Watching birds fly from one tree to another while they chirp is fascinating. If you are new to bird watching, you may not know what it takes to bird watch. However, this article will teach you everything you need to know to have the best birdwatching experience.
Kindly read on till the end of this article to see what we are about to reveal to you. We implore you to pay close attention to everything here.
What is Birdwatching?
Bird watching, a popular hobby among nature enthusiasts, entails observing birds, particularly common birds in Florida, as they engage in various activities in their natural habitat. Whether pursued for recreation or research purposes, bird watching often involves more than mere observation. Some observers even enhance their experience by capturing stunning images of the avian species using cameras.
How to Bird Watch
You need to know specific tips before going out to birdwatch. The tips will assist you in watching birds from suitable angles without scaring them away. Beyond that, the tips will cause you to enjoy every single minute you spend bird watching. Here are the tips you need to know:
- Stay calm and quiet while you watch: You should expect some moment of super excitement while you watch birds. During those moments, you may yell out of excitement or move suddenly. If you allow your excitement to control you this way, you will end up scaring the bird you are watching. And, of course, you wouldn’t want that to happen. Hence, you must always stay calm and quiet while you spy on birds. If you need to change your position, you should do so gently rather than suddenly. Also, you should whisper to your colleagues only when very necessary because birds are very sensitive to sounds.
- Locate birds with naked eye first: The first time you go out to bird watch, you may assume that binoculars will help you spot birds faster than the naked eye. However, binoculars will lessen your field of vision, making it hard for you to spot birds. You should use binoculars only after you have spotted a bird you wish to observe.
- Watch from good positions: The position where you stay while watching birds matters a lot. For instance, if you are directly facing the sun while observing birds, you may not clearly see the colors of the bird you are observing. Although this type of situation is sometimes unavoidable, you should avoid it each time you can.
- Pay attention to sounds from birds: Sound can sometimes lead you to beautiful birds even when no bird seems to be nearby. If you practice birding by ear often, you may eventually develop the ability to identify various birds by their sounds.
- Use field guides: Field guides can help you learn important things about the birds you see while bird watching. After all, bird watching isn’t all about seeing birds without knowing some things about them. Also, field guides will help you find answers to some puzzling questions that might come to your mind while you observe birds behave in specific strange ways.
- Take pictures: Pictures are essential as they help you document exciting moments. While you can’t keep a particular bird in sight forever, you can keep the bird’s memory with you forever when you take pictures of it. Pictures even assist you in sharing your birdwatching experience with others.
Essentials Needed for Bird Watching
Certain items can help your birdwatching enjoyably. For instance, binoculars allow you to view distant birds as if they are right in front of you. Even a novice birdwatcher knows the importance of binoculars. But are binoculars the only essential things for birdwatching? Of course, there are many other important things. Below, you will find the complete list of the items needed for bird watching.
- Binoculars: Most birds will fly away when you move too close to them. Hence, you need to observe them from a distance with the best binoculars for bird watching. Regular binoculars will work fine, but if you want binoculars with perfect magnification, you should purchase binoculars designed for bird watching.
- Spotting scope: Like binoculars, spotting scopes magnify images of distant subjects. However, they have higher magnification compared to binoculars. Although spotting scopes are expensive, you should purchase one if you sometimes observe birds at extremely far distances. Spotting scopes can offer up to 100 times magnification, whereas binoculars hardly provide more than 12 times magnification.
- Camera: If you are interested in birdwatching, especially bird photography for beginners, it is crucial to have a camera with you at all times. Opt for a digital camera equipped with zooming lenses, as capturing birds from afar is often necessary. Additionally, make sure your camera does not have flash or produce loud clicks, as these can startle the birds.
- Tripod: You may not need a tripod to take pictures, but you need it to record videos. It can save you from unnecessary stress when recording birds. For instance, it can save you from the trouble associated with the prolonged holding of cameras. Most cameras are too heavy to hold in your hands for several hours. Even if your camera isn’t heavy, you may not be able to keep your hands steady while recording videos. However, a tripod can keep your camera steady and enhance the quality of the videos you record.
- Birding vest: You will have many small items to store within your reach while you observe birds. Since birding vest has many pockets, you can keep some of your things in it while you bird watch. The color of birding vests can even make it difficult for birds to spot you since birding vests usually have dull colors.
- Field Guide: You need a field guide to identify the birds you encounter while birdwatching. All you have to do is match the images of birds in the field guide with the image of the birds you come across. You can carry either a hardcopy field guide along with you or download field guide applications on your mobile device. Field guides exist in two forms. The first form uses photographs of birds to illustrate vital features that you can use to identify birds. The second form uses artwork to help you identify birds. Both forms are beneficial, and we recommend that you carry them along every time you go out to birdwatch.
- Bird journal: Birdwatchers sometimes need to write some of their observations while watching birds. Hence, you should have a bird journal with you each time you go to bird watch. Your journal can help you store crucial facts that you may not record with cameras.
- Insect repellent: You should expect to see various insects when you walk into the woods to see birds. Some of the insects you encounter might cause discomfort when they come near you. For instance, a few of them might bite you and cause skin irritation. Since this is undesirable, you should always carry insect repellent with you every time you go to birdwatch.
Best Time and Season for Birdwatching
Like humans, birds also have schedules, even though they don’t write down their plans as we do. If you go to birdwatch when birds have no activity to engage in, you may end up not seeing anything interesting. So what time and season are best for bird watching? Find out below!
Best Time for Birdwatching
For example, if you want to spot common birds in North Carolina, it is best to watch birds early in the morning because that is the time most birds start searching for breakfast. You might have already noticed that birds chirp more in the morning than at other times of the day. So, if you plan to spot birds that hunt insects early in the morning or songbirds, you should watch birds early in the morning.
However, if birds of prey are your primary target, you should watch them in the afternoon. This is because most birds of prey stay very active at noon, making it a great time to observe them. For instance, it is prevalent to see hawks and eagles soaring in the afternoon as they watch out for prey on the ground. So, if you are interested in common birds in North Carolina, keep an eye out for these majestic birds of prey during the afternoon hours.
Best Season for Birdwatching
While birds are always available all year round, you may not be able to see them in large numbers if you birdwatch in certain seasons. Spring and fall are the best periods to birdwatch. During these periods, many species of birds will migrate in large numbers, so birdwatchers can see lots of birds.
How to Identify Birds
Like other animals, birds are not made the same, even though they belong to the same class- Aves. Some birds make noise, while some are very quiescent even when you disturb them. However, how can you identify birds?
- Check the attitude and behavior – birds don’t behave the same way. Some birds may be tense amid danger, while others remain calm regardless of the situation. For instance, you can quickly identify birds like Finches because they are always anxious. Besides, the mode of movement, feeding, and flying varies from bird to bird. For instance, birds like Rainbow Lorikeets can be identified with their straight and fast flight.
- Sound– of course, this is yet another potent way to identify birds. You can quickly identify birds by the type of sounds they make. There are different types of sounds birds make. Some birds make an alarm sound – informing other birds about a potential danger, begging sound – usual inform of whines and wheezes, contact sound, and some birds like the Northern Mockingbird even sing.
- Shape and structure – You can also identify birds by their shape, size, structure, and color. Some birds have a very long beak, while some have a short beak. Some birds are highly colorful, while some are highly diminutive or large. For instance, birds like Wren are tiny.
- The habitat: Birds are found in all habitats, be it forest, grassland or wetland. And like other animals, some birds prefer one habitat to another. For instance, the Large Toucan prefers to stay in a forested area. So, where you find birds also plays a vital role in identifying them.
Conclusion
Birdwatching is fun when you know the best moment to engage and apply the right tips. Even if you are new to birdwatching, the tips mentioned in this article will help you have a rewarding experience when you go to birdwatch. Just make sure you apply everything you have learned here, and you’ll discover how exciting birdwatching can be.