Ended Official BYC Mini-Contest - What’s Your Hobby

[StinkyAcres]

#1
I am a birder, which is someone who is a little more serious about finding, identifying, documenting, and counting birds than a birdwatcher. I combine birding with bird and wildlife photography. I believe photography is a very important part of birding and bird identification. I love to go outside -- in my yard, neighborhood, or other place farther away like a park or lake -- and search for common and uncommon birds, count the species and number of individuals, and take photos of them. I lug over 6 pounds of equipment on my birding walks which can last several hours.

This is a Swainsons's Thrush I found in my yard. There were lots of them passing through my yard this fall.

 

[DogAndCat36]

1st Hobby- Rock Collecting. I have crystals, fossils, colorful rocks, gold flakes, and possibly amber. I impulsively collect rocks and I can't stop, I find a purple rock and it is coming home with me. Even if there are 100 purple rocks, MINE there all mine now!
I love everything about the hobby.
I am an amateur.
The sacrifice that I made to follow my hobby is that my family can get a bit confused and concerned about me.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

#1
I am a birder, which is someone who is a little more serious about finding, identifying, documenting, and counting birds than a birdwatcher. I combine birding with bird and wildlife photography. I believe photography is a very important part of birding and bird identification. I love to go outside -- in my yard, neighborhood, or other place farther away like a park or lake -- and search for common and uncommon birds, count the species and number of individuals, and take photos of them. I lug over 6 pounds of equipment on my birding walks which can last several hours.

This is a Swainsons's Thrush I found in my yard. There were lots of them passing through my yard this fall.
View attachment 2420033

Beautiful photo! I've always enjoyed sitting outside or visiting the nature reserve to observe the birds and other wildlife. I can identify them on a basic level but I appreciate you explaining the difference between birdwatching and a birder because I don't think I would have differentiated them if you hadn't said something!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

1st Hobby- Rock Collecting. I have crystals, fossils, colorful rocks, gold flakes, and possibly amber. I impulsively collect rocks and I can't stop, I find a purple rock and it is coming home with me. Even if there are 100 purple rocks, MINE there all mine now!
I love everything about the hobby.
I am an amateur.
The sacrifice that I made to follow my hobby is that my family can get a bit confused and concerned about me.
View attachment 2420040

Now that's my kind of hobby! Just wait, as your collection grows you'll start wanting to find things to do with them. That's when polishing, tumbling, carving, and faceting starts to take over. lol! Do you do all of your own rock hounding or do you get them from shops as well?

 

[Laura_BelgianBantams_63]

#1
I am a horse person. No, not a centaur . I am just a girl who loves riding! I have been riding since was just 5 - I think. I live, love and breath horses, because, I don't think I'd exist without them. I am a dressage rider, which is the hardest discipline of all in horse riding! Currently, I ride a Welsh/Australian riding pony gelding called Charlie. Charlie is a grey, but honestly, I feel like he is white! He has the cutest face!
Pics (apologies if they are upside down, some)

 

[Corbdee]

#1: I love photographing coastal sunsets, usually over the water. Sometimes I try and use some of the photos I took for a painting.

I don’t have any pics of any recent paintings but I love to paint as well.
I’ve loved beaches for pretty much ever.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Now that's my kind of hobby! Just wait, as your collection grows you'll start wanting to find things to do with them. That's when polishing, tumbling, carving, and faceting starts to take over. lol! Do you do all of your own rock hounding or do you get them from shops as well?

Most of the rocks that I own I found myself. Mainly from just smashing two rocks together and looking inside of the destroyed rock. I have a giant quartz that my dad found with my gramp when he was little, a tiny purple crystal that my friend gave me when she moved, a piece of rock with gold in it from my uncle, and a shard of a dino leg that my teacher dug up from a southern dry state, I forgot the name of the state. Besides those rocks, I found the rest outside.

 

[DogAndCat36]

#1
I am a horse person. No, not a centaur . I am just a girl who loves riding! I have been riding since was just 5 - I think. I live, love and breath horses, because, I don't think I'd exist without them. I am a dressage rider, which is the hardest discipline of all in horse riding! Currently, I ride a Welsh/Australian riding pony gelding called Charlie. Charlie is a grey, but honestly, I feel like he is white! He has the cutest face!
Pics (apologies if they are upside down, some)
View attachment 2420068View attachment 2420069View attachment 2420070View attachment 2420071View attachment 2420072

I used to own a white horse that looked like your horse, Charlie. Just a bit bigger and white, and his name was Diablo. I love horses.
Charlie is so handsome.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Hobby #1 - Rescuing Animals in Need

On and off since I was a kid, I’ve loved to rescue animals in need here and there. Even something as tiny as a lizard frozen on a cold day, brought inside in a small container to warm up and released later into a warm nearby location. Years ago, Pepsi had a fund/grant contest and so many people including my Aunt tried desperately to help me save those bottle codes and vote to build a small chicken rescue! We didn’t win, but ended up nonetheless rescuing three chickens around that time (unwanted owner surrenders, and even one attacked by a dog and surrendered).
I’ve had four shelter dogs over the years, reuniting two twins after the sister was returned and letting them live their lives together in peace. Though she passed away awhile back, her brother lives on at 11 years old. Their housemate is a 8 year old Heeler (also adopted). I was working at the shelters at the time, and these dogs were all passed over constantly as young adults.
Recently, we rescued a hen named Wally (pictured) who has her own journal here on BYC. She’s been such a joy, and we are now starting to clicker train in hopes she will better represent rescue birds and the fact they can be great friends. She was so afraid of people to start, and now she’s become sociable and loves to be held. Her expression has softened, and her feathers came back in healthy and bright.
No money is made off of it- you spend a little more on feed or care. But in the end, seeing an animal change and blossom into a happy individual after being scared and reserved is so worth it. I’ve been helping animals here and there since I was a young child, inspired by my Grandma and Aunt. Rescuing animals in need is definitely a favorite hobby.

 

[DogAndCat36]

I would say that another one of my hobbies is cross-stitching, I mean I have an entire container full of cross-stitching material. But I refuse to go back to cross-stitching after I tried 4 projects and never had enough thread. Even when I was careful not to waste any. These companies always skimp out on the thread.

Does anybody cross-stitch successfully? Please tell me how you do it.