Birds
May 11, 2008
- Bird Watching in the UK
James hasn’t been back to London in over thirty years. He moved to the United States after graduating with a degree in Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and hasn’t looked back.
Working in aeronautics, he loved to watch the planes being developed as well as the birds that frequented the nearby airport. After going with a group of friends’ bird watching, the engineer decided to turn this into a hobby. He joined a club and went on trips across the country seeing a variety of species.
James had to fly to London to witness the marriage of Peter, the youngest of the siblings. Since there were places in the United Kingdom that had some birds not found in America, he decided not to pass up the chance and also do some watching for a few days.
A few days before leaving for the UK, he made a reservation at the Wild Rye nature reserve. Some examples of the species seen are the Shoveler and the Sanderling during the winter. The Little Tern and the Mediterranean Gull are also known to drop by in different times of the year.
There are hotels nearby for tourists to stay for a few days as well as tours for those who want to look around the place. Visitors are given a guide book upon entering the reserve and are allowed to take pictures.
Cornwall which is located on the south west side of England is another good place to visit. People there have seen species such as the Sandpiper, the Yellow Wagtails, the Dotterel and the Spotted Crake.
James visited both places and was able to check most of the birds on the list. Since he took a camera, it was possible to take a few photos so the information and the pictures could be uploaded into the computer.
There were other places to see exotic birds in the UK. It is a good thing the home where James grew up was in the countryside so there was time to spend time with the family and watch some birds at the same time.
James had fun at the wedding and doing some bird watching. Since there were other places to visit, he planned to return soon and check out the other nature reserves that featured other species of birds.
April 16, 2008
- A Five Minute Crash Course on Birdwatching for Bluebirds
Regardless of how you’ve discovered the pleasure for birdwatching and why you’re interested in searching for bluebirds in particular, ignoring birdwatching basics will get you and your binoculars nowhere. If you wish to be able to view bluebirds the soonest time possible, read this crash course on birdwatching for bluebirds. In five minutes, you’ll graduate from a kindergarten birdwatcher to birdwatcher extraordinaire!
SILENCE IS GOLDEN Birds won’t flock to an area where the noise level is considerably high. If you wish to have the pleasure of being able to observe how birds act in their natural habitat, you need to learn how to keep noise and disruptions to a minimum. Just think of birds as grouchy old neighbors, and you’ll know what to do.
THE KEEN EYE SEES BEST If you’re interested in birdwatching for bluebirds in particular, you need to make sure that you know everything there is to know about bluebirds. Increasing your knowledge of bluebirds will make it easier for you to quickly and easily identify the bluebird from the rest of the flock.
When studying bluebirds, your study should have the following focal points: Silhouette – Familiarize yourself with the outline of bluebirds. Plumage or Appearance – Secondly, try to memorize the unique physical characteristics of bluebirds. Know the shape of its head and beak and the color and pattern of its feathers.
Behavior – Research the behavioral patterns of bluebirds; learn what they do when hunting for food, protecting themselves from being prey, taking care of their young, and when trying to attract a mate.
Call – Learn how to distinguish the call of bluebirds from the chirping of other avians.
Habitat – Lastly, learn where bluebirds are most likely to live and if they migrate to other places during certain times of the year.
BIRDWATCHING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT To facilitate your viewing quest for bluebirds, make sure that you have the following handy:
Binoculars – 20/20 vision is unfortunately not powerful enough to be able to observe birds at a great distance. There will come a certain point in time that you need binoculars to help you attain your objective.
Log Book – Don’t rely on your brain and memory to recall every minute of your trip in perfect detail. Why take the risk of forgetting something pertinent when you don’t have to? All you need is an old-fashioned notebook and pencil or pen to keep accurate and comprehensive records of your observations.
Food and Water (Yours) – So you won’t miss out on anything
Food and Water (Theirs) – So you can lure bluebirds closer to you.
Don’t be blue if it takes you quite some time to search for those bluebirds!
More on A Five Minute Crash Course on Birdwatching for Bluebirds
March 12, 2008
- What kind of bird was that?
This is what you normally ask yourself or your partner when you see an odd bird perched around in one of those trees.
It is fascinating to see birds around you chirping and enjoying the bounties of nature or even the city life. What is even more fascinating though is when you see a bird you have not seen before.
Have you ever seen a bird that seems different from the rest? Normally we give these unknown birds a name – odd birds. These odd birds are either an un-named breed by the taxonomists or a foreigner to a certain area.
Bird watching is one of the most calming and peaceful hobbies available. Just sit down in a good spot and have your kit in hand. For the novice, you might want to consider taking along a good picture book of the common birds in your area so you will not tag a named bird as odd.
If you suspect that the bird you saw is odd, take a picture of it and research. Look for it in books and bird websites. It just may be that the bird is just visiting your area but is not really going to stay there for long.
If you still have difficulty in looking for that specific bird share the picture to an ornithologist or someone more knowledgeable in that field. It will be a great contribution to science if this bird is still un-named and you found that bird and were able to take note of it.
Another help you can add is if the bird is used as a bio-indicator and might lead scientists to know if there is something new or different in the environment. An example of this are some shrike species that indicate presence of pollution. So share your knowledge and learn from it too.
Remember to note where you saw it, the sound of chirps that you heard, the colors, the form of the beak, the feet, feathers, wing span (approximately), length, tail, and its characteristics (like if its moves around from branch to branch or if its very noisy).
No matter how odd or different looking the bird you saw is, just be glad it showed itself to you. Settle down and don’t be too excited because you might scare this odd bird away and you may not be able to finish looking at its features.
Enjoy bird watching and be one with nature.
February 20, 2008
- Fans Club for Birds
Birds are such lovely creatures that people cannot help but enjoy watching them. This is the very reason for the establishment of various bird watcher clubs around the world. These clubs aim to bring together people from all nations to appreciate and learn more about birds.
Membership to most of these clubs is usually for free. By signing up with any of them, you get invitations to various activities that they organize each year. You also gain more access to researches and other information about birds.
One of these bird watcher clubs is called the New Haven Bird Club. Every year this club hosts an international birding event that is non-competitive. This event has recently been called the “Big Sit”; which observes a certain bird every year that is referred to as the “golden bird”. People from all parts of the world are invited to participate and it is for free.
The event is very simple. You just have to look for a nice spot for birdwatching – like one with a great view of the various habitats and dwelling places of birds. Then, together with the other participants, you make a huge circle – whether real or imaginary – and sit within it for 24 hours. You have to count all the birds species that you heard or saw within that 24 hour time period.
Such a simple concept encourages many to participate. It does not take much effort and, in fact, most who have tried participating before find it very relaxing. It is a nice break from busy day-to-day living.
Although the activity is non-competitive, participants have the opportunity to win something. The circle with the highest count wins the Big Sit “Braggin’” rights. What is most targeted though is the prize for the circle that first finds the “golden bird” of the year.
These types of fun activities are very common for bird watcher clubs. There are also fund raising campaigns from time to time which are necessary to sustain their causes. The Big Sit activity, for one, is considered by other clubs as a great opportunity to raise funds and promote their activities.
Around the world, you will not have a hard time finding a bird watcher club to join as there are indeed many of them. The New Haven Bird Club is just one among the many. What is important is that when you do join one, you believe in their cause and are willing to do everything to care for the birds.
February 9, 2008
- Handfeeding: How To Do It Best
Birds are such delicate animals that they must be handled carefully. Handfeeding is usually one of the best ways to interact with them. However, just the same, it should be done with care and there are some things that must be remembered and followed.
Birds, especially pet birds, have somehow learned that people are their greatest benefactors. Although they have the capacity to live on their own under nature’s nurture, years of interaction with human beings have taught them to accept people as good friends. Thus, it is normal that they, at some point, rely on people for food.
Handfeeding, however, cannot be done as if you really are providing care for a bird. Your very first consideration must be the frequency of feeding and the volume of food that you provide. This should be the case especially for baby birds which grow rapidly and have certain nutritional needs.
As a bird matures, his food capacity increases as well. You should regularly take note of the development of the bird to be able to identify properly what type of food and how much of it is most suitable. Handfeeding must be a product of both observation and personal judgment.
You must also take note of the unique features of a bird’s digestive system. The esophagus widens as well as the lower part of the neck. Such widening is referred to as crop and serves as food compartment.
If you are trying to handfeed a baby bird, you can easily see and evaluate its crop since the feathers are not yet thick. However, if your pet bird is quite mature, the best way to evaluate is to feel the crop’s contents by pressing it with your thumb and index finger. You should do this prior to feeding so that you know how much to foor to provide.
Baby birds should never be left with a totally empty crop. Normal emptying time is 4 hours. If you notice that 4 hours have passed and the crop still has contents, there might be some problem with the bird’s health.
Not only should you be concerned about the volume and frequency of feeding, you should also make sure that your hand is positioned properly. Wild birds are generally easier to feed because they reach for the food dropper without much encouragement. You can often feed them without holding them; but the case is not the same for other types where you have to use a towel to handle them carefully and position for feeding.
In general, handfeeding birds is really not a straight forward task. You have to take note of many factors that will benefit the animal.
January 23, 2008
- Off to See the Birds
Going on a birdwatching holiday? You are not alone. Bird enthusiasts number more than 50 million in America alone and a huge percentage of this crowd actively seek out birds in their territories to go on birdwatching trips.
There are hundreds of companies offering birdwatching holidays, some even go on over 25 birding tours per year. International birdwatching tour companies even take bird lovers to Mexico and Alaska and as far away as India, Africa, Brazil and Peru.
So what happens on birdwatching holidays? People pay good money to go on birding trips.
Choosing a birdwatching holiday. There are birdwatching companies who offer nothing else other than birding and there are also organizations that run tours that include lectures, such as those at universities, clubs and museums. Whichever you choose will depend on what type of holiday you prefer.
Ask a friend or family who has been to a birdwatching tour. If there is no one else, pick a known company to tour with. If you’re a newbie, it’s best to stick with a tried and tested group. Call them up or look up their sites on the internet to check their services.
Tour price. Depending on the location, tour prices can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars; and the same length and location can be offered at a lower price by another company. Some things that affect tour prices are group size and services.
Some of the best group tours are those with small sized groups because they are easier to organize, more quiet and they can interact more with the leader. They are also way more expensive so companies compromise with 6-10 or 8 – 16 participants. The larger group normally has two leaders.
Services can include airfares, transfers, food and lodging. The price will depend on what is included in the tour.
Location Make sure that you are well informed of the physical demands of the tours because some of them may be strenuous. Your outfit should conform to the demands of the surrounding, especially in summer, when the heat is intense. Bring hats, proper clothing, sunscreen and insect repellants.
Bring your tools. No birdwatching holiday is complete without binoculars or a telescope. Bring one with the proper magnification to let you enjoy the sights. Bring a camera, notebook and pen and maybe even a field guide to help you identify the birds. Other than these, bring your sense of wonder and enjoy the sights.
January 16, 2008
- The Bird Watcher’s Kit
Bird watching is one of the most popular hobbies in the United States and Europe. People who indulge in birdwatching cover a wide spectrum; ranging from the casual park goers who feed pigeons, to environmentalists who view, photograph, and catalog various avian species.
If you’re serious about bird watching, and are taking it up as a fulltime hobby, there are a few things you’ll need to take with you on your trips. Depending on your personal tastes and your reasons for taking up bird watching, you may not neccesarily need all of the equipment presented here; however, it never hurts to be prepared.
Binoculars – any good set of binoculars will do for birdwatching, though if you’re planning to view nocturnal birds, make sure that the set you get also includes night vision capability. Since you’ll be outdoors for the most part, get a rugged set that can withstand most terrain and weather conditions.
Bird Guide – if you’re packing a palmtop, download a bird guide, or buy a small pocket guide at a bookstore. With a good guide, you’ll be able to identify the breed of bird you’re watching, as well as obtaining useful information like its feeding habits and behavior patterns. The best guides also have tips on popular parks and preserves you can visit.
Digital Camera – digital cameras are silent as opposed to classic shutter-types, which make them useful for birdwatching. Birds are extremely sensitive to noise, especially in the wilderness, so a digital camera won’t spook them. Be sure to choose a camera that has high resolution and a high frame capture rate, in case you get a shot of a bird on the wing. Also, get a digital camera with good zoom range, since you’ll most likely be viewing birds from a good distance away.
Note Pad and Pen – keeping a journal allows you to keep track of what kinds of birds you’ve spotted, when, where, and under what conditions. Besides being a diary of sorts, this can actually be especially handy if you come across a rare species of bird, or even one that is on an endangered species list so that you can report its presence and location to your local wildlife preserve.
General Outdoor Gear – this isn’t for the casual birdwatcher. For those who plan to actually take trips out into the wilderness however, pack a tent, sleeping bag, rations of food and water, and other camping essentials. Include safety and survivial gear like first aid kits and emergency flares.
