Tucker Davidson of Audubon wrote a lovely piece about slowing down and listening to, and looking for, the birds:

Birding requires us to be present in the moment. It also allows us to shift our focus from our own worries and ruminations to another subject, breaking anxious thought patterns. Birds hold our attention without overwhelming it. For the socially awkward like myself, birding can provide deep enrichment without the anxiety-inducing obligation of socializing.

Rin and I had a blast last month talking about all this with Tucker on our Water Matters podcast.