Mike, Tweeters, and Inland Birders,

According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,
the first recorded use of "bird" as a verb in the modern sense
(to observe or identify wild birds) was in 1918-- and hence "birding",
which is a form of the verb.

"A-birding" is not quite the same word as "birding", so I'm not
sure if Florence Bailey's use of that term really qualifies.

However, "bird" has been used as a verb (and "birder" as a noun)
since at least the 15th century (again, according to Merriam-
Webster's), but in the sense of hunting or killing birds-- not
watching them. I believe it was used in this sense in at least
one of Shakespeare's plays.

Are you sure that Bailey's reference was not to killing birds?
Most serious students of birds in the 1890s shot them or
collected them-- so she may have been using "birding" in its
old sense.

All the best,

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net



----- Original Message -----
From: "mike Denny" <m.denny at charter.net>
To: "Inland NW Birders" <inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>; "tweeters"
<tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 8:00 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] A "Birding" question


Hello All,
I am curious about the term "Birding". When was its earliest use and by
whom?

Many years ago I was given a publication entitled "Birds" Vol. 1, #6
published by The Nature Study Publishing Company-Chicago June 1897.
Within the pages of this 109 year old publication is mention of another
publication entitled " A-Birding on a Bronco" that could be purchased for
$1.25. I do not know who the author is or about its contents, but it was
also published by The Nature Study Publishing Company-Chicago. I have a
certain mental image of what "Birding "on a Bronco must have been like. This
is the earliest use of the term Birding I am aware of. Thank-you.
Later Mike

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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)