To meet people, get close to nature, and know the different varieties of birds, take up ornithology as a hobby. If you have a friend who has this hobby, give them a surprise birthday gift which matches their interest. What types of gifts do these people like? To understand this, study the kind of things they use when they go to watch the birds.
Probably a hat is one of the easiest and least expensive items to buy. This is a very useful gift in the sense that it prevents damage to their face from the sun and stop glare at the same time. The next item could be a pair of cargo pants with many pockets so they can put snacks and other items inside.
The other item which can also be a good to store useful items is a bird watching vest, which has more pockets than the combat pants. For easy access to a cellular phone, water and map etc. these vests cannot be bettered. When you know their old backpack is in a dilapidated condition, you could get them a new replacement. Since these people do not carry too much with them throughout the day, you really only need to buy something that is just large enough for a day out. The gift which costs most for a birdwatcher is a pair of decent binoculars. Quality binoculars are expensive because of the optics involved which allow the bird watcher to see the birds from a distance with great clarity. There are plenty of varieties in binoculars, and price range too with the top-of-the-range versions able to be used in complete darkness; others can capture images, both still and moving. Ornithologists normally document what varieties of birds they have found, in what numbers and in particular where they were seen; so a good gift idea could be a bird watching journal.
If none of these ideas work for you, have you ever thought of buying an ornithologist a one year subscription to a bird watching periodical? These are beautiful magazines published every month (or quarter) and carry information and pictures of birds which live in remote and exotic places. The ultimate gift for someone who has the available funds is a bird watching vacation. It is important to remember that there are thousands of species of birds in this world; many do not find the climate of US a suitable.
What does the person need and which places have they not visited are the questions that need answering before you can decide on a gift. A short conversation will already give you several ideas, and then you just have to pick the right one that is within your budget and meaningful to the person. Who knows, you might find that all this research on a present has wetted your appetite to start bird watching as well. Rather than admiring such people, you would soon be joining their group.
