Observation Hobby

 

The technique of observation is a research technique that consists of observing people, phenomena, facts, cases, objects, actions, situations, etc., in order to obtain certain information necessary for an investigation. But there are also cases where people use observation as time passes, hobby, enjoy watching birds for example, or whales, fish, among others.

In this article, we will talk about observation as a hobby, about its benefits, advantages and disadvantages. Pay a lot of attention.

 

Bird observation as a hobby

Bird observation as a hobby is an activity focused on the observation and study of wild birds.

This hobby is more developed as leisure and is based on the art of recognizing the different species of birds for their plumage or song. Many are limited to creating lists that show the number of birds that attend a particular area; others keep the list of all the species they saw in their life. Everyone can go in and adapt this hobby in her own way. Some are content simply to enjoy and enrich more the walks in a natural environment, while others are fascinated in the scientific part that involves the study of birds, ornithology. Hobby
The most active time for bird watching is usually during the spring and fall as they coincide with the migration of the birds, and that is when the greatest number of species can be observed. This is because many birds that normally do not nest in an area, usually pass through it during their journey from north to south or vice versa.

Early is the most appropriate time to observe birds in their natural environment. During this time, the birds are more hungry and busy in their search for food. The best way to locate the most interesting species requires a detailed knowledge of their appearance, sound, behavior and the most appropriate habitat, all in addition to a good dose of discretion, patience, and luck.

Bird watching can be one of the quietest and most relaxing activities that one can do outdoors. But on the other hand, it can also become a real obsession for those who are dedicated to find the oddities, traveling long distances to see different species and add them to their personal lists (national, regional, local).

In North America, one day bird watching competitions are called Big Day. One of the best known is the World Series of Birding, which is held annually in New Jersey, and the five-day event in the southern United States. Known as the Great Texas Birding Classic. In this type of competitions, the teams usually have twenty-four hours to cover a geographical area, normally across an entire state and hundreds of kilometers. All this with the purpose of observing as many species as possible. The most fanatics even use private planes and helicopters to facilitate their work and break records.

In South America, there are already bird watching competitions, where the ones from Peru (Rally Challenge Birding) and Venezuela (National Bird Watching Competition of Venezuela) stand out.

 

Fishes observation as a hobby

Watching the aquarium fish swim calmly generates an immediate relaxing effect. But a new study says it also has an impact at the cardiovascular level: blood pressure and heart rate are reduced. Watching aquarium fish swim calmly reduces blood pressure and heart rate.

The study was done at the National Marine Aquarium in the United Kingdom, taking advantage of the fact that it was restored. For this, first the aquarium was emptied and then, once it was repaired and refilled, the researchers placed the different fish one by one. As they added them, they were also watching the reactions of the aquarium visitors.

The conclusion reached is that the greater the number of fish swimming, the greater the feeling of well-being felt in the people who observe them, something that could be measured from the heart rate of the participants.

 

Whale's observation as a hobby

The sighting of cetaceans is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Cetaceans are most commonly observed for recreational purposes (similar to bird watching), but the activity may also be for scientific purposes or pedagogical reasons.

The size and rapid growth of this industry have led to complex discussions with the whaling industry about the best use of these as a natural resource.

The sighting of cetaceans as an organized activity dates back to 1950 when the Cabrillo National Monument of San Diego was declared a public place for the observation of the gray whale.

In 1955 a fee of US $ 1 per trip began to be charged to see the whales when approaching the coasts.
The show became very popular and attracted about 10,000 visitors in its first year. This industry expanded throughout the western coast of the United States over the next decade.

In 1971, the Montreal Zoological Society began its whale watching activities in the eastern part of North America, and excursions were offered on the St. Lawrence River to see fin whales and beluga whales.

At the end of 1970, the size of the industry multiplied thanks to the operations in New England. In 1985 more visitors traveled to see cetaceans from New England than to California. This rapid growth in New England has been attributed to the relatively dense population of subareas, whose acrobatic behavior, like jumping out of the water, was much more striking to the spectators.

Throughout the eighties and nineties, the observation of cetaceans grew throughout the world. In 1998 Erich Hoyt carried out the largest systematic study of whale watching and concluded that whale watching trips were available in 87 countries around the world, with more than 9 million participants (a million dollar industry that needs large infrastructure). , as accommodation, restaurants and transportation), of more than one billion dollars. Its estimate for the year 2000 was 11.3 million participants, with an expense of $ 1,475 million.

 

An advantage of the observation method is that which allows the measurement of real behavior, compared with the reports of desired or preferred behaviors. There is no reporting bias, and the potential bias caused by the interviewer and the interview process is eliminated or reduced. Certain types of data can only be obtained through observation, including patterns of behavior that the participant is unaware of or unable to communicate. For example, information about toys that babies prefer is best obtained by watching them while they play, as they are still unable to express their taste in detail. Also, if the observed phenomenon occurs frequently or is of short duration, the observation methods are cheaper and faster than those of the survey.
 

 

Related hobbies: Bird watching, Whale watching

 

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