10 Top Tips For Beginners to Birdwatching

Birdwatching is a wonderful pastime that can be enjoyed by all the family. It is low cost and gives you the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. If you enjoy watching wildlife programs on television, then why not go out into the countryside and experiencing the fascinating world of birds for yourself.

Here are ten tips to help you get started with birdwatching:

1. Purchase a good field guide.

Don't buy the encyclopedia of birds in hardback as you will need to carry the field guide with you. A pocket sized book that identifies all the main species and has good illustrations is ideal. When joining the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) you can receive an excellent field guide as a free gift.

2. Wear camouflage clothing.

Wear clothing that match your environment. An orange jacket in a green field is not a good idea. Try to avoid materials that make a load rustling noise. When approaching your target make use of natural features such as trees and keep low.

3. Get a good pair of binoculars.

Keep your binoculars around your neck as it is difficult to remove binoculars quickly from a case without disturbing a bird. Don't allow them to swing from your hand as they can soon get damaged.

4. Keep your eyes on the bird.

Don't look down when you have spotted a bird. Keep looking at it and raise the binoculars to your eyes. It is easy to loose sight of your target if you look away, especially if the bird is in flight.

5. Take a notebook with you.

Use the notebook to record the bird's size, shape, colour and markings. Focus on the beak and tail shape. These notes can then be used to identify the bird in your field guide, after it has flown away.

6. Learn to recognise bird calls and the tracks they leave in sand or mud.

You will probably hear the bird before seeing it so being able to recognise its call is a great help. Also the tracks the bird leaves in wet sand or mud will give you a good clue to its identity.

7. Put a bird feeder up in your garden.

It will attract a wide variety of birds to your garden and is good for identification practice from the comfort of your armchair.

8. Birdwatch early in the morning or at dusk.

These are the best times to watch birds. Some birds, such as starlings, gather in large numbers when returning home to roost. It is a spectacular display.

9. Use a telescope for long range viewing

The enhanced magnification of a telescope is a great help if viewing birds at a long distance. You will need a tripod to keep the telescope steady. Again think lightweight when choosing your equipment. It may need to be carried a long way to your birdwatching location.

10. Join the RSPB [http://www.joinrspb.com].

Members have access to over 100 nature reserves maintained by the RSPB. You will also receive a quarterly magazine packed full of advice and interesting features. Most importantly you will be helping the RSPB protect endangered birds and habitats for future generations to enjoy.

Whether searching for the rare Golden Eagle, watching Red Kite in Wales or enjoying the company of a Red Robin while doing the gardening, birdwatching is a very rewarding activity. So pick up your binoculars, grab a notebook and head out into the countryside. It's a great day out and you never know what you might find.

James Todman is a freelance web content editor and keen supporter of the RSPB.

Birdwatching For Beginners - Where to Find the Birds

The fascinating hobby of birdwatching can take you into a variety of beautiful, natural settings. As a longtime birdwatcher, I've often found myself drawn into such a blissful state while scanning the lovely scenery, that I almost forget to look for birds!

Buy yourself a field guide to the birds of your area and decide what kind of birds you wish to see. You'll find that the hobby of birdwatching encourages you to build up a Life List, which is a list of all the birds that you have seen. Various habitats provide different opportunities for birdwatching.

A woodland setting allows you to see sparrows, warblers. Woodpeckers, and songbirds. In spring and fall, visit forested areas for migratory warblers and songbirds. Summer offers a view of nesting birds, though the birds may be harder to see due to the foliage.

Meadows provide an open area for viewing hawks, vultures, larks, and many other birds in flight. The flora and insects in open fields attract a variety of birds. In addition, a meadow offers a wide field of view.

Birdwatching can be exciting when you visit wetlands because many of the birds you'll see in the marshes are large, dramatic creatures that are easy to spot. Go birdwatching in or at the edge of a wetland area if you want to see herons, egrets, rails, ducks, and eagles.

Large stretches of open water not only provide you with beautiful scenery, but a vast array of birding opportunities. Gulls, terns, pelicans, and sandpipers are fun to watch. On ocean beaches, you can often see pelagic birds in the winder. Pelagic birds spend all or most of their lives on or above open water and rarely set foot on land. You can watch the amazing flights of gannets from your beachfront balcony.

And don't forget one of the best places to birdwatch - your own back yard. Provide food and water to attract a wide variety of birds that you can view from your window. Sparrows, cardinals, mockingbirds, robins, finches, chickadees, nuthatches, and smaller woodpeckers are fond of back yard bird feeders.

Learn more about how to attract birds to your yard. This site contains photos, videos, links, and tons of information on how to transform your back yard into a bird sanctuary - http://hubpages.com/hub/BackYardBirdSanctuary---AttractBirds-oYourYard.

If you are thinking about taking up the hobby of birdwatching, this site provides tons of info, links, pictures, and videos to get you started -http://hubpages.com/hub/BirdWatching---ABeginersGuidetoBirdWatching.