Watching Birds is Great Fun!

Enjoying birds and bird watching is one of the best ways to get out of the house and into the countryside and away from your back yard. By watching them in their natural habitat you will see them in their normal environment and it will be a different experience than watching them at the bird houses and bird feeders in you yard.

Birding is now a very popular hobby and more birders are joining in every year. Due to increases in available time for other activities many of use now have the time to go birding. Many also realize that being interested in the natural world will provide a better appreciation for the environment and the habitat in which birds live.

If you are new to bird watching or birding then it will help you if you have some idea of the best way to approach your new hobby to ensure that when you go out looking for birds you will be successful in seeing some. Putting up a bird feeder in your yard is a good way to start but once your interest increases you will want to go further afield to see more and different birds.

Be There At Dawn!

The best time to see the biggest number of birds is very early in the morning when the birds will be extremely active and easier to see. This applies wherever you happen to be when you are bird watching including in the back yard, at a park, in the woods or at some coastal location.

The night before your birding trip make sure you get to bed early too so that you are fully rested for the early start the following day. If possible get to your location just before dawn or very soon after. Then for a few hours you will see many birds. Later in the morning as the sun gets higher bird activity and the number of birds you will see will decrease.

Bright Clothing Is Not Allowed!

When out bird watching make sure that you do not wear bright colored clothes as this will make it much easy for the birds to see you and any movement you make could scare them away even before you see them.

As a birder you should try and wear clothing that has a more natural and darker color that fits in with the area and foliage where you will be bird watching.

It is a great idea to wear anything that will camouflage you when in the birds habitat while bird watching. Get the ultimate gear if you want to see the biggest number of birds or when you go into an area where birds are nervous and difficult to see.

Do Not Talk And Tread Quietly

Noise is probably the major reason for failing to see many birds so be quiet. Talking with friends and other birders will mean birds will be scared away before you see them and also you will not hear any sounds that the birds make so you will not even know that they are nearby.

So if you have to communicate with other birders with you just whisper quietly and when close to birds you are trying to see use hand signals or gestures to indicate where the birds are, but do not move you arms around to point out locations as if the birds see this then they will be gone!

To ensure that the birds do not see your silhouette you should locate yourself behind something big such as a bush or tree trunk because if they detect movement the birds will probably leave the area.

Do Not Wander Off The Trail

Always stick to the trail to avoid disturbing the bird habitat and never go crashing through the undergrowth in pursuit of a bird. In fact never chase or try to flush out a bird as this will disturb the birds and could stress them unnecessarily.

Also if you do not already have bird feeders or bird houses in your yard you should definitely put some up in appropriate locations and start feeding the birds as this will get many more birds into your back yard and make them much easier for you to see.

The birds welfare should always be paramount and you should do whatever you can to ensure that the birds you are watching are not disturbed by your actions and always stay away from birds nests.

You Also Need a Scope or Bincoulars

It is easy and safer to see birds from a distance and this is why you should invest in a good pair of binoculars and as you get more serious about watching birds you might also want to buy a spotting scope to get the closest views of birds possible.

If you are a lover of nature then bird watching can be extremely enjoyable. It does not have to be expensive and although birding can become a bit of a challenge it always remains great fun.

Becoming a birder is easy to do and just by placing a nesting bird house and bird feeders in your back yard you will be able to get enjoyment from watching the birds.

Enjoy Bird Watching!

Go on a bird watching trip to find more birds.