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March 27th, 2009 by Dave Joa

Watching Wild Birds can be 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.

Bird watching has become a very popular past time and this is set to increase. More of us find that we have more leisure time available and are keen to participate. We also appreciate that taking an interest in nature is one of the best ways to get started on a path to help protect the environment and the habitat that birds require to succeed.

Before going off on their first birding trips new birders should learn some of the basics for successful bird watching to avoid the potential for disappointment. Having a bird feeder or bird house in the back yard is a great idea, but to see more birds you need to visit their local habitat to find them.

Get Up Early and Be There Before 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.

Wear Clothes That Are Not Bright – Dull and Boring is Best!

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.

Wear clothes that have subtle and darker tones that is similar in color to the habitat and foliage where you will be doing you bird watching.

You need to blend into the scenery so that the birds are less aware of your presence and will not notice you when you move quite so easily. Full combat camouflage gear is not necessary but if you are really serious and want to get closer to some elusive bird then this might be what you have to do.

Try Not To Talk And Also Walk 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.

Stay On the Trail And Don’t Chase The Birds

Never chase the birds or try other techniques aimed at flushing out a bird from the undergrowth as this will just stress them and they will fly off anyway so you will not get a chance to see them. Stick to the trail at all times to avoid disturbing the birds and you will get much better views.

The best approach is to get yourself into a good position and let the birds come to you. This requires more patience but it is an approach that definitely works and you will see many more birds this way.

Never approach too close to a bird and never go near a birds nest during the breeding season but just leave them in peace to get on with their nesting.

Get a Spotting Scope or a Pair of Bincoulars

Being able to see birds from a distance is an essential part of birding and you should some good binoculars to start off with and as you get more serious you could then invest in a spotting scope to get even closer views of the birds.

Bird watching is an enjoyable pastime for any nature lover. Birding can be inexpensive and at some times challenging but above all it is always enjoyable and 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.

Have Fun Birding and Enjoy Being a Birder!

Get Up Early and go bird watching to find the best birds.