Outdoors-y Hobby(ies)

[Holquist 1st MRB]

In late 2021, I started doing photography. I had always had an interest in it but never owned a decent camera; but my stepfather had one he let me use, and I fell in love with the craft just like I always thought I would.

 

Fast forward to Fall of 2022, I was browsing the website for our state parks to find something to do over the weekend, I came across a monthly event for birdwatching that would happen the following morning. I was like, "Eh fuck it, why not? If I don't like it, fine, but let's try this!"

 

So my stepfather and I went out to a state park at 8AM on a Saturday in September. The walk through the woods, down to the river, and looping through the park was great! I was already a frequenter of a few parks and I had been to this one a couple times, but now I'm going to areas I've never seen before! Wow, this is amazing. The walk lasted about 4 hours and my camera died about an hour and a half in, so I didn't get many shots. But I was nonetheless hooked, deciding to do this again next month. 

 

I attended each month for several months, and sprinkled in going alone. Hell, I even went out in the dead of winter when it was below 20^oF! It's possible my attraction to one of the regular attendees was a factor in my showing up to the group hikes. As my hiking continued, I became acquainted with most of the regular birds you would see so I became more comfortable going it alone. 

 

Fast forward to now, I almost exclusively go birding by myself as I find the solitude more enjoyable and relaxing. Sometimes I'll drag a friend or two along with me and I enjoy pointing out all the different species we see/hear. 

 

If you have any interest in hiking/birds, I implore that you take up this fantastic hobby, it has lead me to the degree I'm working towards now, Wildlife Ecology! A great place to start is downloading the two mobile apps associated with the activity, Merlin ID & eBird!