Greetings to all. New to this forum.

[D. Spaulding]

I'll be officially retired next month, but I haven't had to work many hours the last few months. Never thought I'd get into bird watching, but since I've been able to slow down and enjoy my coffee on our patio the last few months, I started to watch the birds that flew around our property. I then put up a couple of feeders and got the Merlin app to help me identify them. Since I'm also into photography, I've been experimenting with taking shots of them to help with cataloging them. I believe I've identified 15 different species so far. Not sure if that's low, average or above average. When my grandson hikes with me, I'm now able to point out different birds to him, based only on their calls. One of my favorite bird calls in our area is the Spotted Towhee. Look forward now to reading posts here when I can.

[elleng]

1. Great news! You'll enjoy it A LOT!!!

[SheltieLover]

2. Congrats on your upcoming retirement!

Have you checked out the photography forum? They run a contest every month with varying themes.

Enjoy!

[Dear_Prudence]

3. Wonderful hobby!

Congratulations on retirement. Birding is a great hobby. Identifying 16 species is an excellent start! Have fun!

[3catwoman3]

4. I've read that the more birds a person sees, the happier they are.

I know I certainly enjoy those that frequent our patio and backyard, even tho, for the most part, they are every day varieties.

My favorites are the juncos, chickadees and downy woodpeckers.

[magicarpet]

5. Welcome to Democratic Underground.

Any questions about navigating the site - do not hesitate to ask. People here are friendly and helpful.

Enjoy.

[Walleye]

6. Welcome to this form. I'm just counting the days till hummingbird season comes back. I will post pics.

[Donkees]

7. Welcome :)