Average age of Bird Watchers (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

Incidentally, when birding solo, I talk to myself quite a lot, in much the same way as Bill Oddie described in LBBB: a kind of running commentary on what is going on, and sometimes what I think about it. The literary might call it stream of consciousness.

Cheers

John

Ditto.

 

[beacon hill]

Taken from my you-tube channel stats if it is similar.
This is a mix of astronomers and bird watchers

13–17 years 0%
18–24 years 9.4%
25–34 years 19.0%
35–44 years 23.9%
45–54 years 18.9%
55–64 years 16.8%
65+ years 12.0%

 

[Scott98]

since Covid I'm seeing younger people and more parents & kids joining club tours. Various lockdowns seem to have spurred outdoor activities. I know sales of astronomy and cross-country skiing gear went crazy during the pandemic. I'm happy to see people eager to do more outdoor activites.

 

[Mike Crawley]

I volunteer at my local RSPB reserve.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that, during weekdays, the overwhelming majority are post retirement age. My personal experience is that, on both the full days and/or the afternoons I volunteer the mixture of genders is roughly 70:30 men:women.
On Sundays, although I don’t do many, the gender split edges more toward 60:40 due to Mum & Dad or Grandma & Grandpa bringing little ones with them - not all are necessarily birders. Sundays show a marked change in the age profile with all ages ranges represented.

 

[Mysticete]

Taken from my you-tube channel stats if it is similar.
This is a mix of astronomers and bird watchers

13–17 years 0%
18–24 years 9.4%
25–34 years 19.0%
35–44 years 23.9%
45–54 years 18.9%
55–64 years 16.8%
65+ years 12.0%

Although some of that is going to be biased, as all age groups don't adopt a given technology equally: folks in there 20's and younger are more likely to spend time of Tik-Tok and newer social media sites, while people on the other end of the age bell curve may not use youtube at all.

 

[opisska]

Another thread about anything else where people immediately start moaning about photographers.

I can tell you that the not one person from the big flock of people with binoculars on Ouessant was asking me "where are my binoculars" when I was showing them where they can finally see the Vireo. A lot of my friends with binoculars are now completely used to coming to me to get the photos to confirm their IDs ... well except for those that I have converted and they now carry the same lens that I do. It's the 21st century, the technology is better than the human eye, why not take advantage of that?

 

[Mysticete]

Yes, young birders are often super-motivated.

But I am worried that some people may not realize that AI will not get them far in wildlife. In a sense, beta-version or alpha-version ID algorithms distract people. And may put shame on an otherwise good birding website. Sure, future may be different, but not now.

I guess the question is...are tools like Merlin and so forth being abused by a different set of birders than those who would otherwise also probably be making frequent mistakes with there identifications? Because my meaningless speculation is that the type of novice birders who were badly identifying things 20 years ago are probably the ones doing so today, just using different tools.

 

[Dave Ball]

and talking to yourself really isn't much fun.

...but - you’ve got to have an intelligent conversation occasionally

Seriously, I often used to talk aloud when birding on my own, but it was always ‘thinking aloud’, not holding a conversation with myself. I think that vocalising the interior monologue that is continuously going on inside my head (doesn’t everyone have that?) helped to concentrate my thoughts, for example when detailing the features I had seen on an unfamiliar or poorly seen bird, or when contemplating the best route to follow to the next bit of promising habitat.

 

[Richard D]

I volunteer at my local RSPB reserve.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that, during weekdays, the overwhelming majority are post retirement age. My personal experience is that, on both the full days and/or the afternoons I volunteer the mixture of genders is roughly 70:30 men:women.
On Sundays, although I don’t do many, the gender split edges more toward 60:40 due to Mum & Dad or Grandma & Grandpa bringing little ones with them - not all are necessarily birders. Sundays show a marked change in the age profile with all ages ranges represented.

Weekends definitely get a more diverse mix of birders locally. I can't say I've done any real analysis but my impressions over the past 35+ years that there are more women and younger birders about than there was when I started birdwatching.

Another thread about anything else where people immediately start moaning about photographers.

I can tell you that the not one person from the big flock of people with binoculars on Ouessant was asking me "where are my binoculars" when I was showing them where they can finally see the Vireo. A lot of my friends with binoculars are now completely used to coming to me to get the photos to confirm their IDs ... well except for those that I have converted and they now carry the same lens that I do. It's the 21st century, the technology is better than the human eye, why not take advantage of that?

I mainly birdwatch with binoculars only occasionally carrying an additional camera, but I agree tools (nor age) have much relevance to whether a birder is an idiot. I've seen as many idiots with binoculars as I have with cameras.

 

[stuartvine]

John has summed it up more politely than I care to whether out in the field or online it's all facets of the hobby. These people just take and are a pain in the @rse. When asked where so and so is or is the so and so showing? I first ask where are your binoculars?

Laurie -

That's a simple question to answer - at home. When we're travelling abroad for a general holiday, we usually take as little as possible with us. (A small rucksack that fits under the plane seat and a small soft bag in the hold, which is where the field guide goes). The cameras and lenses fill the rucksacks. The big lenses act pretty well as monoculars. The bins go along on dedicated wildlife or birding holidays/days out. The world being perverse, we often see more birds on the non-birding holidays.

 

[rollingthunder]

Personally I am never not wearing a pair when out. That includes shopping etc. I only have pushbikes but it's not a problem. Having a pair in-situ has paid off many times over the years. For me there is no such thing as non-birding holidays or activities as they are around all the time one way or the other. I only ever have hold luggage if I am taking one of my folding bikes. All my clothes go in as padding along with other non-breakables. All optics and electrical are carried in the cabin rucksack. I now only take my 2 bridge cameras abroad as the DSLR stuff is far too bulky and heavy and use a monopod with a very small 50mm travel scope.....

Good birding -

Laurie -

 

[lmans66]

Personally I am never not wearing a pair when out. That includes shopping etc. I only have pushbikes but it's not a problem. Having a pair in-situ has paid off many times over the years. For me there is no such thing as non-birding holidays or activities as they are around all the time one way or the other. I only ever have hold luggage if I am taking one of my folding bikes. All my clothes go in as padding along with other non-breakables. All optics and electrical are carried in the cabin rucksack. I now only take my 2 bridge cameras abroad as the DSLR stuff is far too bulky and heavy and use a monopod with a very small 50mm travel scope.....

Good birding -

Laurie -

Packing is unique....to travel abroad, it is important to 'think' every article of clothing or thing.....every bit of space counts, jim

 

[stuartvine]

Personally I am never not wearing a pair when out. That includes shopping etc. I only have pushbikes but it's not a problem. Having a pair in-situ has paid off many times over the years. For me there is no such thing as non-birding holidays or activities as they are around all the time one way or the other. I only ever have hold luggage if I am taking one of my folding bikes. All my clothes go in as padding along with other non-breakables. All optics and electrical are carried in the cabin rucksack. I now only take my 2 bridge cameras abroad as the DSLR stuff is far too bulky and heavy and use a monopod with a very small 50mm travel scope.....

Good birding -

Laurie -

True, all holidays are also birding holidays! 🙂

 

[rollingthunder]

Just read of another 'travel hack'. Airlines do not seem, apart from them having to go through inspection, to bother with pillows as part of your allowance. Presumably as this is considered an item of comfort on a flight. Something akin to a dummy or scratch mittens. So.....stuff some items of clothing into a normal pillowcase and take as extra things to wear. Another tip is to roll clothes up and they fit much better into a rucksack etc.

Good birding -

Laurie -

 

[Will K]

I've seen as many idiots with binoculars as I have with cameras.

Ive started birding with both now, and I’m definitely an idiot 😁👍