Love birds Doug Chickering and Lois Cooper do, in fact, love birds. The Groveland couple spend countless hours together every week birding in area fields.

"Lois and I go on Friday afternoons, every Saturday and Sunday, every holiday and vacation," Chickering, 66, said. "It's nice to have something to share with the person you love. A lot of couples meet in the field and get married. And the opposite: if one partner in the couple is a birder but the other isn't, the marriage tends to fall apart."

Chickering and Cooper are not alone. Birding is huge in the region with people of all ages and backgrounds, but particularly among the married set. In fact, 72 percent of the 46 million birders in the U.S. — including the 2.1 million who live in Massachusetts and New Hampshire — are married, according to a 2001 U.S. Fish and Wildlife study.

Many of the couples are drawn to big birding events, like this weekend's Merrimack River Eagle Festival, which attracted roughly 1,500 bird addicts last year. The third annual day-long event will feature a slew of birding-related activities in the Newburyport area, including guided sightings of bald eagles, demonstrations by wildlife rehabilitators, and kids' crafts and games.

"Birding taught me how to see and what to hear and how complicated and beautiful the world is around me," said Chickering, a machinist by trade. "Lois says birding's like a treasure hunt. You go out in the morning and look for one thing, but you really don't know what you'll find. It just opens the world up. For me and people I know, birding isn't a hobby, it's an obsession."

For non-birders, however, the hobby's allure remains elusive. Why would anyone want to lurk around salt marshes and wetlands in freezing cold temperatures with their eyes glued to the skies? All that head-scratching once produced an unfavorable image of birders, recalls 58-year-old birder Steve Grinley, who was hooked after his first birding trip roughly 46 years ago at Cambridge's Mount Auburn Cemetery.

"Back then, I was a closet birder," said Grinley, who now owns Bird Watcher's Supply and Gift in Newburyport. "I didn't want too many people to know I was into birding. I had a few friends I'd go out with. Eventually, I hooked up with a group of birders.

"It was not cool back then — not cool at all. I remember being on birding trips and people passing by would beep their horns and make bird sounds."

These days, local birders are proud of their endeavors. They travel to birding hot spots around the world. They keep "life lists" of the hundreds of birds they've seen, often broken down by year and region. In the densely populated bird region of Newburyport, "you're almost considered coo-coo if you're not a birder," Grinley said.

"People think we're funny looking and middle-aged, and therefore should be laughed at," said Sandy Molloy, 57, of Londonderry, N.H. "But the birders I know, they don't care what people think."

The allure of the hobby differs from birder to birder, based on their interests and goals. Some want to rack up enormous life lists, while others don't even record what they've seen. Jim Berry of Ipswich is fascinated by the nesting behavior of birds, while Newburyport's Sue McGrath is intrigued by the special adaptations of individual species.

"There are 'chasers,' 'listers,' those into breeding biology, those interested in migration, 'bird banders.' There are 'backyard bird watchers,' 'armchair bird watchers.' There are people who have trips planned for six, seven months to see certain types of species," said McGrath, who runs Newburyport Birders. "At some point, you might have been one or many of those types of birders."

Some, like Jim Fenton of Haverhill, prefer to steer clear of the birding herds and appreciate nature in solitude. But many birders, like Jonathan Brooks of Newburyport, enjoy the social aspects of birding and being part of an accepting community of people bonded by a common love.

"You could travel across the country with a birder and not know if he's married or even working by the end of the trip. You simply talk about birds," Chickering said. "I know three people who go birding all the time: One's a school teacher, one's a house painter and one's a bank president. They have nothing in common, but they became fast birding friends."

So if you're looking to transition from a non-birder to a birder, it's relatively simple. Invest in a decent pair of binoculars, spending between $100 and $300. Pick up a good field guide, read up on some local birding Web sites. And just get out there.

"Get out there with people who know what they're doing," Malloy said. "I've driven down to Mount Auburn Cemetery by myself because there's always a group of birders. Nobody minds when I join in. Birders are happy people."

If You Go

r What: Merrimack River Eagle Festival

r When: Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

r Where: Four festival centers in Newburyport: Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike; Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, 6 Plum Island Turnpike; Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, 38R Merrimac St.; Newburyport City Hall, 60 Pleasant St.

How: For a full schedule of events, call 978-462-9998 or go to http://www.massaudubon.org/eaglefestival.

Who is birding?

Across the pond, birding in England is viewed as a hobby for the young and the wealthy, as you need time and money to pursue it. The average English birder is a 25-year-old white male, said English birder Jim Hully.

Here in America, birding historically was a hobby of middle-aged men.

"It was predominantly done by men because bird watching was done at the end of a shot gun," Newburyport birder Sue McGrath said.

But times are changing. Today, the average American birder is a 49-year-old, white female living in the northern half of the country with a slightly better-than-average education and income, according to a 2001 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"I've led the Essex County Ornithological Club for some time — I'm in my third term as president," McGrath said. "And the Brookline Bird Club president is a female. We're working our way into leadership positions, and more and more women are in the field."

That better-than-average income of today's birder has equated to big ecotourism bucks. In 2001, birding created roughly 863,000 jobs, generated $32 billion in retail sales and reaped $13 billion in state and federal income tax revenue, according to the wildlife survey.

These economic incentives have helped thwart negative birding stereotypes, Newburyport birder Jonathan Brooks said.

"For a long time, birders were looked at as weird geeks. Truthfully, as people have seen monetary value in ecotourism — and birding would fit under that — the impression of birding has changed," Brooks said. "If a birding tour is coming to your town, those birders will stimulate the local economy by shopping, spending more at restaurants, staying at nice hotels. I think a lot of places see that as an opportunity."

Network of birders

Sandy Molloy of Londonderry, N.H., who started birding more than 30 years ago, says technology has revolutionized the hobby. You can now photograph birds with digital cameras inside a spotting scope — known as digiscoping.

The spread of digital cameras and Internet access embedded in cell phones has made it possible for someone in the field to share the image and location of a rare species in a matter of seconds. An alert can be sent out to all birders logged onto local birding listservs, hosted by Web sites like massbird.org. There are even Web sites, like birdwatcherbuddy.com, that allow birders to search for a platonic, bird-watching pal in other parts of the country or even a romantic, bird-loving mate.

"In England, you can pay for different levels of pager service to learn where the birds are," said Salisbury resident Jim Hully, originally from England. "You quite literally can lie in bed, wait for a page, and it gives you something to get up for and to do. You can just dash off to look for the bird, since everything in England is only three or four hours apart."

Birder Bios

Birder: Jim Berry, 64, of Ipswich

Hobby origins: Though interested as a child, Berry didn't start birding until he took an ornithology college course roughly 43 years ago.

Birding frequency: Two or three times a week year-round; every day during nesting season from April to July.

Life list: "I don't even care how big my list is; that's incidental. It's not one of my goals. I think understanding how birds live their lives is interesting; studying their behavior. I enjoy sitting quietly and watching them feed. It's a lot of fun to watch ducks in courtship. Their antics are hilarious."

Hardest aspect to master: Identifying species can be difficult as some birds, sparrows and sandpipers for example, really look alike to beginners.

Favorite local spot: Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich; the protected dunes adjacent to Crane Beach in Ipswich.

Bird allure: Watching the behavior of rare birds nesting. With a goal of educating others, Berry is researching and writing a book about the birds of Essex County and their status over the last century.

Ultimate bird to see: They're all great.

Birder: Jonathan Brooks, 47, of Newburyport

Hobby origins: It all started when he was 6, watching his parents' busy bird feeder.

Birding frequency: Two to three times a month on his own; he also routinely volunteers at the Joppa Flats Wildlife Sanctuary in Newburyport.

Life list: 500 species, dating back to 1983. He also lists birds spotted by species, by year and by state.

Hardest aspect to master: Identification.

Favorite local spot: Plum Island.

Bird allure: Being outside and socializing with other birders.

Ultimate bird to see: Emperor Penguin.

Birder: Doug Chickering, 66, of Groveland

Hobby origins: On a fluke, he went birding with a co-worker back in 1979. "My friend had a scope and let me take a look of this Ruddy Turnstone — it's a shore bird that's red, white and black. It was the most beautiful thing. I knew my life had changed forever."

Birding frequency: Three times a week, in addition to holidays and vacations.

Life list: World list: 640 species; North American list: 599 species; Plum Island list: 319 species.

Hardest aspect to master: Learning bird songs.

Favorite local spot: Plum Island.

Bird allure: "Birding taught me how to see and what to hear and how complicated and beautiful the world is around me."

Ultimate bird to see: He once saw a Red-footed Falcon on Martha's Vineyard, a rare find.

Birder: Jim Fenton, 50, of Haverhill

Hobby origins: Started birding when he picked up wildlife photography in 2004.

Birding frequency: Minimum of four days a week.

Life list: Not a lister.

Hardest aspect to master: Identification.

Favorite local spot: Plum Island; Creek Brook Wetlands in Haverhill.

Bird allure: Watching the migration and breeding habits; their courtship and feeding behavior; their adaptation to climates.

Ultimate bird to see: Golden Eagle or a Gyrfalcon.

Birder: Steve Grinley, 58, of Amesbury

Hobby origins: His sixth-grade teacher took him to Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge during the height of the May migration period. He opened Bird Watcher's Supply & Gift in Newburyport in 1995, combining his personal interests with his professional ones.

Birding frequency: One or two days a week.

Life list: North America list: more than 600 species. He also has a life list and a year list.

Hardest aspect to master: Learning how to use a field guide; identifying birds by sound.

Favorite local spot: Plum Island; Andrews Point or Halibut Point State Park in Rockport.

Bird allure: Getting outdoors, keeping his mind sharp, comradery of fellow birders.

Ultimate bird to see: Ivory-billed woodpecker.

Birder: Jim Hully, 48, of Salisbury

Hobby origins: When Hully was just 7 years old growing up in England, his father would routinely take him fishing and birding. He also maintained a stuffed bird collection as a child.

Birding frequency: Every Saturday and Sunday, in addition to one weekday morning.

Life list: World list: 3,600 species — roughly one-third of the total bird population.

Hardest aspect to master: Learning the calls and songs of the birds.

Favorite local spot: Plum Island or Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Bird allure: "When you start something when you're young, it becomes a part of you. It doesn't matter how bad work is or the weather is, I don't get much happier than when I'm outside."

Ultimate bird to see: He loves seeing the Great Gray Owl, but hopes to see an Ivory-billed woodpecker, whose extinction is debated.

Birder: Sue McGrath, 53, of Newburyport

Hobby origins: McGrath was intrigued by the birds around her in The Gambia, where she worked as a Peace Corps volunteer 30 years ago.

Birding frequency: Daily, whether it's while leading educational programs, "in the car commuting or when I happen to be washing dishes. It's really a nice way to take solace."

Life list:Not a lister.

Hardest aspect to master: Finding the time.

Favorite local spot: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Bird allure: "There's a lot of mystic there. Where do birds spend the night? How do they stay warm? What do they do in a storm? There's a lot of unknowns and by studying and really spending time in the field, we can put the pieces together."

Ultimate bird to see: They're all her favorites.

Birder: Sandy Molloy, 57, of Londonderry, N.H.

Hobby origins: Her mother, a true outdoors woman, started taking her birding roughly 31 years ago.

Birding frequency: "I'm birding constantly — whenever I'm outside, I am birding. But at least once a week I go out with binoculars."

Life list: 250 species.

Hardest aspect to master: Identification. "I'm good at spotting them, but identifying — that is a different story."

Favorite local spot: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Bird allure: "The allure is that hundreds of species of birds are all around us — all for us to look for them. Non-birders don't realize it, they just don't see it."

Ultimate bird to see: Ivory-billed woodpecker.