Bird watching or birding is a very popular hobby that includes the observation and study of birds. Because visual observation of birds is complemented with auditory observation, the term “birding” is more accurate.
Birding is the second most popular outdoor activity in America, second only to gardening as the number-one recreation. For many people bird watching is an opportunity to feel close to nature. I especially enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness of watching birds. I can spend hours outside on my porch watching the many varieties of birds visiting the feeders I’ve put out for them. My mind is stilled from all the hustle and bustle of life and I’m awed at the beauty of God’s creation.
Like most people, I started out by watching and attracting birds to my own backyard.
Bird feeding can benefit birds and also provide great bird watching opportunities. You can attract a variety of interesting birds to your yard by selecting and offering the right kinds of food. The common types of food offered in bird feeding are seeds, nectar, suet and fruit. Early morning is the best time for bird watching since many birds are then searching most actively for food.
If you’re like me, once you start feeding birds, you’ll probably want to identify who is coming to visit.
Equipment used for birding includes binoculars or a camera, a blank notebook, and one or more good field guides.
Field guides are books with pictures and descriptions of the birds. In today’s online world, there are also some great websites you can visit that help identify birds. A field guide shows birds of just one country, or one region of a country, or one habitat.
Since the birds you’re watching are likely at a distance or camouflaged in trees, you may want a pair of binoculars, or in my case a telephoto lens to get a better view of the birds. Binoculars are described by two numbers: 8×32 for example. The first number tells you the magnification power of the binoculars. The second tells you the size of the objective lens at the end of the binoculars in millimeters. Most bird watchers think that 7 or 8 power is about right for most birding. As for a telephoto lens, I recommend at least 300mm.
The next step is to broaden your birding experience beyond your own backyard. Plan a trip to a bird sanctuary, national park and other locations where you can see birds in large numbers. Wherever you go, never harm the birds and always respect other birders.
And don’t forget to join a local birding club. Clubs organize field trips, show films of good bird watching destinations and some of them are involved in local environmental projects. Also visit your local library or birding website and check out books on birds and ornithology.
