I look out the window every day. Does that make me a bad birdwatcher?

How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher
by Simon Barnes

Charming, right?  That's the word. A little overused but it fits this book exactly.

The only thing at all wearying is his overuse of the catch phrase 'bad birdwatcher', but of course he had to, in order to give the book its name and distinguish it from all other books about birdwatching. Not that I've seen so many, but I did read one once.

This book was mostly just memories and funny stories, but there are some useful words of advice. Especially regarding dippers. I've never seen one but it's on my must-see life list.

Mostly, they like fast-flowing streams with plenty of rocks, because they are odd little birds, like big fat wrens, except they have the unnerving habit of flying straight into waterfalls. And if you go to the right sort of stream, you are almost certain to see a dipper, and if you walk along it for a way, you will see several. [...] Find your stream, and you have found your dipper.

I used to wonder why I never saw a nightjar. Field guides tend not to overcommit themselves, for the very good reason that birds often turn up in unlikely places. Any open country, you can read, is good enough for the nightjar. True; but you are highly unlikely to see them unless you go to the right sort of open country, the sort of open country that nightjars like very much indeed.

I guess I knew these things before, but I appreciate the memory jog. (Jab? Jag?)
And appreciate the book, too--good job!