How to be a Birder part 10

Hint # 10 Go on excursions

As you get a taste for birding you will want to broaden your birding experiences. Birding in your own backyard can get a little limiting at times. You will desire to see more birds, and different kinds of birds. You will see pictures of birds in books and field guides that you simply must get to see in the wild.

Go on an excursion.

This can be as simple as taking a walk down the street, or to the nearest park or public garden. Chances are that you will begin to see a few new birds. Go for a drive to the nearest botanic gardens or national park. Seek out the nearest lake, dam, reservoir, beach, river or river estuary, all potential birding spots.

Plan a picnic, day trip or short holiday further a field. Study the maps and tourist brochures for the planned destination, looking for potential birding spots. In Australia, many tourist pamphlets list good birding spots. Tourism operators and promoters are quickly becoming aware of the huge economic potential of the birding community. This is probably true of Europe and America as well. This trend is also being tapped into in Asian countries and African tourism has been aware of this for some time.

Join a bird watching club or organisation in your area. These groups regularly organise excursions into good birding spots. Sometimes the leaders arrange access to private properties or places where the public rarely gets to visit.

So, if the birds won’t come to you, you need to go to them.

I invite readers to comment below on their favourite birding spots. Where do you find plenty of birds to watch?

For more hints on how to be a birder click here.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens