Why do I need maps when I go birding?
This is #15 in a Series of frequently asked questions about birding.
Why do I need maps when birding?
- So you don’t get lost, or to find your way home if you do.
- Seriously, though, maps are an excellent way of finding good birding spots you may have otherwise missed.
- Look for lakes, rivers, dams and reservoirs; they are often great places to see waterbirds.
- Look for forested areas, national parks, gorges, and other areas not used for agriculture and where there is a great likelihood of plenty of natural vegetation.
- Botanic Gardens are another great place to observe birds. The flowers and plants are a bonus.
- Ocean beaches, estuaries, tidal mudflats and exposed sandbars are other great birding spots.
- Learn to read the signs on a map that indicate potential good birding areas, and always be prepared to be disappointed because some great spots can let you down from time to time. Sometimes the tide is in and there are few birds. Sometimes the wind is such that the birds have gone elsewhere for shelter.
- Have a backup plan, a site B and site C.
- No matter how poor the conditions, you shouldn’t dip completely. In 30 years of birding I have only once recorded zero birds. It was almost dark and raining heavily, but I did see a kangaroo and an echidna. You get that.
Happy birding.
Do I need a telescope when I go birding?
Frequently asked questions about birding #14
Do I need a telescope when out birding?
No. But one can be very useful.
I went for 25 years before buying my first telescope for birding. They can be rather expensive; mine was the cheapest available and I find it terribly bulky to carry any distance seeing that it also needs a tripod. It usually only comes out of the car when I don’t have to carry it more than a few metres. I must say, however, that there are two really wonderful uses of a telescope.
- When trying to identify water birds on a lake, river or estuary. Unless you want to get very wet, cold and muddy it is hard to get close to the birds way out on the middle of a lake. It is here that a telescope is essential and the main reason I bought one.
- If you are into bird photography, try digiscoping, that is, digital photography using an attachment that lets your digital camera take photos through the telescope. Alternatively, using an old SLR through a telescope can be very effective. My camera has a 12x zoom which almost replicates the effect without needing either an attachment or a telescope. Again – look at my photo gallery to see the results.
How to be a Birder part 20
Hint #20 Keep on birding – often
You can’t call yourself a birder if you don’t watch birds.
Even confined to a hospital bed you can be a birder (if you have access to a window of course). You can watch birds in your garden, birds flying past your apartment windows, birds in the street where you wait for a bus on the way to work or from the train window. Here in Australia I know of people who watch birds while riding their bikes to and from work. When I was a teacher I often had a notebook in my pocket and made a list of birds seen while in the playground on yard duty.
Set aside time to go on picnics to the local parks, public gardens and beaches. Watch the birds you see while you have your picnic. Go for a drive into the hills or a nearby national park, and then stop to look for birds. Is there a river or estuary nearby? Go for a walk along the bank looking out for birds as you go. If you have regular fitness runs along an esplanade, keep a mental list of the birds you see and then write down the species names when you get back home.
When planning a holiday, look for opportunities to go birding. Study the maps and look for lakes, rivers, reservoirs and national parks. When we travel we have breaks several times a day for a cup of tea. With a thermos or two on board we usually look for a roadside patch of scrub for our break. The birding is invariably better than in a town centre. A visit to a zoo can also reveal great birds both inside and outside the aviaries.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, birding is possible.
Just keep your eyes open and you will see them
Happy birding.
To read more hints on how to be a birder click here.
To look at my photo gallery click here.
Dusky Moorhen
How to be a Birder part 19
Hint # 19 Join in Birding Forums on the Internet (eg Birding-Aus)
Birding Forums on the internet are another excellent way to learn about birds. They are also great places to find out about excellent birding spots. The exchange of information can be an excellent way to learn and expand your knowledge. I subscribe to three currently:
- Birding-Aus (birds in Australia)
- Canberra Birds (birds in the Canberra, Australia, region)
- BirdChat (birds in the USA)
I also subscribe to a number of news groups that have regular posting of bird sightings and details of upcoming excursions.
An important aspect of any kind of forums on the internet is the community that is developed over time. The wonderful thing about Birding-Aus, for example, is the willingness of various correspondents to share their knowledge of birds and birding information with others on the list of subscribers. The ability to ask for help is a powerful tool. Help is usually only a mouse-click away.
Forums are only valuable if a range of people contribute to the discussions. Some people prefer never to contribute. I would encourage new members of any forum to read the various postings for a few days or even weeks before making their first post. This is to get a feel for the types of postings relevant to that particular forum.
To learn more hints about how to be a birder click here.
Noisy Miner
How to be a Birder part 18
Hint # 18 Read books about birding and birders
Some years ago I bought and read Bill Oddie’s “Little Black Bird Book.†Apart from being a very humorous look at birders and bird watching as a hobby, this book is full of information about Bill’s experiences as a birder and how to go about the hobby. He gives far more information than I have given in this series of posts. I’m not sure if his book is still in print but it’s worth pursuing in second-hand bookshops or on eBay.
Apart from that wonderful book there are many hundreds more interesting books about birders and ornithologists that are entertaining as well as educational. Recently I read Sean Dooley’s book “The Big Twitchâ€Â. Again this is very humorous and instructive. Sean set aside a whole year recently to go birding. He attempted to beat the all-time unofficial record number of Australian bird species seen in a calendar year. The various sub-plots, including his frustrating love-life, just add spice to the entertainment.
Second hand bookshops and their remainder tables are worth going over as are bookshop sales with discounted volumes. I have made a deliberate choice NOT to access eBay too often lest I be tempted to buy still more bird books to add to the growing pile waiting to be read. It is getting to the point where I need several more bookshelves to house all these wonderful books. Perhaps an extra room could be built on my house; yes, I’ve always secretly wanted a library. Make that two extra rooms; my wife has also wanted a library.
Books I found useful:
The following is a short list of books I found useful when I was learning about birds. The first three may well be out of print. Sean’s popular book is still in print.
- Bill Oddie’s Little Black Bird Book Bill Oddie (Methuen)
- Bird-watching in Australia Ted Schurmann (Rigby)
- Learning about Australian Birds Rosemary Balmford (Collins)
- The Big Twitch Sean Dooley (Allen and Unwin)
Noisy Miner