Adventures in Birding

Birding 101

I think some of the best hobbies are those that don't require a lot of equipment or preparation. Birding is one of those. Sure, a few items, like binoculars and field guides, are helpful, but to start, you just need to look for birds. They're found everywhere, rural areas and cities alike! There are some great, free resources, like apps and websites that can help you identify birds, too!

I started with binoculars (Bushnell 10x50) and a camera (Canon Rebel T3 with 55-250mm zoom lens). For me, trying to get photos helped me ID the birds later, though be warned: Birds can be very difficult to photograph and they tend to take off when you lift your camera up. I had some guides that weren't so great, but they did help me ID common birds. A really good guide will show variants and the difference between the male and female of the species (as they often look quite different) as well as maps showing where the birds are commonly found.

I now have a copy of Sibley Birds East, which is my main field guide.

You don't have to keep track of how many birds you've seen or what species you've seen, but it can be fun to keep track! The website I like is www.ebird.org. You can view other birder's checklists and sightings and enter your own! It's really a great tool for professionals, scientists and amateurs!

Another great thing about birding is the kindness of other birders. At least in my experience, other birders have been extremely friendly and helpful to beginners! No one laughs at you if you get an ID wrong. There are even Facebook groups just for providing identification help! Mostly birders seem to enjoy sharing their hobby and love of bird-watching with others!

So my plan is to use this blog to keep track of my sightings and to maybe share some photos and adventures or stories of my birding trips. I saw 137 different species in 2017! I don't plan on leaving my state on trips as much as I did last year, so I'm setting my goal at 140 for the year.

Here's hoping I have a good birding year in 2018!