Mindful Bird Watching: Blending Observation with Intentional Sensory Awareness

“How I Go to the Woods”
By Mary Oliver

Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable. I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of praying, as you no doubt have yours. Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds, until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost un-hearable sound of the roses singing. If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love you very much.

Mindful Bird Watching: Blending Observation with Intentional Sensory Awareness

By Donna Riner, Assistant Park Manager of the Ornithology Center at Eagle Creek Park

Birdwatching, or birding, involves observing and identifying birds in their natural habitats, and it can be done nearly anywhere. Recently, the practice of mindful birdwatching has gained attention for its numerous benefits, blending the principles of mindfulness with the joy of observing birds. You can watch birds everywhere and they can be an effective pathway towards improving your health by motivating you to get active, outdoors, and perhaps, to watch birds mindfully.

Mindfulness, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” The Mindful Birding Network defines mindful birdwatching as the combination of “observing birds with mindfulness techniques [and] creating a practice that incorporates heightened awareness.” Mindful birdwatching can produce a sense of calm and relaxation, and researchers also suggest it can improve attention, cognition, and overall wellbeing.

Within this practice, labeling or identifying birds is not the primary focus; instead, the intention is to slow down and notice, looking to the birds to be our guides in the practice. The organizers of the Mindful Birding Network recognize that traditional forms of birdwatching (identification, listing, tallying) are invaluable to conservation efforts, however, they also encourage birdwatchers to shift their intentions so that both the birds and the birdwatchers can benefit. In contrast to traditional forms of observation, mindful bird watching invites the birdwatcher to explore their relationship with the birds they observe, encouraging self-reflection and acknowledgment of physical and emotional responses they have while watching birds.

I’ve personally grown interested in how birdwatching and mindfulness practices are connected. I am currently participating in Forest Therapy Guide training through the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT). Forest Therapy, also known as “Forest Bathing,” is a nature- based wellness practice, inspired by the Japanese practice, Shinrin-yoku, where “shinrin” means forest, and “yoku” means bath. The experience of Forest Bathing can be described as a sensory, immersive, and slow, where you intentionally use your senses to “bathe” in our surroundings. ANFT teaches all of their guides that “the Forest is the therapist, and the guide opens the doors.” This motto encourages guides to work in partnership with our surroundings, to invite participants of a forest bathing walk to tap into their senses to experience the healing power of being outdoors.

At the beginning of my ANFT training, I was encouraged to move slower on the trail than ever before, stopping to touch plants growing along the trail, closing my eyes when I heard bird calls, and feeling the breeze against my skin. Bringing awareness to the physical sensations provoked by careful awareness, slowing down during walks in the woods has radically transformed my perspective and formed deep connections with the places I frequent and species that I observe. I also feel more connected to myself, noticing the sensations that arise in my body as I explore nature. The best part about forest-bathing, and mindful birding alike, is that this practice can be done anywhere. By harnessing your sensory awareness, focusing on what you can see, smell, touch, hear, perhaps even taste, you can extract yourself from the busyness of the mind and ground yourself in the present moment. So much of what we do daily is centered in the mind, requiring vast amounts of mental energy to analyze, assess, plan, and strategize. Next time you’re out birdwatching, put away any distractions and try out these simple mindful birding examples to give your mind and body a break:

1. Silent Observation
Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for a minute. Then, open your eyes and observe the landscape and any birds who may visit, noticing their colors, shapes, sounds, and movements. If you stay quiet and still for long enough, perhaps 10-15 minutes, you may get a closer look at the birds you ordinarily scare off with your presence, by blending into the landscape.

2. Listening to Birdsong
Close your eyes and focus on bird sounds. Distinguish different calls and songs, noticing their pitch, rhythm, and patterns. Stay present with the sounds, allowing them to guide you back to the present moment. Remember, identification of the bird song is not the mission of this exercise, so leave that Merlin App behind. Staying present to bird songs and listening intently may lead to you learning the calls on your own.

3. Bird Behavior Journaling
Observe a bird or group of birds and note their behaviors in a journal. Reflect on how these observations make you feel and the thoughts that may arise. If you choose to draw pictures, refrain from judging your artistic abilities, instead, focus on how the drawing instrument feels or sounds as it contacts the page, bringing your attention back to the sensation of sketching.

4. Walking Bird Meditation

Walk slowly and mindfully in an area with birds. Pause to observe each bird you encounter, noting its features, behavior, movements, then continue your walk, noticing your surroundings while moving slowly. The slower you move, the more movement & activity you may find!

5. Sunrise or Sunset Bird Watching
Wake up early and find a spot to watch birds as the sun rises or sets. Notice how the changing light and temperature affects the birds’ behavior and the environment. Notice how you feel, watching birds quietly, at the beginning or end of another day.

Birdwatching puts you into the present by putting you into a state of careful observation. When you move down a trail or sit quietly, carefully attuning your awareness to the landscape around you— from your own breath to the rustling leaves and calls of songbirds in the canopy above—you are engaging in a mindful practice.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that spending time in nature can simultaneously boost the immune system and encourage individuals to focus on the present moment without distraction. Getting out into nature has been scientifically demonstrated to be beneficial for human health. In fact, researchers demonstrated that the three most soothing sounds to humans are wind, water, and bird song (Nilsson, 2006). Psychological studies using bird song have consistently shown improvements in mood and mental alertness, with its qualities perceived as both distracting and restorative (Radcliffe et al., 2013). Further research by Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) suggests that after prolonged use of directed attention, we suffer from ‘attention fatigue,’ with a reduced ability to perform cognitive tasks and increased levels of fatigue. According to the Kaplans, involuntary, effortless attention, or ‘soft fascination,’ is capable of restoring our directed attention. It seems that blending these research findings with the process of mindful birdwatching can help people recover from mental fatigue and enhance overall wellbeing. All we need to do is slow down and set the intention to devote effortless attention to our feathered visitors.

Birdwatching has the potential to fall within both categories of attention, direct & voluntary. Whether you’re on a mission to record every species you see and hear for conservation purposes, or you’re a birdwatcher simply taking in the moment, you are experiencing the enormous benefits of the outdoors. No matter where you are, no matter what your mission is when birdwatching, you have the potential to blend the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness with the joy of observing birds, offering a holistic approach to enhance mental and physical well-being. By integrating mindfulness into birdwatching, individuals can foster a deeper connection with nature and themselves, leading to improved overall health and cognitive function.

REFERENCES

Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT). Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.anft.earth/

Dose of Nature. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.doseofnature.org.uk/

The Mindful Birding Network. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.themindfulbirdingnetwork.com/

Nilsson, M., & Berglund, B. (2006). Soundscape quality in suburban green areas and city parks. Acta Acustica United with Acustica, 92(6), 903-911.

Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. (2013). Bird sounds and their contributions to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36, 221-228.