Greece : Lesvos : The Birding

I’m with real experts. How is it that you can see a small, well-camouflaged bird sitting on a dead stick peeping above a sea of long grasses 500 metres away? Then identify it from the most minutiae detail. I’m in awe. Really.

They, the birders, name themselves as an odd breed of people, but after spending a few days with them, I think not. Like anyone planning a holiday, they read up before leaving home, plan where they would like to go, what they would like to see, and what they would like to photograph, giving them, and leaving them with joyful memories that they can proudly share with family and friends.

Yes, there are areas of divergence, but I now have a much greater appreciation of these. There is a thrill in finding a bird you have not seen before, getting the perfect photo, and, yes, adding it to a list. But then there is the shared experience, camaraderie, and the backdrop of the great outdoors. The whole day passes by in this relaxing, pottering, stress-free way, with little thought for the worries of the wider world.

Indeed, many more men than women pursue this hobby. I think this is a blend of competitiveness, male parenting, and “map man syndrome” (my words). The competitiveness is self-explanatory. The challenge of finding the thing that is rare, photographing it and adding to a list. I say male parenting because on many an occasion, I was ‘nurtured’ into seeing the bird that was impossible to see, and they were also ‘ instructive’ with each other in the same way. And on “map man.” It was fun to hear conversations between fellow birders on where to find the elusive bird, ” when you get to that junction take the left track, not the right track, then at the farm building ( which one?) take the right track, keep going, not too far ( how far is not to far?), you then see three sheep (ehh?) and that is where we saw the bird”. Only to arrive at the spot where you have a 360 degree view of the island and the bird can be anywhere, any direction, in a twenty mile radius :). Maybe this could be assimilated to, ” the herd of gazelle are just over the brow of the hill, round the big rock, through the grasslands, most likely standing below the second biggest acacia tree in the thicket but just be careful of the three lions”.

Birding is also very sociable. Groups of normally shy, unobtrusive Brits, stopping to chat to each other, sharing news of sightings, a ” where are you from?”, and having a little bit of banter. An island-wide shared WhatsApp group adds a modern touch.

So birding enthusiasts may say of themselves that they are strange people, but then the self-mockery says everything to me. I would say not strange at all – not really. We all have things we are obsessed with and passionate about, and as my gorgeous friend, Ces, said to me only this morning, ” I think the happiest people are those who have consuming hobbies”.

I only have one personal caveat. No one told me about the phenomenon of “bird-related fasting”! On the last day, nothing passed my lips between 8.20am and 9.20pm! It seems that the birds we are here to see can munch their way through food all day, and yet we onlookers have to starve!