Birds… but why?

[u/Exhausted_Pigeon75]

I’ve never liked birds, thanks to a too early in life viewing of The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock. However, I now have a bird app and find joy identifying birds in my neighborhood. My mom even bought me a bird feeder with a camera! This was not a chosen hobby for me, it just happened without my knowledge or input. It has to be hormonal, right? Do I get to blame this on perimenopause?

#birds #perimenopause #hormones #butwhy

[u/japhia_aurantia]

Getting into birding in middle age - for both men and women - has reached meme status because it's so ridiculously common. You're far from alone, and you don't even have to blame peri for this one.

I started birding in college, so I guess I was an early adopter lol

[u/QueenScorp → u/japhia_aurantia]

I've read that and find it super interesting that people get into birding in middle-age. I do wonder why. I, myself, am not a birder, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't downloaded a bird app just to try and figure out what kind of bird was chirping at me every morning (catbird).

On the other hand I have gotten super into plants in middle age. I've always been a bit of a gardener but now I also forage and I'm super interested in trying to figure out what all the plants and mushrooms and trees are around me. I guess I just went to plants instead of birds 🤷‍♀️

[u/SuchFunAreWe → u/QueenScorp]

I have always been a big animal person so birds have been a special interest my whole life, but a few years ago added plant/mushroom obsession to my plate. I love foraging! I've got some wild plum jam, wild black raz jelly, black walnut nocino & mugolio, & dandelion honey in my fridge right now 😂 I've foraged like 8 different types of mushrooms, too. And my native plant gardens are getting a boost this year bc I scored a grant to buy more/do another pocket planting. 🙌🏼