I enjoy keeping records of the behavior or patterns of behavior of my “yard” organisms. I make an absurd number of Carolina Wren observations because I hope to one day enjoy looking back and take in the trends associated with times of year, fabulous anecdotal “evidence” and to train my eyes to look beyond the commonness. Watching and recording things we know also helps us notice new things. When we don’t have to be as vigilant for ID field marks we can take in more of the experience either for personal enjoyment or for a larger scientific picture of what we are observing. I used a bird example but I also watch insects and other inverts very closely (especially ones that I can visit and observe over longer life-spans like mantids or spiders) to learn the details of their existences.
I have long been bothered by birders (I’m sure other areas do this too) referring to common species as “junk birds.” Just because something isn’t new and shiny doesn’t mean it lacks interest or value to research.
Another thing I do in observing common species is to take informal abundance data…I came to iNat from ebird so I was used to reporting every individual. I still do this with moths (see any number of my juniper geometers, eusarcas, sunira bicolorago etc.!) which is essentially how I taught myself what is common for my location.
All this being said from a self-centered perspective of course…I enjoy this and it may make me a better land steward, observer and contributor which will inevitably offer some use to research. Whether my individual obs have an acute impact on research is also a subjective question of sorts. Hopefully, the sum total of all the “commons” will yield some impact in the future, even if it’s just fond memories of all the things our species has destroyed.