I've always enjoyed nature in any form but what pushed me into being a birder was @CarlBovisNature and @CarlBovis on twitter. His photos are fabulous. I bought his book "100 birds". I check his twitter page every day to see what is new. I asked him what camera he uses, a Sigma 150-600mm, and I bought one. Now, I just need to keep working because my photos can't compare to his!