TryBored In Your Lockdown? Try Watching Birds Watching Birds Here are seven tips to get started. Credit...Illustrations by Benjamin Flouw By David Sibley Mr. Sibley, a birder and artist, is author of “What It’s Like to Be a Bird,” from which this is adapted.

We find comfort in nature. The psychological benefits are well documented: Spending time with grass and trees and birds, even through a window, makes us feel happier and more relaxed. It’s inspiring and reassuring to remember that birds are migrating north right now, as they have for millenniums. The earth turns, and birds follow the rhythms of daily and yearly cycles.

One of the most exciting things about bird-watching is that birds are so mobile. They fly around their home territory. They migrate across the globe every spring and fall. You can watch the same tree and see different birds every day and each season. In these days when travel is restricted, when a lot of experiences are not possible, birds bring the experience to you.

You don’t have to identify the species, although there is a wealth of information available if you know a bird’s name. The most important thing is just to notice birds, slow down and really watch them. I’m writing about bird-watching here, but these same seven principles apply just as well to any form of nature study. Take some time to really look at a tree, and compare it to other trees. Lay down on a lawn and