FOR some, like Gardening Australia's Jane Edmanson, birdwatching is a lifelong passion that begins before they've even started school; others come to birdwatching in their 20s and 30s; and even more discover the call of our feathered friends in their 50s and beyond.
Whatever their journey, everyone is welcome this month when BirdLife Australia hosts National Bird Week, featuring the fourth annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count.
From October 23-29, BirdLife Australia is calling on all Australians to head into their backyards or other favourite outdoor spaces to count the birds they see using the smartphone app.
For Jane, the count provides a chance to reflect on the birds who share her garden and bring her backyard to life.
She remembers the birds she saw growing up on a farm on the banks of the Murray River near Mildura, and says she fell in love with the "long tails and beautiful copper colours" of the rainbow bee-eaters that filled her mother's garden.
"The count is such a good idea and it doesn't matter whether you're a fully-fledged birdwatcher with unbelievable birdwatching abilities, or an ordinary person like me who happens to see a sparrow or magpie and tally it up," she said.
"It connects you with what's happening outside your back door.
"If a garden doesn't have birds as visitors it's not alive; it's just a garden that looks pretty.
"I like seeing birds come along and use whatever is in my garden to get some nutrition out of it."
It will take every available counter to beat last year's record, which saw 61,000 nature-lovers take time out of their busy week to count more than 1.4 million birds - clear evidence of our love of birds.
So why is birdwatching so popular? The answer is not what you'd expect.
Birdlife magazine editor Sean Dooley believes the key to the popularity of birdwatching, particularly among retirees, is its social nature.
"While many people think birdwatching is something you do on your own, it can actually be an extremely social pastime, providing opportunities to make new friends, discover new places and embrace lifelong learning," he said.
"It's also an activity you can do with a range of people, and we hear countless stories of grandparents introducing their grandchildren to birdwatching, and vice versa, as well as experienced birdwatchers helping younger birdwatchers learn the skill."
- To take part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, download the free app or head to the website to get started and become a part of this huge citizen science event - https://aussiebirdcount.org.au
What were the top 10 birds in the 2016 count?
1. Rainbow lorikeet
2. Noisy miner
3. Australian magpie
4. Sulphur crested cockatoo
5. Galah
6. Red wattlebird
7. House sparrow
8. Common myna
9. Silver gull
10. Welcome swallow
