Ah, the joy of bird watching. If you’re like me, you receive special satisfaction from attracting birds to your backyard or garden. No doubt you have worked hard to transform your yard or garden into a space that attracts many different types of birds, and you enjoy just sitting and watching your new feathered friends for long periods of time.
In fact, this brings so much enjoyment that you decide to expand your hobby from the birds that you can study in your own yard. Yes, it’s time to take the next step in bird watching, where you’ll leave your home and visit other locations in order to experience an even larger variety of wild birds.
One suggestion for finding a wide diversity of bird species is to go to your local park, nature reserve or even a bird sanctuary. There are about 500 National Wildlife Sanctuaries to be found in America itself. To find one that’s near you, try the internet first. A quick search should help you locate parks near you.
Another way to enjoy bird watching is to plan bird watching activities around a trip or vacation. It’s a good idea to do a little research in advance to learn what particular birds live in the area that you’ll be visiting. As there are more than 900 species of American birds to be found, it pays to be able to say that you recognize the birds that come your way. The most efficient way to achieve this is to educate yourself prior to going on your bird watching excursion. Keeping listed notes will let you keep track of the birds that you’ve seen.
Binoculars are an essential piece of bird watching equipment. While you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on an expensive model it does pay to have a pair of binoculars that can stand up to the terrain that you’ll be going through, and the weather that you’ll have to endure. Your binoculars must be able to keep the images stabilized as this is necessary for long distance bird watching. Also your binoculars must be able to work in dim lighting and not fog up. As birds are not stationary creatures you should be able to focus on them very quickly.
To be able to track birds in flight with ease demands skill in bringing your binoculars or camera up and panning along with their motion quickly and accurately. The only way to master this technique is to practice raising your arm quickly and following a fast moving object like a plane or your dog. Once you’re proficient at this, you’ll be able to focus on anything that moves out in the field.
A final suggestion is to take along someone who shares your interest in birds on your next bird watching trip. Not only will they be able to share and discuss all that they know about bird watching with you, they can help to spot any birds that are hidden from your sight. They may even know some tricks that’ll let you see and photograph some species you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
In summary, there are many reasons to participate in the bird watching hobby, but the main reason is that you’ll gain a better understanding of these feathered creatures that inhabit the world alongside us. This will make your enjoyment of the birds in your garden and home even more satisfying. After all, as every birding fanatic knows there’s nothing quite as wonderful or relaxing as bird watching. Add a good cup of steaming coffee into the mix, and you’re all set.