Bird Watching – Your Bird Feeder

Great Christmas Gifts For The Bird Watcher On Your List

Bird Watching Comments Off

Nov 192012

Are you hunting a Christmas present for that hard-to-buy-for person? Here are a few great gift ideas for either the casual backyard bird watcher or the avid birdwatcher on your list.

For the casual backyard birders there are feeders, binoculars, bird seed, bird seed wreaths and ornaments, decorative banners with bird themes. And, for those avid birdwatchers there are binoculars, birding scopes, cameras and all kinds of accessories. A membership in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or your local Audubon Society are other neat Christmas gifts that last all year for the bird watcher.

A pair of binoculars makes a wonderful gift. They will give that special person on your Christmas list hours and hours of entertainment watching birds. Binoculars can start anywhere from under $30 into the thousands of dollars. The choice and price of the binoculars will depend on how and under what conditions the bird watcher will be using the binoculars. For tips on choosing the right binoculars visit: Easy Steps to Choosing the Right Bird Watching Binoculars. An avid birdwatcher may even want a field scope and tripod.

A new bird feeder is a wonderful present for both the birdwatcher as well as the birds. Winter feeding is important for the birds, too. There are many different new-fangled bird feeders that attract different birds to the yard. Your present will provide lots of enjoyment while watching birds coming to the new feeder.

There are bird seed ornaments, gadgets and many decorations which make cute presents. And, a birder will never turn away a big bag of black oil sunflower seeds.

Cameras make a nice and useful Christmas present. Just like binoculars, the type of camera needed is determined by how and where the birdwatcher uses the camera. The casual backyard birdwatcher may only want a minimal zoom lens and everything automatic on the camera. While the avid birder will want a camera that has all the bells and whistles on it.

There are so many neat, fun and useful presents that can be given to the birdwatchers on your list. I’m sure they will love the present, get much joy out of it and say, “This is just what I wanted”.

The Great Backyard Bird Count For 2012

Bird Watching Comments Off

Feb 162012

Counting Birds

The annual Great Backyard Bird Count is taking place on Friday, February 17^th through Monday, February 20^th, 2012. What is the GBBC, how can I participate and why count birds?

What is the GBBC? The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual bird counting event conducted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada. People of all ages take part in this event to count birds in their area. You can count birds in your backyard, at your bird feeder, in the park or any other place in your area. This 4-day event has bird watchers counting birds for as little as 15 minutes a day or as long as you like each day.

How can I participate in the 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count? It’s easy to become part of the 2012 GBBC! Count birds in your area for at least 15 minutes or longer if you want. You can count birds one, two, three or all four of the days. Count the number of each species that you see together at one time. There is a regional checklist that you can print out to help you keep track of the birds and numbers. Then enter the highest number of the individual species that you have counted at one time for that day. Find the information at: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/whycount.html. That is how simple it is to be part of the 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count. It is so much fun to count birds and is so helpful to the organizations involved.

Why count birds? The Great Backyard Bird Count gives scientists and bird enthusiasts a real-time picture of the birds across the continent. The count allows the researchers to have this important information in a short period of time. It would take scientists and research teams months and years to collect this much valuable information that will be presented in these 4 days. The data gathered will show scientists things like: how winter influences the population of birds, different migration patterns compared to previous years, if different regions are affected by bird diseases, the variety of birds that live in the different areas (rural, suburban and natural habitats) and many other factors.

The Great Backyard Bird Count website will be tallying the birds as they are reported, comparing them with last year’s statistics and have a photo gallery for new pictures that people can send in. The 2012 GBBC will be a fun event, give the scientists the much needed statistics and the great thing is that everyone can be a part of it. Have a Great Backyard Bird Count for 2012!

Tips For Bird Watching

Bird Watching Comments Off

Feb 142012

Bird Watching

Bird watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities. If you are one of those who is interested in this activity, here are some great tips that will make your experience extra pleasant.

Identifying a bird can be challenging for a new bird watcher. Birds are very active and extremely fast moving beings. When you spot a bird you need to gather as many details about that bird as possible on the first spotting. You usually only have a short period of time to gather the facts. The following are some tips that experienced bird watchers do to maximize the short and precious time for viewing a bird.

Once a bird is spotted, immediately take in the color, the approximate size and shape and other markings. When bird watching observe the overall appearance of the bird. Be conscious of details pertaining to the head and the bill area. After the head and the bill, look at the bird’s body, wings, legs and tail. Watch its movements and its feeding habits if the opportunity is there. You can also start sketching or write down the things that have caught your eye. Make the most out of the time that the bird is in front of you.

Bird watching is just as much an auditory activity as a visual activity. Many times birds are best identified by their vocalization. Listening to a bird’s vocalization is simple but easy to forget, too. When identifying a certain song of a bird, notice the movement of the bill. This confirms that the song is indeed coming from that specific bird. Get into the habit of listening for birds while spotting birds. Their song is a sure way to make a clear identification of different species of birds. Get used to hearing the tunes that specific birds sing.

It is very important to immediately write down all the things that you have noticed about the bird. The notes will be extremely helpful when you later sit down with a field guide to confirm the bird species. These tips for quickly identifying birds will make the new recreational activity much more fun and enjoyable.

Great Gifts For Bird Watchers

Bird Watching Comments Off

Feb 082012

In the preceding article we featured bird watching binoculars and scopes as great gifts for bird watchers. We are now going to look at what other items would be perfect for a bird watcher. There are many things a bird watcher uses while hiking and watching birds.

Consider giving the bird watcher a waterproof field jacket or pocket vest. Field jackets and vests comes with many pockets that birders need for carrying items on their adventures. They can fill them with bird watching binoculars, large field guides, pen and notebook, phone, snacks, water bottles and who knows what else. The coat and vest features padded shoulders which helps when carrying their scope and tripod. The fabric in the jacket and vest should be of a breathable material.

Or how about giving them a field hat for a gift? This type of hat protects the bird watcher from the sun and glare while in the field and should be lightweight. Look for one that has a mesh crown for ventilation and can easily be folded and packed flat when traveling.

A binocular harness is literally a comforting present. The harness takes the pressure and weight of carrying binoculars from around the neck and distributes it evenly through the shoulders and back. A binocular harness makes hiking and bird watching much more enjoyable.

A backpack is another present that can be considered for your birder. Many bird watchers camp out for days while on bird watching trips. They take food, water and many other valuable items with them when camping out and a backpack or field bag would be a great gift. The bags have specific compartments for binoculars, field guides and other needed items.

Field Guide To The Birds of North America

Finally, bird watching books and journals are super bird watching gifts. Look for books that help with easy identification of birds. Journals are valuable to birders to keep track of the birds they spot. They even have software that can be purchased and installed on a phone instead of carrying books.

These are great gifts that any bird watcher would just love and appreciate. So check out the gifts that can be purchased for bird watching. They are going to be the best looking and best prepared birder out there!

I Love Bird Watching

Bird Watching 3 Responses »

Mar 212011

As the video shows I am so grateful for family time and being about to teach the kids about bird watching. Click here for a great book about bird watching for kids.

Older Entries