One glorious summer day I was interviewing a well-known birder and nature reserve warden. It is one of those interviews that sticks in my mind because every few minutes we were interrupted – by a bird. Mid-sentence, he'd point one out that was swooping low over the water, or landing to perch on a branch. Whether it was an Oystercatcher, a Common Tern, or a Swift, we would pause to watch.
While it meant the interview made slow progress, there was something delightful about pausing to stop and observe, and I have never left an interview feeling so relaxed!
Birdsong creates a state of “Body relaxed, mind alert”
Julian Treasure, author of Sound Business
In fact, birdwatching is one of the past times known to have a huge number of mental health benefits. We know about yoga and other mindfulness exercises that can deliver similar benefits - but birdwatching is one that is growing in popularity.
It is one of the fastest-growing hobbies around – with over six million people in the UK now enjoying the activity. A study by birdwatching app, Birda, have found it is particularly gaining popularity among Gen Z, with over one fifth of its users in that age group and the hashtag #Birdwatching already garnering over 181 million views on TikTok.
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