Thirty and Birdy and Thriving 

There was a viral social media video that came out earlier this year that was a little too relatable for me. The lyrics to the song in the post are: 

I lost track of how many times people sent me this video.

I’ve been sent a similar video featuring a millennial who suddenly becomes enthralled with birds as soon as they turn 30 saying something like, “Oh look, a White-breasted Nuthatch!” 

It’s no secret why I get sent this video so frequently because it’s exactly what happened to me. Everyone even remotely close to me knows it. 

Someone at a Yom Tov meal recently asked me what it is about birding (the “sport” of bird watching) that I enjoy so much. I’ve been reflecting on just that and I thought it would be fun to celebrate my birthday this year by sharing it.  I guess let’s call it a Happy “Bird-day” present.

Merlin Magic of Birding 

Let’s take a journey back to September 12, 2021 (don’t worry – we can totally skip all the COVID craziness of the time!) I always try to read the Alderman’s email (Talk about knowing you’re 30…) to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the community. I happened to see a bird walk nearby. As far as I knew there was no nature anywhere near me but I was curious so I signed up. In the spirit of that viral video, I actually was 30 years old at the time. 

Without question, that walk changed my life. First, I discovered there was nature near me at Park 538 which has become one of my favorite spots. Second, the guide was pointing out birds that I had never heard of before and I was immediately hooked. I was on a forest trail but by the look on my face it seemed like I was a kid in the candy store. I’m pretty sure that’s how my face always looks in nature these days. 

Every time I heard or saw a bird after that initial walk I was deeply curious as to what it was. I began diligently studying birds and went out on walks whenever I could. I downloaded the Merlin app to help with identifying birds by sight and sound and my amazing friend gave me a camera to take pictures to identify them later. I spent A LOT of time on Shabbos studying bird guides. 

The short answer to why I love birding and why I was hooked immediately is because it positively affects my life spiritually, physically and emotionally. The longer answer… 

Mindful Birding in the Forest

Imagine you are out on a walk in the forest. It’s one of those perfect days (think “April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket…”) with blue skies and the forest is a radiant shade of green. Now imagine someone tells you to sit there and relax. With most of our fast-paced technology-conditioned brains, it’s difficult to focus on relaxing for even a few minutes before getting restless. 

Now, if you stay in the same spot but I tell you to relax by noticing the sounds and movement of the birds, that’s something that could be done endlessly. Like forever. And sometimes I do stay out there for hours. I was just telling a friend the other day how sometimes I stop during fall to watch a leaf fall in the river and float away.

 (Important side note:  This was absolutely NOT in my “nature” [pun intended]. I have the ultimate “monkey mind” and it’s taken a lot of time and work to be able to do that AND enjoy it!”) 

The focused relaxation of birding is so effective for me.  I remember learning a meditation technique years ago where we were asked to focus on a cup and keep track of how long we could without losing focus. The average was about 5-7 seconds. Then, we broke down different aspects of a cup (red, holds water, round, etc.) and cycled through those infinitely. That is how mindful birding feels to me – it opens up a world where I can have infinite relaxation and mindfulness! 

I can truly stay out in the forest for hours simply wandering around while gently noticing the different types of birds and watching their behavior. AND if for some reason it’s a quiet bird day, I’ll pivot to watching leaves, bugs, deer – all of the often overlooked abundance of nature we are blessed with!  There is always something new to see even with the same birds. Taking into account migration and that different birds visit us depending on the season also brings excitement and change. 

No matter where you are, there are almost always birds around to enjoy. It’s also pretty incredible, but there is quite a bit of data that shows a connection between birding and the positive effects on mental health (if you are interested, check out the Mindful Birding Network!) 

Recently, I was walking in one of my favorite forests (Linne Woods) with a friend and we were talking about mindfulness in nature. We were both so enamoured with the beauty of the fall leaves and bird song and it reminded me of a quote that I heard in a Mindful Birding training: 

“Slow down to the frequency of wonder”

My friend and I achieved this on our walk and I pray that every time I explore nature I will, too. 

Spiritual Birding 

One of my best friends is an incredible artist (feel free to check out her incredible work!). If I went to the art museum with her, I would enjoy the paintings and appreciate them alongside her. But I know when she looks at the same paintings, she sees the brush strokes, notes the technique used, and probably notices shades of colors I am not even trained to register. 

That is how birding feels to me. Even when I don’t have my binoculars or camera and am just on a walk, I can hear the gentle “SEE SEE SEE” call of a Golden-crowned Kinglet or a distant Pe-WEE of the Eastern Wood Pewee. The awareness of the level of detail in the bird world fills me with a sense of awe of abundance. 

One of my favorite musicians is Ishay Ribo and after a loss in my family his song “Boker Yaleh” (The Morning Will Rise) came into my life. It’s such an uplifting and beautiful song and one of my favorite lyrics is: 

“הבוקר יעלה השמש תזרח

הציפורים כמו בסיפורים יזמרו שבח”

“The morning will rise, the sun will shine

The birds, like in the stories, will sing praises” 

Sometimes when I watch a bird sing first thing in the morning, it just seems like the most clear and pure prayer. Birds inspire me in so many ways but the most profound is to always remember to call out to G-d (and bonus points if it’s in song!) 

The Early Bird Gets the Wor…kout 

It doesn’t matter if it’s too hot, too cold or if I’m too tired when it comes to going birding.  It’s obvious that getting out into nature is vital to our health and wellness, but it’s really not so easy to make that happen. Especially living in a city, it’s a definite barrier to have to drive to a park or nature area like a forest or the beach. 

Birding motivates me to get out in all seasons. Even in the winter when it’s below zero, I’ll head out to nature and set a timer to make sure I don’t stay out too long. During migration there is so much activity I’ll go on walks multiple times a day. In the winter, owls are easier to spot and it’s a fun time to spend quality time with our year-round residents. 

Though it’s peaceful to sit in one spot watching birds, I have a hard time sitting still so I am almost always on the move. On some walks, I’ll be at one end of the forest and will hear Blue Jays making their alarm call and I will literally run to the other end of the forest to see what’s going on. This naturally forces me to get a significant amount of physical activity that I don’t think I would have prioritized otherwise. 

Birds Help Me Soar  

There was a time in motherhood when I truly did not feel like me. It was as if becoming “Ima” had erased Adina. I truly believe it is my love (um, maybe obsessions?!) for hobbies that brought me back to myself. 

It’s really easy to get consumed in the busy-ness of life. Sometimes I look at my to-do list of endless loads of laundry to do (and then I’m supposed to fold it, too!?!) and dinners (OMH they need to eat AGAIN!?!) and think that there is no way I’m getting out into nature that day. 

When I want something badly enough I can work to actually make it happen. Just the other day I took my kids and a fellow young birder on a walk after school. In order to do this I needed to get organized by having dinner ready before and making sure all my other tasks were done. It was such a good feeling to make that happen and although it isn’t always possible, some time in nature is better than no time! 

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

In college, I always wanted to be a “regular” at a coffee shop. I wanted to walk in and be greeted by name and have them hand me my order. I have that now after all these years, but instead of “coffee shop” it’s “nature preserve” and instead of handing me my “order” they share what birds are around. 

Besides the other regulars on my walks, it is TOO much fun when I encounter fellow birders on my nature walks. We’ll immediately recognize each other with our secret birder codes (our binoculars…) and share what we’ve been blessed to see that day. I’ve found the birding community to be incredibly kind and helpful, always willing to point out a bird or share helpful identification tips. 

I was once out walking and really wanted to see an owl. I even prayed that I would be able to see one that day. I met a woman who was looking at something with binoculars. Immediately, I thought Hashem had answered my prayers and was showing me an owl! I asked what she was looking at and she said it was a Dark-eyed Junco. Before I even had time to be a little let down, she said, “But I did just see an owl!” She shared that both Great-horned Owls and Barred Owls were nearby and pointed me in the right direction. I was able to see both and was both exhilarated and filled with gratitude that she (via the Divine, of course) showed me the way.  

Birding is such a joyful hobby and it brings me an incredible amount of joy especially when I get to share it with others. It really feels like my purpose to help guide people to discover the beauty of nature and birds. I try to share a “Bird of the Day” on my Whatsapp status and it makes me so happy when people respond. Recently I hadn’t yet posted and a friend texted me that her son was eagerly awaiting to hear what the bird of the day was!

I’ve really only been birding for six years and have a lot more to learn (as I’m constantly reminded by warblers in their unique fall plumage!) However, I know enough to recognize the positive power of birding and am grateful everyday for what this hobby brings to my life. It really does make the blessing of thirty and birdy and thriving feel true.