• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

BirdOculars

Helping Make Your Back Yard a Retreat

  • Home
  • About
  • Free Birding E-Books
  • Guides
    • Choosing the Best Birding Binoculars
  • Product Reviews
    • Birdwatching Binoculars
      • Bushnell Binoculars
      • Leica Binoculars
      • Leupold Binoculars
      • Nikon Binoculars
      • Pentax Binoculars
      • Steiner Binoculars
      • Vanguard Binoculars
    • Birding Software
    • Birding Gear
    • Books
  • Bird Feeding Resources

Staring Out At Your Backyard

By Jeff Leave a Comment

Take A Mini Break Every Day

I’m a firm believer that we spend way too much time hurrying to our next destination without enjoying where we are now.  This exercise will benefit you in ways you never expected because it’s not just about staring out into your backyard.  It’s about being grateful for all that you see.

Disclosure As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When was the last time you just dropped what you were doing completely and just stared out your window?  I’ll bet it’s been a while.  I know because I’ve been guilty of it too.  I want both of us to break that habit starting right now.

I don’t want to hear how busy you are and how this or that has to get done or else.  I’ve got plenty of work to keep me busy 24/7 but I refuse to let it control me.  Plus, if you’re really afraid you’ll lose time to this you can set a timer.  Five minutes is all you need.

Here’s The Challenge

At least once every day I want you to stop what you’re doing and look out the nearest window into your backyard.  See how much stuff you can observe going on back there.  If you tell me it’s quiet, you’re not looking closely enough.  Don’t speak or listen to anything but the sounds in your yard.  Spend only five minutes doing this and then take some time to recall and reflect.

What did you see or hear?  Did you notice species you haven’t seen before.  Fall migration is a great time to do this for that exact reason.  I know every year I see different birds passing through on their way to their winter grounds.  The other thing you’ll see is some of your returning winter birds.  I know just this morning I heard my first White Throated sparrow because I was listening.

Don’t Let Life Pass You By

I don’t want to get too philosophical with you but the world keeps spinning and we can’t change that.  All that we can do is stretch out the time we have by being present for it.

Please give this a try and let me know what you’ve seen and how it changed you.

Related

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: your backyard

About Jeff

I am an avid veteran birder who specializes in making back yards come alive with happy visitors! Let me teach you how!

Founder of BirdOculars.
Follow me: Website / Twitter

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 128 MB. You can upload: image. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

Primary Sidebar

Get Free Birdwatching E-Books!

Birdwatching For Beginners

Recently Updated

My Top 15 Birding Resources

Leica Ultravid HD 10×42 Binoculars Review

Leica Trinovid BCA 10×25 Binoculars Review

5 Things You Should Be Feeding Wild Rabbits

The Easiest Way to Start Birding

My Favorite Birding App

merlin bird ID

Favorite Birding Videos

Recent Articles

  • Getting Ready for Hummingbird Migration
  • My Early Bird Bluebirds
  • Technaxx TX-165 Full HD Birdcam Feeder Preview
  • The Easiest Way to Start Birding
  • Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 Binoculars Review

Departments

  • Product Reviews
  • Bushnell Binoculars
  • Leica Binoculars
  • Leupold Binoculars
  • Nikon Binoculars
  • Pentax Binoculars
  • Steiner Binoculars
  • Vanguard Binoculars
  • Birding Books
  • Birding Software
[Not a valid template]

Cool Sites

  • 10,000 Birds
  • All About Birds
  • American Birding Association
  • Avibase
  • Bird Forum
  • Bird Girl
  • Bird Guides
  • Bird Houses 101
  • Birdchick
  • Birdfreak
  • Birding and Wild Bird Care
  • Birds and Blooms Magazine
  • BirdWatcher's Digest
  • Birdwatching On Wikipedia
  • Brome Bird Care
  • Brome Bird News
  • Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Creating Your Own Wildlife Sanctuary
  • eBird Learning Center
  • Fatbirder
  • Focusing On Wildlife
  • Get Started With Birding
  • Hummingbirds.net
  • Julie Zickefoose Blog
  • Make Your Own Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder
  • Most (and least) Pet-Friendly States
  • National Bird Feeding Society
  • Penny's Hot Birding and Life!
  • Stokes Birding Blog
  • The Birdhouse Chick
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • Vanguard Optics
  • WildGuides on Princeton University Press

Footer

Site Navigation

  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Bird Feeding Resources
  • Free Birding E-Books
  • Guides
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

  • Getting Ready for Hummingbird Migration
  • My Early Bird Bluebirds
  • Technaxx TX-165 Full HD Birdcam Feeder Preview
  • The Easiest Way to Start Birding
  • Nikon Monarch 5 10×42 Binoculars Review

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...