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BIRD-WATCHING RESOURCES
National Geographic has good regional
listings of National
Wildlife Refuges For additional locations, click
here. Another general site is www.birdwatching.com.
Also try a Google
search for bird watching.
PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS
Many of us use digital cameras now, making it
harder to catch the birds in flight. A long lens is preferable
as well a rapid response between shots. Thank you to Carl
for sharing some of his photos of birds that are generally
common to the southern and western states: common raven, Cooper's
hawk, double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, great egret,
greater roadrunner, hooded oriole, red-tailed hawk, rufous
hummingbird, and white-crowned sparrow.
HOW TO GET STARTED
The three main requirements to get started are
1) a pair of good walking shoes; 2) a good guidebook (the
Ericksons recommend National
Geographic Field Guide To The Birds Of North America ;
3) a good pair of binoculars .A
good pair of binoculars
(8x20 or 10x30).
The most important rule when bird-watching is to talk softly
and not too much. Then you can listen for their movement as
well as their calls.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE BIRDS
The Ericksons suggest that you learn how birds
look in detail. Generally start from the head downward. Look
at the back, the breast, and the tail. Use your book to help
you. Learn the songs and calls. For example, the great horned
owls don't just hoot, and the males' calls are deeper than
those of the females. I was unusually lucky one time on a
Texas beach. My goal was to identify different types of gulls.
One sat down next to me, but the orientation in the book was
different. I silently pleaded with the bird to change his
position. He did, and then looked exactly the same as the
gull in the book. That doesn't happen very often.
Another suggestion is to go on leader-sponsored
bird walks. The day before, look at the regional birds in
your bird book so you have some idea of what to expect. Another
resource is a
telephone hotline of recent sightings of particular birds
in the area. After a while, you'll begin to be aware of what
birds you've seen before.
Carl and Ann say that their interest in birds
changed their philosophy of life. "We now value all forms
of life and recognize the importance of a healthy environment."
Add birding to your travels. All you need
is a book, a pair of binoculars, and a good pair of shoes.
And don't forget an alarm clock!
Alice
Zyetz
1/29/06
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