Birding enthusiasts have developed a strong commitment to the activity, often prioritizing it over other interests and appointments. This devotion includes waking early to catch the sunrise songs of birds and planning vacations around bird habitats. The enjoyment derived from birding is described as heightened awareness and presence in nature. The rise of birding popularity correlates with the pandemic, which brought attention to outdoor access barriers. Notifications about rare bird sightings through technology create excitement but also anxiety, disrupting meditative experiences.
Birding has experienced a surge in popularity over the past decade, in part due to the pandemic, which forced so many of us outside while illuminating the inequities around access to outdoor spaces.
I get a notification from the Ontario Rare Bird Alert on the Discord app, announcing that my nemesis bird—the blue grosbeak—has just been spotted about an hour's drive from Toronto.
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