He is, of course, quite right about how a passion for identification can sometimes get in the way of seeing. It is one among many reasons why, while I like to stroll through the woods and look at birds, I never, never join groups of birders. But I actually spend a great deal of time simply watching birds - in particular, those in my back yard, which these days are mostly house sparrows and house finches and mourning doves. Just as I spend a good deal of time every day just looking at the flowers in my garden. Simply watching something you would otherwise take for granted can be a very illuminating experience.
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