As one who has been birding for fifty years, I believe I can make some generalizations about old birders, like myself. Of course, there are always exceptions.
Having left our glory days of birding in the past, when every other sighting was a new addition to our life list, we now enjoy a more leisurely approach to the pastime. We no longer go out hunting for new species; we've seen all (or almost all) of the birds that reside in or visit our region. Rather, we wander our own property or visit nature preserves, hoping to encounter a reasonable number of species but appreciating whatever birds (and other wildlife) that cross our path.
Of course, we welcome surprises as well; these often involve seeing common birds engaging in uncommon behavior. Just yesterday, on the farmlands east of Columbia, I encountered an osprey, perched in a tree; while there are lakes in the region, his chosen rest stop was surrounded by crop fields. Even old birders relish such new experiences.
