Bird watching once conjured up images of tramping around in tweeds and breaking for tea and crumpets, but birding is surprisingly popular for a sport that became fashionable in Victorian England. In the late 1980s it was estimated more than 61 million people in North America regularly spent time watching birds and "The Sibley Guide to Birds" routinely sells more than 500,000 copies each time it is reissued. Today, spend a relaxing Saturday morning at Van Cortlandt Park on one of their weekly bird walks. The park – with its fresh water lake, real swamp, forests, brooks, meadows and river views – is spectacular and hosts around 240 species of birds, many of which have made the park their home for years despite changes in the habitat. Don’t worry if you’re a rookie, the experts of the Audubon Society and Urban Park Rangers who lead the hike will make sure you don’t miss a single nesting wood duck or Northern Rough-winged swallow.
