Starting Birder

Birding has become one of the fastest growing hobbies in America, probably because it doesn’t cost a lot, it gets people into the great outdoors, and best of all, birds are everywhere. The easiest place to start is right in your own back yard. Attracting birds is as easy as putting out a feeder or two and simply waiting for them to show up.

Bird Feeders

Filling a feeder with sunflower seeds is a good feed to start with since sunflowers are one of the favorite foods for many different birds, including chickadees, titmice, cardinals, jays, juncos, grackles, and red-winged blackbirds, to name just a few. Many varieties of finches prefer niger seed, while the various woodpeckers will come to a suet feeder, and there are special feeders available for those bird foods. You can also put out a hummingbird feeder filled with a home-made blend of sugar and water.

Simple Equipment for Birding

A good bird book or field guide helps to identify birds in your area. A couple of old but good standbys would be the series of Peterson Field Guides, or The Sibley Guide to Birds, but there are many others, some written specifically for your area. There are also many useful checklists that are available from local sources, from State or National Parks, or from places like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Taking a notebook into the field is a good way to keep a journal of bird sightings and adventures in the field.

A good pair of binoculars is essential for the birder who is in the field a lot. Don't buy the first cheap pair, but take the time to try out different models in different price ranges to get a good idea as to how much they differ and what seems best for you. A really cheap pair is bound to provide a dark and fuzzy image while the best binoculars offer the clearest, sharpest, brightest image. There are even binoculars that come with a built-in camera to record your sightings. The highest magnification may not always be the best choice as the greater the magnification the more shake you will experience. Many serious birders eventually find that a spotting telescope on a tripod gives the best up-close, stable image, but these can be heavy and cumbersome in the field.

It’s easy to choose clothing for birding, and requirements are simple. Just take the weather into consideration, dress in layers, and try to choose neutral colors so as to blend in with the environment. A hat will protect from the sun, as will sunglasses. So what are you waiting for; get out there and start birding!