Birding for health and pleasure

October 26, 10:08 PMSF Fiftysomething Lifestyle ExaminerAmy Wachspress

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Bird watching can keep you healthy and improve mental functioning. Besides that, it’s entertaining. Walking is some of the best exercise around, and is an integral part of bird watching. Add to that the exercise your brain gets and you have a winning combination. Health experts say that doing crossword puzzles, playing word games, or engaging in other recreation that sharpens thought processes will prevent or slow memory loss, dementia, and other mental decline. All the same cognitive skills used in these types of activities are used in bird watching, which requires quick recognition of birds, remembering bird names and habits, putting together disparate pieces of information quickly, and recognizing plumage and bird songs. The Mayo Clinic recommends bird watching to keep your mind sharp as you age.

Birding is also a terrific stress reliever, since it temporarily takes you out of your own box and offers a respite from everyday worries. Furthermore, as with many occurrences in the natural world, there is much that humans can learn from the lives of birds. For instance, hummingbirds communicate with one another through visual displays. No sound involved. All body language.

If you are new to birding, try taking a class to get started. Choose one that includes opportunities to go outdoors with a bird expert. Birding books are also helpful, especially a good field guide. There are many ways to attract more birds to your own yard, for instance by putting out bird feeders and bird houses. But if you want to see more aviary variety, take advantage of an opportunity for some pleasant exercise, and get some fresh air, then you ought to treat yourself to birding outings.

There are many locations in the San Francisco area that are recognized as good birding spots. Here are some suggestions:
v San Bruno Mountain. Wintering spot for osprey.
v Marin Headwaters. Reputation as finest hawk-watching location in the U.S.
v Lake Merced. A bird watching hot spot in the Bay Area, Merced’s marshland with heavy willow growth is habitat for a wide variety of birds.
v Golden Gate Park. Home of the Strybing Arboretum; the flowers attract many colorful birds.
v The Presidio. Former Army post, now run by the National Park Service, supports many indigenous birds.
v Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Mill Valley. Right by the water, the sanctuary has been classified as a Nationally Important Bird Area because it provides habitat for significant numbers of California Gulls and Western Grebes.

There are many more excellent birding spots around the San Francisco Bay. Go to the San Francisco Bay Area Bird Watching page at Trails.com to discover more birding spots. Once you get started, you will find a host of choices. Northern California has recorded 559 different birds (only two other states in the U.S. have recorded more). That’s a lot of inexpensive entertainment.