Birdwatching - a hobby with many therapy benefits
I was telling one of my therapists about doing a monthly birdwatching walk with my local group, and she suggested I post about it as it may help others. I was surprised by how much of my stroke recovery a 2-hour short walk with a group touched on including balance, memory, auditory, visual, cognitive, social, physical and even a little bit of friendly competition with others that draws on speed, accuracy and memory recall.
For those who are not familiar with the hobby, birdwatchers (aka twitchers or birders) have an interest in what native birds are seen in an area, be it your backyard, a local park or a birding hotspot. Birders generally keep a list of what they see each outing, so for example a list kept (on a notepad or an app) based on what you see over say a 2-hour walk. Most birders keep a “life list” of the birds they have seen over their lifetime, and when a new bird is seen it is known as spotting a “lifer”. It is rumoured that when birders get excited about a new bird they start to twitch, hence the name “twitcher”. However, in my view, it is important to enjoy whatever birds you see wherever you are, and not focus too much on recording and counting, or else you may become known as a “ticker”!
But birding as a therapy can simply involve going to a window or onto a deck at your house and recording all the birds you see over a period. Its important to record them as this helps with building memory, so you learn to distinguish between what you have already seen and what is new for your observation period. To add a bit of science to it, you could do the observation at the same time each day, for the same period. So for example, go to you favourite spot with a view with your tea or coffee and record what you see each day for an hour. The earlier the better for birds, but it can be done at any time. A bird bath could be a focal point that attracts birds to your yard.
If you have the ability and the support to leave your house, try doing the observations at a seat in a local park or on a section of boardwalk or walking track. The thing you learn about birding is that it’s not about speed or distance, so it can be done whatever your mobility level is. Again, record the birds you see. A camera can help if you need to record a bird to identify later.
If you are able to walk and have support from a carer (in case you need to return early) you might be surprised how may birding groups there are, that you can join for a monthly or fortnightly walk. You can learn from more experienced birders, and build your knowledge of bird calls and what you are seeing, particularly with the advantage of all those extra sets of eyes on the lookout!
I have found the bird walks to be so beneficial for my balance (looking up, using binoculars and turning), my hearing (switching on auditory senses to hear calls), my vision (looking through leaves and branches to see something moving), my cognition (identifying the bird from sound and vision), my memory (recalling the name and remembering previous times I have seen it), the physical exercise (not strenuous, but you could be standing for 1-2 hours), the social experience (chatting to people as you walk) and the friendly competition (tying to call out the bird before others do, part of the social interaction). During rehab, I was amazed how these benefits aligned so strongly with what my objectives were in the various therapies.
Finally, a word on how to identify the birds. You can buy a bird book and/or download an app. There are many internet resources as well. Select your region (eliminating what you aren’t likely to see helps so much) and then try to work out what it is you may be seeing. Internet sites like eBird have lists of birds from local hotspots, that can tell you what others have seen in your area. There are also Facebook sites where you can post a photo of a bird and ask the experts to help you with an identification. A camera can also be useful. But for me, part of the enjoyment of birding, is trying to work out what you are seeing, maybe narrowing it down to 1-2 possibilities, before asking for help. That way you are using your brain to develop a new skill which is so important for therapy!
There are many online resources - here are a few to start with:
https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/
https://www.mydigitalearth.com/apps/info/ea3592b7-5d59-492f-b652-3568c7a37f47