Posts Tagged ‘birding’

Bird Watching For Novices

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

When it comes to bird watching, there are many factors that can affect which birds you spot or if you even spot them at all.  A beginner’s field guide of your area will give you a good idea of which species you can expect to spot, and in which seasons to see them.  A field guide will also help you identify any birds that may be unfamiliar to you.  Some of the most renowned field guides known to bird watchers are the Peterson field guides.  There is a Peterson Field Guide for Eastern birds and there is one for Western birds, either are very detailed about the birds you can expect to see in your areas.

A notepad and pen are an essential addition to a bird watcher’s gear, as they can make it much less difficult to identify a bird by writing down notes and drawing pictures of the birds you have seen.  It is a beginner mistake to resort to your field guide the second you see a bird.  Instead, spend as long as you can observing the birds and their colors, beak colors and features, flight patterns, song notes, “chirp” patterns, size, and leg length.  Scribble these things down on your notepad, and identifying the bird will become much easier than just flipping through through your field guide and guessing by looking at pictures.  

Another vital piece of equipment for any bird watcher is a high quality binocular, such as Nikon Monarch ATB binoculars.  As many bird watchers will tell you, the main difference in quality between a $50 binocular and a $700 binocular is fantastic.  You want to be able to observe every possible detail about a bird once it is viewed, and a high quality binocular can be the difference between
seeing what you suspect may be a cardinal, or easily identifying a cardinal at first sight.  With a high resolution, it will make identifying birds more simple, and you will be able to more finely observe fine color details and even the eating habits of the species.

Good listening can also affect the number of birds you are able to spot on your bird watching outings.  Listen carefully for calls and songs, as these can be giveaways to what species the bird you are viewing really is.  One fantastic thing about your senses is that they all may be used at once, therefore listening to a bird while observing it is very possible, and quite enjoyable.  Look for beak and throat movements to make sure the bird you are observing is the one you are hearing.  There are actually a few aided hearing devices used by bird watchers that can amplify the natural sounds around you in very high definition, and mute sounds as loud as a clap to protect your hearing.  These may make it much easier to hear distinct call patterns and songs.

Remember, the most important|crucial|essential] things in birding is to have fun!  Go out and join a group or club dedicated to birding and go on trips with your new friends.  Take photos of the birds that you have observed and keep them in a photo album.  No doubt that fellow bird watchers will be interested in seeing these pictures as well as sharing their knowledge with you, making birding that more pleasant.  Once you have been birding for a while, you will be able to identify a bird just by seeing a glimpse of it flying by or by hearing a few chirps.  Remember to always be kind to nature and the creatures that live in it, and nature will be kind to you in return.

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Birding Photography Basics

Monday, July 12th, 2010

There are some out in the world today who have always had a passion for photography.  Those people are the ones who know the skill required to not just shoot a photo, but make it come alive.  The game changes a bit and becomes much more challenging when there are moving elements like automobiles, wildlife, and people, therefore more expertise is required.  Bird photography is considered one of the most difficult forms of photography known to artists, and takes an enormous amount of skill.  It is the intention of this article to help you in learning the basics, to help you get started with photographing birds, and soon you will be shooting works of art yourself.

One of the first things required in order to snap shots of birds is to know when and where to expect them.  A field guide for your area can be extremely helpful for this purpose, as it will tell you which birds to expect in your area in given seasons.  The next thing to do would be to study some well taken bird photos, and observe subtle details about the picture.  Notice details like the height at which the photo was taken in relation to the bird, the lighting, the focus of the bird and the background, wing position, and the background colors.  All of these things can play a part in giving the picture emotion and intimacy.

The camera you use is personal preference for the most part, although quality brands like Nikon or Canon are highly recommended.  As with binoculars, there is an astounding difference between some $50 cheapo binoculars and some excellent quality $1000 Nikon sport optic binoculars.  Most of the time, more expensive does not mean better quality, but high quality cameras, lenses, and accessories will most likely cost a pretty penny.  100-400mm lenses are commonly used amongst bird photographers, but those who are very serious about it may use a 500mm f/4 telephoto lens.  Again, it is all personal preference.

One of the most important things to keep in mind in any photo session is the lighting.  Mornings and evenings will give more dynamic conditions and will compliment bird activity, as opposed to the overly bright noon time sun.  Keep the amount of leaves in mind also; the more leaves there are, the less light there will be, and less leaves means more favorable conditions.  An easy way to increase picture quality is to get close to the birds you are going to photograph.  Remember to stay close to the ground and move very slowly, as this is a less hostile stance, and will provide a very intimate picture of birds on the ground.

Always be prepared even before you capture the picture, and keep the surroundings in mind.  Affix the right lens and filter to your camera before you approach birds because the sudden movement or light reflection may scare them off.  If the background is messy, it will take away from the bird’s natural beauty in the photograph, so try and keep the background very distant or soft.  Remember, there is a good chance that you will have to wait long periods of time to get a decent photo opportunity, or you might not get any at all.  Just plan ahead, come prepared, and be patient, and the rest will come over time.

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Necessities To Help You Enjoy Your Bird Watching Outing

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Birdwatching is a great hobby. It gets you outdoors, so you get plenty of exercise in the fresh air while enjoying your hobby at the same time. And it gets you closer to nature. In order to have the best time, however, there are a few birding necessities that you should consider.

To be prepared to spend the day outdoors with your bird friends, you’ll need the following minimum supplies:

- You’ll want to have a sunscreen with a minimum of 15 SPF. This will give you at least moderate protection from the sun. If you’ll be outdoors longer, go for an SPF of 30+.

- Water. Spending lots of time hiking while outdoors can very easily lead to water loss which can lead to dehydration. Take a canteen or bottled water. Drink lots of water before you start your hike and take periodic sips along the way.

- Insect repellant. If you want the best possible protection against mosquitoes, bugs, and all sorts of other annoying insects, apply the insect repellant to both your skin and your clothing, according to the label instructions.

- Footwear. Because you will probably be walking and hiking a great deal, you will want to have a pair of the most comfortable boots possible. Also, if there’s the possibility that you will be trekking through marsh or extremely damp conditions, you should probably take along a pair of knee-high rubber boots.

- Rain gear. Weather conditions can change at the drop of a hat so it pays to be prepared for possible rainfalls. A lightweight, waterproof, breathable piece of rainwear could be indispensable.

- Snacks. The treats aren’t for the birds, they’re for you. Find some high energy store bought or home made granola bars, fruits, and nuts and you’ll be good to go.

Hopefully you will survive your first bird outing. If you do and you believe that this is something that you will be doing again, then the manufactures of birding supplies will love you as you will undoubtedly be back in their stores to buy cameras, recorders, and other higher priced items in preparation for your next trip.

Find more articles by Ken Lawless regarding  bird house patterns / plans, wood birdhouses, and blue bird houses at his website.

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What the First Time Bird Watcher Should Know

Friday, February 26th, 2010

There’s just about no more popular outdoors hobby than watching birds. There are so many of us who have watched the birds in our gardens or at the city parks, raise and support their families. But every once in a while we have the urge to escape beyond these limited confines and go out into the wild to watch birds in their native habitats.

If you haven’t been on a bird watching outing before, the following tips will give you a good basic foundation of necessities you will need in order to best enjoy your time in the outdoors.

1) Many times, in the wild, before you see a bird, you’ll hear it. If you want to improve your skills as a bird watcher, a good way to begin is to learn the sounds that the birds you are interested in make. The more time you spend in the field watching birds, the better you will become at learning to recognize the different mating calls and vocalizations made by your favorite birds. To hone up on your skills you can actually purchase CD recordings of the bird calls of literally thousands of birds. Use these to practice identifying different species by their songs and sounds.

2) Next, you’ll have to become an expert at identifying the kinds of shelter and trees that your bird species gravitates towards. This is key to being able to locate their nests and to set up your stakeout. Some prefer to build their nests close to the ground, while others will find the topmost branches of a tree to build their home.

3) What time of the day do your favorite birds like to eat? If you want the best chance of spotting your bird species, you have to know this. The majority of species choose to start looking for food just before sunrise and will continue up to noon. Some, however, are late risers and prefer to start later in the day. These you’ll find just beginning to be active before sunset.

4) Probably, one of the most essential pieces of apparatus that will come in handy for you is a spotting scope with a tripod. A regular telescope won’t do as you’ll become frustrated very quickly with it. You need a scope with the proper level of magnification. As birding as become more and more popular, it’s become easier to find many brands of birding binoculars made specifically for bird watchers.

Begin your outing with these tips and you’ll have built a good foundation for the rest of your birdwatching career.

Ken Lawless writes articles concerning blue bird houses / boxes, wooden bird houses, and bird house plans which you can find on his website.

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