Bird Watching for Beginners – Bird Watching Guide
Bird watching is a fun little hobby that is picking up a lot of attention lately. It can offer you a lot of knowledge regarding the characteristics of the birds and their natural habitat.
However, if you are a bit new to this hobby, you might be wondering where you should start. This bird watching for beginners guide will cover all the things you would want to know. So, stick till the end if you wish to have a good start.
What Steps Should the Beginners Take for Bird Watching
Picking up the birdwatching hobby can become a pretty easy thing. But for that to happen, you would need to know the proper steps. And the steps are as follows:
Step 1: Invest in a Proper Binocular
It is not really necessary to get yourself a pair of binoculars to become a successful birder. But the birding experience can become hassle-free and enjoyable if you do pick one. And as you are a novice, we would highly recommend picking up a proper bino.
To make things easier, we recommend going through a proper guide regarding how to choose birdwatching binoculars. After going through a good guide, you should have a clear idea regarding the optics, magnification range, weight, image quality, and all of the essential factors regarding a bino.
Keep all of those factors in mind and pick something that offers a good value for the money.
Step 2: Become a Morning Person
“The early bird catches the worm!” You might have already heard this phrase a couple of times. Well, it is absolutely true. Birds tend to sleep all night, and their hunger wakes them up in the morning. That is why you will hear a lot of chirping early in the morning.
To get a redefined birding experience, you need to wake up with them. In other words, we are recommending you to become a morning person. By waking up early, you will have the luck to catch unique species and learn about the natural habitat of the feathered friends.
If you find yourself struggling to stay active in the morning, introduce yourself to caffeine. A cup of joe can surely help you feel energetic in the morning. Also, practice the habit of having proper breakfast in the morning because you might need to stay out for an extended amount of time.
Step 3: Get a Field Guide
To get a kick start on your birding adventure, we would highly recommend picking a field guide. It will offer you an idea regarding different types of birds that are available in your area. Also, it will provide deep insight regarding when and where you will find those birds.
Step 4: Connect with Local Birders
There are communities regarding birding. You will find loads of experienced birders in those communities. And almost all of the people will be happy to offer you insight regarding the bird-related activities present around your area. That information will surely come in handy in the early stage of birding.
Alongside that, we would recommend taking part in the conversations that these communities usually have. You can gain a lot of knowledge regarding essential tips and tricks that helped birders in terms of birding. That knowledge can help you quickly become a professional birder.
Step 5: Seek out Different Spots
It is surely possible to hang around your backyard and study plenty of different birds munching and perching on the feeders around. But in most cases, the unique birds will be found in the wild. They do not really feel safe visiting the city areas. So, visit different habitats and locations to expand your birding range.
Now, you might wonder how you will find wild habitats if you are living in the city. Head to the nearest park! During the fall and spring, there will be loads of different birds gathering in those areas. You can even take a hike to the nearest hiking trail if you are determined to study the feathered flocks in their natural habitat.
Step 6: Practice Patience and Try to Blend in
The final step would be to practice patience. Not all of the birds will sing and announce their presence. Many will stay quiet and blend in with the environments around them. You would need to invest a good amount of time and stay in the hotspot by being patient if you want to capture a view of them.
Other than that, these birds that stay quiet and blend in with the environment will usually be highly alert. They will be wary of motion, and your movements can throw them off. For that reason, we would recommend wearing something that will blend in with the environment. Also, stay quiet!
Best Time for Bird Watching
As we have mentioned, the earliest bird takes the worm. That dictates that the birds wake up just when the sun is up and when there is enough light to find food. You would need to pick the same habit too. By being active early in the morning, you will have the luck to watch loads of different species of birds.
Yes, it is totally possible to watch birds at other times of the day. But no matter which time you pick for bird watching, do not pick the noon. That is the time when they are the least active. And in that time, you will struggle to find birds singing and trying to find food. So, it will be better to avoid noon.
Bottom Line
Birding is something that one can pick up relatively quickly. But that would only be possible if one follows a proper guideline. Our guide for bird watching for beginners went through precisely those steps. And we hope that you found the steps simple and easy to follow because that was our foremost priority here.
