This month I welcome a guest blogger, Steve Wells. With a passion for the outdoors, Steve blogs at Binocularsguru.com and loves traveling and bird watching. Bird watching has been shown to make you healthier and more mindful. If you’re wondering how to get started, Steve’s column has plenty of helpful suggestions.
~Carol
Top 7 Tips When You Get Started on Bird Watching
By Steve Wells
Are you someone who gets excited seeing a bird on your porch? Do you sit there and stare at the bird until it flies away? Well, you may be a bird lover and would love the experience of bird watching. To develop and nurture this into a hobby could be intimidating for some. You may feel lost, thinking about where to start. Well, don’t get discouraged. Here are a few tips for you to get started as a bird watcher:
Start from your backyard
Begin your bird watching journey from your backyard. Place a bird feeder with some bird food and water. You will be amazed to see the number of birds perching in your backyard. Watch them and study their behavior, features, what they eat, and their sounds. Once you know the birds in your backyard, you can step out to watch the birds in the field, nearby jungle trails, lakes, and bird sanctuaries.
Do Note: avoid going into a forest or terrain where you’re not allowed. It’s important to stay safe and have fun watching birds.
Invest in a good bird guide
A bird guide will give you quite a lot of information about different species of birds. You can learn about the different species, their size, sounds, colors, and features. Don’t feel intimidated by the amount of information you see in the guide. Take it slow and read about one bird at a time or begin with learning about the birds you see in your porch or backyard. As you get comfortable knowing about the birds in your local area, you will be eager to know more. You can then move on to reading about other birds.
Binoculars
A pair of binoculars would be an advantageous piece of equipment to pursue this hobby. As a beginner, you don’t need expensive binoculars. A simple binocular with which you can get a good view of the birds soaring high would be all you need. You can check the best binoculars under 200 here. You can go for an 8x to 10x magnification one. Once you are at an advanced stage of bird watching, you will find, there are a variety of high-end binoculars and telescopes in the market. You can then definitely invest in an expensive one.
Camera
As a beginner, you will often be in a situation where you will find it difficult to identify a bird. You can click pictures and later learn about them from your bird guide or online. Clicking pictures with clarity may be challenging as a beginner. Since birds are quite swift and you may not get enough time to click a picture. However, if the picture is enough to identify the bird and learn about its features, it will serve the purpose. The pictures or images will always be a good collection of records.
Join the birders community
You can learn valuable lessons from a community of birders. It’s good to hear stories of their adventures of birding, the kind of birds they have watched, and information on where to find different species of birds. The information they have will be quite beneficial for a beginner. Once you’re in a community, don’t miss out on joining them on their birding adventures. If an enthusiast is ready to teach you birding, then jump on the opportunity to learn from them. There are groups on social media sites, join the online communities, and you can learn about the birding events going on near you.
Maintain a record
Maintain a record book of all the birds you have seen and their pictures. You will be delighted to revisit and appreciate the number of birds you have watched. It will always be an encouragement to go out in the field and look out for more adventures with the birds and feel one with nature.
Have fun
Lastly, it’s essential to have fun. Don’t get competitive with anyone. It will defeat the whole experience of bird watching. It’s a hobby you should enjoy and cherish each time you watch a bird.
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Even if they are not birdwatchers, most North Americans can recognize Greater Canada Geese. These honking emblems of the wilderness are commonly seen strolling parkways or golf courses. On a recent trip to Point Pelee National Park, I learned these geese once faced extinction from overhunting and a local, Jack Miner, had been instrumental in saving them.