Bird-watcher Kerrie Kirkpatrick of Peabody enjoyed the pleasure of taking care of a parakeet when she was a young girl. But caged birds don't count in her birding log book today.

"I found a parakeet when I was about 8 or 10 years old," Kirkpatrick said. "It was a wonderfully trained parakeet that could talk. I was so taken with that little bird. I just loved it."

The attraction to feathered friends has brought Kirkpatrick on a life-time journey to observe birds in their natural habitats-for pleasure and conservation.

The following are frequently asked questions about bird watching, according to www.birdwatching.com:

-- What do bird watchers do when they go birding? Bird-watchers observe wild birds in their natural habitat. Bird-watching can be described as learning to identify birds and understanding what they are doing.

-- How can you learn more about bird-watching? Join a local bird club, subscribe to a magazine devoted to bird-watching, learn from birding, read field guidebooks and start noticing birds around you.

-- What's all the excitement about birds? Birds have intrigued people around the world because of their beauty and power of flight. Historically, they were considered omens. The ancient Romans believed that the flights and calls of birds could foretell the future.

Today, scientists observe bird populations as a reflection of the health of the environment.

-- What's in it for the bird-watcher? The list is long and includes connecting with nature, a chance to get outside in the fresh air, an opportunity for family and friends to enjoy time together or a time to spend alone in solitude.

-- What do I need to start birding? The basic list includes a pair of binoculars, a field guide, a hat and a small notebook.

-- What's a field guidebook? A field guidebook is a small book that contains information about birds. It includes describing and showing photos of birds as well as listing specific details to look for with each bird.

-- Is birding expensive? Compared to other sports, birding is not expensive. A notebook, a field guide and binoculars will cost less than a good pair of athletic shoes.

An avid bird-watcher, Kirkpatrick has a license plate that reads HAWKOWL.

"My favorite birds are hawks and owls," she said.

"Of the owls, one of them is named the hawkowl, a boreal owl that lives up in Alaska. Owls are mysterious and hard to see, hard to find. I was just so excited when I finally saw a real owl, after reading about owls. Most people seldom see them."