Category: Birding Tips

Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds

Another Reason Birders Wear Hats

tent-caterpillar_sanpedro-sierravistaaz_20100510_lah_1212Plop, plop, plip plop… it sounded as if it was raining, but the sky was blue and the sun was shining. I was happily prowling a row of tall cottonwoods growing thickly along a creek, searching for flycatchers, migrating warblers, and anything else of interest. Now, something was falling out of the tree tops, but it couldn’t possibly be rain.

Blop. Something landed on my hat brim. Something else hit my shoulder, and another falling object landed on my arm. What in the world? I put down the binoculars and focused more closely.

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Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds

Snowy Owl Sighting

snowy-owl_peytonco_20100110_lah_6250-1We got the call yesterday afternoon. “Come quick! I’m staring at a Snowy Owl!” Of course, we dropped everything, grabbed the scope and camera, and went running. Amazing—a Snowy Owl turning up just 20 minutes from our home near Colorado Springs. That doesn’t happen every day.

It’s a good thing Pete was driving—I probably would have had a hard time keeping to the speed limit. We pulled up behind the line of vehicles, and half a dozen people glanced up from their spotting scopes. I jumped out of the car while Pete helpfully assembled camera and scope. I had just gotten the adapter last week—a late birthday present—and barely knew how it all went together.

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Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds, Hotspots

Birding Trails

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When I first encountered the term “Birding Trail,” a mental image flashed into my mind of a migrating flock trudging down the road, heading south with their suitcases tightly grasped in their wings. Turns out that wasn’t quite right.

Birding trails are actually comprised of a series of birding hotspots (places where birds are known to congregate)  connected by a driving route. You pick up the map, hop in the car, and set off on your birding adventure.

Texas started the whole idea several years ago with the establishment of the Texas Coastal Birding Trail. A special map marks out the route, and signs along the highway indicate where to pull over, take a break, and look for birds. The concept is so popular that half the states have followed suit, and birding trails abound.

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Posted on in Bird Profiles, Birding Tips, Birds

Brown Ducks

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This mallard really is a female.

“They’re all females! Where did the males go?”

My friend and I were newbie birders; I’d started keeping a “Life List” only two months earlier. August found us at our favorite spot—the local nature center’s ponds. As usual, the water was covered with ducks and other waterfowl. But the more we stared through our binoculars, the more confused we got. All the ducks were brown! What had happened to the familiar green heads of the mallards? We figured that some of the “females” must be immature males, but where were the adults? (more…)

Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds

Bird Gear: A Newbie’s Guide

leslie-birding-cuchara-pass-co-12jul05-plh-006“Birding is really inexpensive! All you need is a pair of binoculars and a field guide!” I was trying to explain to my ever-patient husband why this new fascination of mine was such a great idea.

In a sense I was right. Birding can be very low-budget, especially compared to other ways we entertain ourselves. It doesn’t take up much room—you collect the birds in a list that doesn’t require dusting or storage space. Looking at a wild bird is free. And all you really need to get started is a decent pair of binoculars, a good identification book, and a notebook in which to list your sightings.

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Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds, Hotspots

Hotspots: Where the Birds Hang Out

You’ve got your binoculars in hand, ID book in one pocket, notebook and pen in another, and your resolutions to be a responsible, ethical birder firmly in place—you are ready to go birding. But, where will you go?

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Birders at Ramah SWA

While birds may be found virtually anywhere, they are not evenly distributed across the landscape. When birders discover a place with lots of birds (both in numbers and variety of species) that location is called, in birder-speech, a “hotspot.”

Just as people tend to congregate in places with housing and markets or restaurants, birds have their own favorite hangouts, and for the same reasons. Birds need water, food, and shelter. Any site providing all three is bound to have great birding.

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Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds, Books, Media Reviews

Book Review: Good Birders Don’t Wear White

goodbirderscoverLooking for some good advice on how to be a better birder? This book is a lot of fun to read, and provides valuable insights from 50 noted birders such as Kenn Kaufman, David Sibley, and Pete Dunne.

Each contributor has written a short article, about four pages long, imparting one nugget of birding wisdom. Examples include “Bird by Impression,” by Kevin Karlson, “Go Birding in Bad Weather,” by Bill Schmoker, and “Go Birding at Night,” by Ted Floyd.

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Posted on in Birding Tips, Birds

Listing Addiction

Facdscf0365-1e it, you’re hooked. You didn’t think it would happen to you. All you wanted was to know the name of one bird. You naively picked up that field guide. Was that bird at the feeder a Black-headed Grosbeak? Or perhaps it’s a Spotted Towhee? Hmmm… there are so many birds in here. And they all look so interesting! You’re familiar with a few—Robins and Pigeons, House Finches and House Sparrows. But wait! Is that really a House Sparrow? Perhaps it’s a Black-throated Sparrow instead! And there are two kinds of goldfinches at your feeder? Better look more closely.

Then you realize that lots of those birds in the field guide never come to your backyard feeder. Where are they all? Maybe it would be fun to plan an outing to the local nature center. Better bring those binos, just in case.

One day you wake up and realize that what all began so innocently is now a full-fledged addiction. You’re a birder. Now what?

Once you have started finding and identifying birds, the natural next step is to want to keep a record of what you have seen. While not all birders keep lists, most do. Many keep more than one list. It all depends on your personality.

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