Retirement Is for the Birds

Written by Evault “Bosie” Boswell

This article is courtesy of Mature Living.

Just a few years ago, the image of a bird-watcher was comical – a person wearing a pith helmet, horn-rimmed glasses, short pants covered with pockets, and a pair of binoculars around the neck. I call it the “Miss Hathaway” look from the old “Beverly Hillbillies” program.

In 1981, I was called to manage Zephyr Baptist Encampment  in Sandia, Texas. Surveying the grounds, I saw dormitories, a dining room, and a tabernacle. The remaining 160 acres were covered with south Texas brush, and in the brush were any number of exotic birds my wife, Jackie, and I had never seen before.

Walking past the archery range one weekend, I noticed an odd bird sitting on the very top of a mesquite. It was so unusual I determined to find out what it was. Knowing he was a bird- watcher, I wrote to the elderly preacher who had led our devotionals at senior adult camp: “I saw this strange bird. It was big and had a brown back, a yellow breast, a black-and-white striped head, and it was hollering, ‘Kisdadee.’ What was it?”

The following week he wrote back: “It was a Great Kiskadee.”

I knew I was hooked on bird-watching, or birding as the hobby is now called. Soon Jackie and I were making lists of the birds we saw. Our list was impressive – from green jays nesting in our backyard to black-bellied whistling ducks balancing on our telephone line.

Our pastime extended into retirement. Our journey began in Texas, one of the hottest places for birding in more ways than one. From there we traveled to such exotic places as southeast Arizona, southern California, and the state of Washington.

Our passion for birds followed us wherever we traveled and even when we were home feeding and watering the birds in our own backyard.

Basic Birding
Today, “birders” come in all sizes, shapes, and ages. Birding is the fastest growing pastime in the United States, especially among senior citizens.

The scope of birding ranges from feeding birds in your backyard to traveling to “hot spots” around the country. 

Getting Started
You don’t have to spend a lot, but a good field guidebook (containing pictures and descriptions of the birds) is a necessity. Excellent guides include Peterson Field Guides by Roger Tory Peterson, Field Guide to the Birds of North America by the National Geographic Society, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, and Birds of North America, A Guide to Field Identification by Golden Field Guides from St. Martin’s Press.

Binoculars are a necessity for birding; the cost can vary from under $30 into the thousands. For beginners, a less expensive pair is fine. You can move up as your interest in birds grows. Most birders prefer 8-by-40 magnification, but if you ask a dozen birders, you will probably get 12 different views.

Organizations such as the Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation have excellent programs for birders of all ages. In many areas, you can join local clubs that will help you develop your skills identifying birds.

Backyard Birding
Backyard birders will want to keep binoculars, pencil, and pad handy to keep a record of the birds they see. Many birders are incurable counters, keeping life lists, state lists, trip lists, and yearly lists. Notebooks help you keep track of the birds you see, but they are not necessary.

If you want to just feed the birds in your backyard, you need to know that birds require three things: water, food, and habitat.

Providing water requires a little time, for the water must be kept clean and cool.

Commercial bird baths are often too deep for most birds, who only need about 1½ inches of water for bathing or drinking. Flower pot saucers work well, but place them in an open area away from bushes that might conceal predators such as cats or hawks.

Most discount stores carry a variety of bird seed, along with commercial feeders. As a rule, the bird mixes are best to start out with and later you may learn when to put out thistle for the finches when they visit your area or sunflower seed for the northern cardinals.

Destruction of habitat has caused the number of birds in many species to decline in recent years. A monthly magazine, Birds & Blooms, can be a great guide to planting flowers that will attract birds.

Hit the Road
Every part of the country has its own hot spots that attract birders, from the Rio Grande Valley to the Gulf Coast of Texas;

the Pacific shores of California to the Chesapeake Bay; and the Florida Everglades to the desert canyons of southeast Arizona. Many of our national and state parks are bird sanctuaries and offer accommodations that make birding possible for senior adults and the physically challenged.

A number of elderhostel programs offer birding seminars and field trips. Birding festivals appeal to birders all across the nation. To find a directory of festivals, go to www.americanbirding.org/festivals.

Whether you travel worldwide or simply enjoy the pretty birds in your backyard, birding brings a person into a relationship with nature and a wonder of the life God created. Nothing can match the uplifting feeling that comes from the brilliant red of a northern cardinal or the bright flash of an oriole on the wing. To see a bald eagle soar on high or to hear the melodious song of a warbler makes us realize that God’s plan of creation is a beautiful gift for all generations.

“Then God said, ‘Let … birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.’ … He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So God blessed them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, … and let the birds multiply on the earth’”
(Gen. 1:20-22, HCSB).

Evault “Bosie” Boswell is from Greenville, Texas. He and his wife, Jackie, have three children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Evault writes a weekly column for the Greenville, Texas Herald Banner and the Brazosport Facts. 

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