I wonder, if I do get into photography, will it reignite some of the excitement for common birds? With young kids, I just can't get away to find new stuff so much and I'm starting to exhaust my local patch potential. I like seeing the familiar things, but I'm also naturally goal-oriented, so it's fun to find "new" things, whether it's a new species at a particular spot or a new species to get a solid photo of.
On the topic of Bald Eagles, I just stepped out to my very suburban driveway and looked up to see a large raptor that wasn't striking me as a vulture. Fortunately, my bins were in the center console and I got on the adult Bald Eagle, a first for my yard. It was immediately followed by a pair of Red-tailed Hawks and an American Kestrel. Not a bad few minutes for raptors at my doorstep! @Patricio Swayze , recs for a good starter camera for birds/wildlife? After doing this for a decade, I really need to upgrade from phone shots through binoculars.
It doesn't take much. I remember a few days last October or November where any Lantana was covered in Monarchs. And a lot of people would stop and notice without even being alerted to it. I'm not always great at connecting with people directly, but nature, particularly the pockets of urban/suburban nature have always brought me closer to other people from all walks of life.
Bringing people together over birds. Fantastic work. If we all took a few minutes out of our day to realize we are a part of nature and not apart from nature, we would all be much happier. Also, buy some bins, get iNat, Merlin or eBird and see what's in your neighborhood. You will be surprised how far you don't need to look to find things worth protecting.
I am thrilled to have someone here to break up my boring words with photos. I know you venture to Brazil occasionally though. South America is the bird continent, so I'm expecting some Toucans or Cotingas at some point.