VERY amateur birder, but love to find them. I'm now doing more listening than watching, as I find it fascinating to identify by call.
My favorite to watch are the crows, and I have notebooks filled with antics I've observed. I've found them to be extraordinary birds in so many ways, although it is very difficult for me to NOT anthropomorphize about them!
I don't keep a life list, but have a pretty good idea of the ones I've seen, and it is not impressive by birder standards. Still very enjoyable, though.
I do go a fair distance to find unusual or interesting birds during migration for something like whooping cranes.