It’s kinda cheating but not really. I set up several feeders up in my yard because that draws the birds in and then with patience I began to get some nice pics like above. Frequent visitors include the Carolina Chickadee and the Northern Cardinal. Others that visit my backyard bird observatory include mourning doves, hummingbirds, house finch, blue jays, red winged black birds, grackles, sparrows, woodpeckers and even had some hawks stop by. I get a chance to see all these varieties and love to take photos. You can even use binoculars and just view the various birds. Picked up my binoculars at a thrift shop, very affordable.
I even built my first bird feeder from scratch. Nothing to complex but it’s my creation and now my birds can eat and enjoy......
Building a Bird Feeder
So if you are looking for a “distraction” maybe consider your feathered friends in your own backyard. Check out bird watching for beginners.