There is a well-developed pastime taking place across the nation that keeps thousands of people occupied from dawn to dark. You can usually find them congregated around bodies of water, binoculars glued to their eyeballs. The sounds coming from these groups are usually subdued, with sudden outbursts, such as, "Are you sure?!", "NO...!", "Hey!" or "That's a lifer!" Chuck Gates Sneaking up on birds started out as "bird watching," but today these folks are "birding." These are birders. Most of the time they're recreational birders, out looking at birds for their own enjoyment. However, sometimes these exercises can be "official," such as conducting the Christmas Bird Count.