Worse still, be braced for feigned interest among family and friends. No sooner have you started a fascinating discourse on the difference between chaffinch and goldfinch song than you notice the eyes of your nearest and dearest glaze over in stupefied boredom. Instead, save these sort of nuggets for when you encounter real birders in the field. They will gobble it up like sparrows on a feeder.

Respect your elders...

Every birder needs a mentor. These hipster Johnny-come-latelies may be armed with their bird identifier apps and faux-vintage Canon PowerShot cameras, but nothing beats a bit of experience to teach you what to look out for. That said, never ask a veteran birder a question when they are staring at a specimen through their bins - at best, this will elicit a grunt.

...And the elements

Having just spent the weekend searching for raven nests among old limestone quarries in a rain-lashed Yorkshire Dales, I can confirm that while waterproofs may not be a good look on the streets of east London, they are necessary for a day’s bird-watching. So, too, packing your own lunch. Die-hard hipsters can, of course, continue to experiment with vegan raw cakes and charcoal water, but every enthusiast knows that a cheese sarnie is the lunch of twitching champions.