Beginner's Guide to Birding

Bird feeders

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:39:48 +0000

When you do there are some questions you should keep in mind.

· From where do I want to view birds

· What kind of birds do I want to attract?

· Can squirrels get to the feeder easily?

· Will the location and feeder allow for falling seeds and easy cleaning?

As you consider these questions in your search for bird feeders for your yard, you will begin to narrow down your choices. When shopping for your bird feeder you will want to know some of the types offered:

· Cage feeder: This is a small box-like feeder made out of mesh or wire to hold suet

· Platform feeder: The platform feeder is a flat, raised surface where bird food is spread. The platform usually has drainage holes in it and sometimes comes with covers to keep the seeds dry.

· Tube feeder: The tube feeder is widely used and appealing to the eye. It is a hollow cylinder, often made out of plastic with small holes for birds to get their seeds and perches on which the birds can rest.

· Peanut feeder: The peanut feeder is a wire mesh container, usually cylinder, for holding peanuts.

· Hopper feeder: A platform with walls and a roof which form a “hopper” for keeping the seeds protected from the weather, also called a house feeder. The hopper is often also used as a piece of garden décor.

· Nyjer feeder: This is a special kind of tube feeder that is smaller and has smaller openings for releasing nyjer, or thistle.

· Hummingbird feeder: A feeder made for only one kind of bird! This is usually a glass or plastic cylinder-type feeder with small holes for the hummingbird’s tiny beak to reach in and suck out nectar.

One of the most preferred bird feeders is the squirrel proof style. This type may be well worth the extra cost when considering the benefits. It will keep squirrels from stealing your seeds and scaring the birds away. In addition, squirrels have been known to eat parts of bird feeders!

To attract a variety of birds for your yard, it is a good idea to purchase a wide selection of these feeders and offer different foods.

What kinds of food should I use?

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:40:33 +0000

Every bird species has its own food requirements which may change with the season. For your backyard bird watching enjoyment here are a few flavors you should try:

· Black oil sunflower is the favorite food for gathering large numbers of birds. It is primarily used in tube and house type feeders. Chickadees, finches, cardinals and sparrows are especially drawn to black oil sunflower.

· Striped sunflower is a great seed for large-billed birds capable of cracking the shells.

· White proso millet is favored by birds who visit platform feeders (doves and sparrows).

· Ducks, geese and quail will eat corn.

· Mixed seeds do well in hopper feeders to attract a medley of all the birds.

· Suet (otherwise known as “fat cakes”) need a cage feeder and is a favorite among nuthatches and woodpeckers.

· To view one of the most beautiful and melodic birds of North America, the goldfinch, put thistle, also known as nyjer, in your tube feeder.

Other bird needs to consider

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:41:08 +0000

Now that you have learned how to attract birds for your backyard bird watching, you will want to provide a few more simple things for your new friends.

This step will be as easy as the first! Provide:

· Water: You may want to consider a birdbath for your backyard or even a frog pond or water garden. Fresh, and especially moving, water can bring twice as many birds to your yard. This will offer water not only for the birds to drink, but also for them to bathe themselves.

· Protection: The hopper bird feeder offers good shelter from the wind, rain and snow. Birds also like to burr holes in old tree limbs, so you may want to consider leaving some dead limbs on the trees for their use. Birds also like to hide in thick shrubs

and bushes.

Landscaping for more backyard birdwatching

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:41:54 +0000

Once you have begun to experience the pleasure, beauty, fun and convenience of your new hobby you may be interested in expanding your efforts to make a haven for your feathery friends. You’ve got a wide variety of feeders and foods in your yard. You have a place for fresh water to gather and you have a hopper, some old limbs, and/or bushes for the birds’ protection and for nesting. Now you want to do more. You can begin a whole new hobby connected to your bird watching: gardening! Take into account a few things when beginning to landscape for birdwatching:

· Diversity: Plant a variety of native plants for alluring all kinds of birds.

· Seasons: Remember to plant for year round growth.

· Arrangement: Think about winds, snow drifts, and flooding in your yard and plant in a way that will keep your backyard birds safe.

· Accommodate: Investigate which birds are frequenting your yard and landscape with plants to which those specific birds are drawn. This is one reason to wait a watch a while before you plant.

· Safety: Garden without pesticides and repellants so as to keep the birds safe.

How can I learn more about bird watching?

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:42:33 +0000

• Purchase books on the subject available on-line and in local bookstores.
• Join a local bird club or society. This may even create opportunities for new friendships.
• Order DVDs about birds and bird watching, but make sure you get out seeing the real thing!
• Make sure to get a good field guide which will describe each species of bird, explain their habits, and often have pictures for easy identification. Children often love to look through these and it is a great education for them.
• You might even want to purchase some binoculars for viewing those birds way up high in your trees.

Resources:

http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html

http://www.bcpl.net/~tross/by/feed.html#1

Introduction to Bird Photography

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:03:17 +0000

Whether your favorite bird is the cardinal, the hummingbird, or the bald eagle, bird photography allows you to retain images of your favorite species. Your perfect photograph might capture the lazy grace of the swan, the hunt of the red-tailed hawk, or some other species in its natural habitat.

Bird photography has become a very popular hobby. You can go on a trip or take a hike with your local bird watching club. You can buy a bird field guide or subscribe to a bird photography magazine. In addition, the Internet is now an additional source where you can learn from photographers who have been watching birds for decades.

If you are new at bird photography, you can get started in your own backyard. Get started by focusing your efforts on the areas surrounding your bird feeders, birdbaths or birdhouses. Once you’ve had some practice at your own home, take a morning or an afternoon and explore some nearby wooded areas with your camera.

The best time to take pictures of birds is in the mornings or the evenings or on hazy days. Direct sunlight can weaken your photographs, and most birds are also most active shortly after sunrise and before sunset.

As you take pictures, remember that you are only an observer on the scene, so do your best not to disturb or startle the birds. With this in mind, be wary of spending much time near nesting areas. Never endanger a bird for the sake of your own picture and leave birds alone if you sense that your presence is causing them stress. When you leave an area, leave it, as far as possible, exactly as you found it; after all, it’s the birds’ home, not yours.

Photography Equipment

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:04:05 +0000

Bird photography can become an expensive hobby, especially if you want to develop professional style pictures. Top quality cameras and telephoto lenses easily cost several thousand dollars, so before you even consider spending that type of money, try out the camera you already have. See how much you enjoy the hobby and whether you are satisfied with the pictures from your current camera. In any case, however, here’s a quick overview to some camera equipment you might want for bird photography:

Camera: The advent of digital cameras in the last decade has revolutionized bird photography. With digital cameras, you can see your picture immediately (or make a video of the bird), delete the picture if you don’t like it, or move it to your computer if you do like it. Many purists, however, still swear by the 35mm camera. Several camera brands offer a quality 35mm camera, but if you’re buying one for bird photography, make sure that it has automatic focus as well as multiple and adjustable modes. You should also look for a camera with a fast (at least 1/500) shutter speed.

Film: If you don’t have a digital camera, your choice will be between print film and slide film. Print film makes it easy to print and display copies, but slide film produces slightly better color for your pictures. Start out by using whatever film you already use, though for the most part, slow film is better.

Miscellaneous: Bird photographers unanimously recommend a strong telephoto lens (at least 300mm) or a teleconverter, as you often cannot stand very close to a bird. It is also a good idea to invest in a tripod so that you don’t have to hold your camera steady for hours on end. A remote control shutter can help you around skittish birds, but most birds will get used to your presence. Some birds will even ignore flash photography.

Take full advantage of your equipment by reading the instruction manuals and by taking care of all your items. The smallest smudges or cracks on your equipment can damage your bird photographs, so clean your camera and inspect your equipment each time you use it.

Bird Blinds

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:04:51 +0000

A bird blind, as the name suggests, keeps the birds blind to your presence, so that you can take plenty of close-up pictures of birds in their natural activity. You can purchase a bird blind or make it yourself, but the idea is always the same: keep the birds from recognizing your presence.

A manufactured bird blind often costs between eighty and two hundred dollars and is designed for outdoor setup. Some companies even sell floating blinds that you can use for cover as you wade towards aquatic birds.

Another option, however, is make your own bird blind using a tent or a large cardboard box. You want to completely cover yourself, leaving only a hole for your camera lens. You can also create a bird blind in your house or car by covering the window (except for the camera hole). Many birds are used to cars, so you do not need to cover the entire car, just enough so that the bird cannot see you moving around inside the car.

Once you have your bird blind, set it up a day or two before you plan to use it so that the birds can get accustomed to it. Then, take whatever you need into the bird blind so that you can stay there for a long period of time. Have a chair (your bird blind should be tall enough to allow you to sit comfortably), some food, and all your camera equipment inside your bird blind. Unless you enter your bird blind before the birds awake, the birds will likely leave the area when you arrive. Be patient and quiet; they will most likely return shortly.

If you don’t want to use a bird blind, you can always just walk through the woods in search of birds. This practice is simpler than using a bird blind, but the results are not as good. Another option, however, is to place a scarecrow in a chair near the birds for a few days. Once the birds have accepted the scarecrow, replace the scarecrow with yourself.

Attracting/Finding Birds

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:05:34 +0000

Bird photographers have a simple rule for aspirants: do your research. Don’t waste your time setting up a bird blind in a location or time that the birds do not frequent. Instead, determine what types of birds you want to see and do your research. Where does they nest? What do they eat? Are they skittish or do they like crowds? What are their active periods? Are they migratory? The more you know about the birds, the better you will be at finding and photographing them.

If you would rather have the birds come to you than have to go look for them, use bird feeders, birdbaths, and birdhouses. Keep the birdhouses separate from the feeders and baths, but place them near windows and keep an eye on what types of birds frequent your yard. At the same time, take some practice pictures to get used to photographing moving animals.

The final rule of attracting birds is simply to not scare them away. Be quiet and still. If you are approaching a bird, walk slowly and stop frequently. Act uninterested, avoid eye contact, and walk in a general direction rather than directly towards the bird. Finally, have your camera ready before you get close to the bird; the slightest reach for a camera lens might startle the bird.

Taking Quality Bird Pictures

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:06:16 +0000

Bird photography takes a lot of practice. Anyone who has tried to take a picture of anything other than a swan knows that birds are, no pun intended, flighty creatures, and given to change directions without a moment’s notice. In addition, they are small animals and hard to capture with detail unless you are fortunate enough to get within a few feet. Consequently, your first bird pictures may be “for the birds.” Keep shooting, though; you’ll be impressed with your progress.

Get as close to the bird as you can, but don’t wait too long to take pictures or you might miss your opportunity. In addition, try to raise or lower your camera lens to the bird’s level so that you can take a level picture.

To make your pictures more artistic, try placing the bird somewhere other than the center of the picture, and include some natural background so that you can convey the size of the bird. You might be able to reduce the “clutter” in the background itself by moving one direction or the other. It’s also a good idea to take vertical pictures rather than horizontals.

Try to get pictures from many different angles and take more pictures rather than fewer, especially if you have a digital camera (with which you can delete unwanted pictures). Above all, don’t give up. Practice might not make you perfect, but it will make you much better.

What are Birding Binoculars and Spotting Scopes?

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:33:49 +0000

Every birdwatcher will need a means to see the image of a bird in a clear, precise, bright and focused image. To do so, birdwatchers need to have a spotting scope, birding binoculars or both in their arsenal of essential bird watching equipment.

But what are birding binoculars? Are they different from regular binoculars? Birding binoculars allow you to see birds at far away distances as clearly as if they were sitting in your hand. They are the same as regular binoculars in that they are essentially two telescopes sitting side-by-side, one for each eye. Differing from regular binoculars, the main job of birding binoculars is to find smaller, terrestrial images instead of large images that are far away and bring them to you in a clear, upright picture with a 7 to 10x magnification.

And what are spotting scopes? Spotting scopes are essentially telescopes with large objective lenses that allow you to view birds from a much farther distance than binoculars. They are much heavier than binoculars, but can be mounted onto a tripod or still carried with you if you don’t mind the load. They deliver magnifications between 20x and 60x under normal daylight conditions. Spotting scopes can have an angled eyepiece that is angled about 45 degrees, or a straight-through eyepiece that is in line with the body of the spotting scope. The choice is a matter of preference.

How Birding Binoculars and Spotting Scopes Work

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:35:25 +0000

Birding binoculars and spotting scopes work in essentially the same way to bring you a magnified picture of an object located at a far away distance. Understanding how these instruments work can help you better comprehend what makes a good set of binoculars or scope.

A working telescope functions basically in the same way as holding a magnifying glass up to the light to view an object on the other side. To enlarge that object even further, simply examine it through an additional magnifying glass. You will see that the image is brighter and clearer than before. The magnifying glass closest to the object you are viewing works as the optical lens of a telescope. The one nearest your eye works as the eyepiece of the telescope. There is a third element used in binoculars and scopes that flips the object upright, known as an erecting prism. If looking at stars, it would be okay to view the image backward and upside down, but for looking at birds, you will need a device that flips the image upright. This prism is simply a piece of glass that functions like a mirror.

Determining Factors in Image Quality

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:36:31 +0000

Obviously, the quality of the image you will be seeing through your optical device will be an important consideration in choosing your binoculars or scope. The following factors are the contributing factors to that image quality:

o Magnification: The degree of enlargement of the object being viewed is an obvious consideration in choosing your instrument, and is known as the magnification. When using a spotting scope, the magnification power of 20 to 35 times the object size should be adequate for viewing during normal daylight conditions. Of course, scopes can deliver higher magnifications (up to 250x), but the more you magnify the image, the fuzzier it will become. Binoculars will typically magnify your image 7 to 10 times the object’s size.

o Diameter of the Objective Lens, or Aperture: The size of the diameter of the objective lens determines how much light it gathers. More light produces a brighter, and therefore clearer and more detailed, image.

o Focal Length: The distance between the main lens or mirror and the point where the light rays from the image come into view is the focal length. The longer the focal length in the scope or binoculars, the larger the image will appear.

o Field of View: The field of view is the size of the area that is seen while looking through the scope or binoculars. Typically measured in linear feet, the field of view refers to the width of the area that can be observed at 1000 yards. The larger the field of view, the larger area seen through the scope or binoculars. The field of view is determined by the eyepiece design of the instrument.

Features to Consider When Purchasing Birding Binoculars and Spotting Scopes

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:37:16 +0000

Besides the image quality, there are several features to consider before purchasing your birding binoculars or spotting scope. These features are mostly dependent on how, where and how often you will be using your optical device.

o Eyepieces: If you decide that a spotting scope is best for you, you will need to decide what type of eyepiece you want for your scope. The eyepiece design is important because it effects the magnification, field of view, exit pupil size and eye relief, as well as the amount of color or linear distortion of the image.

The first type of eyepiece is the straight-through design in which the eyepiece is on the same axis as the rest of the scope. The advantage of this design is that it makes it easier for the bird watcher to follow an object as it moves, and is also easier to use when mounted to a car window.

The second type of eyepiece is the angled eyepiece that sits angled from the body of the scope at a 45 degree angle. This design is nice if you will be sharing your scope with others, as people of varying heights can view the same object without having to move the scope. Also, angled scopes provide variable viewing angles because they can be rotated in their mounts. This also makes it easier to look up without bending your neck.

o Telephoto Lens: Some spotting scopes can be used as both visual and photographic instruments. Some scopes come with adapters that fit onto your camera, and therefore double as a telephoto lens. Currently, this works on 35mm SLP cameras only. Scopes operate at higher magnification levels, and therefore the use of higher speed film is required.

o Focusing: There are three different kinds of focusing mechanisms available on spotting scopes.

o Helical: These focusers are rubberized collars around the scope barrel and allow the birdwatcher to focus quickly.

o Rack and Pinion: This focusing device also allows for quick focusing, as well as smooth focusing. Rack and Pinion mechanisms are located on the outside of the spotting scope, which subject them to deterioration over time from dust and moisture.

o Knob Focusers: This is probably the most precise way to focus a scope, but is also the slowest in action.

o Eye Relief: Eye relief is available in both spotting scopes and birding binoculars, and is a very important consideration for those bird watchers who wear eyeglasses. With the eye relief feature, a watcher who wears eyeglasses that position them away from the eyepiece can still see the whole picture. There is a maximum distance your eye can be from the back of the eyepiece and still see the complete field of vision. A comfortable eye relief distance for those without eyeglasses is about 10mm, but eyeglass wearers need an eye relief of about 15mm.

o Weight and Balance: If you plan on being in the field for more than an hour or so, you will know firsthand how important the weight of your binoculars or scope will be. This is tricky because the weight of the binoculars is in direct proportion of the amount of magnification. So, if you wish to have great magnification, and therefore are heavier, you will want to find optical devices that have good balance. Balance is the way in which the weight of the device is distributed and transferred to the supporting hands and arms. Also, binoculars with good balance are designed so that when they are supported firmly with hands and arms, the weight is spread evenly over the fingers and hands so that the weight is transferred to the bones of the arms, not the muscles.

o Durability and Weatherproofing: If you plan to use your birding binoculars for long periods of time, you will want to focus on durability. However, the more durable the binoculars, the pricier they will be. Time can have certain consequences on binoculars that effect their usability such as barrels getting out of alignment, dust and dirt collecting inside the system, unbalanced elements and chipped or cracked glass. Also, weatherproofed binoculars can keep moisture out of the lenses that prevent them from fogging up.

o Ease of Use and Handling: You are the one that has to carry you birding binoculars, find the bird through the lenses and be able to focus easily and quickly. Therefore, the most important rule to follow is to make sure the binoculars feel right and comfortable in your hands. Try them on for size before you make your purchase, or inquire about giving them a test-run before you invest.

Sources:

1. “Birding Scopes – How to Choose the Right One for You”: www.birdwatching.com/optics/scopes_basics.html

2. “Celestron Spotting Scopes”: www.celestron.com/prod_pgs/spot/index.htm

3. “Scope Buying Guide”: www.birding.com/scopeGuide.asp

4. “Birding Binoculars”: www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html

5. “Better View Desired: Bird Worthy Binoculars”: http://betterviewdesired.com/BirdW.html

One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 15:54:15 +0000

There's some good news for we anthropoids regarding the Bird Flu scare. Two separate studies by Japanese and Dutch scientists and published in the current Science and Nature issues have reported that the reason the disease is so devastating and lethal is the same reason it can't spread easily from person to person. The virus will thus be much less likely to mutate into a form that can spread like an epidemic.

Avian influenza has only infected around 200 people worldwide and killed around half of them. Each documented case has been the result of a close contact with infected birds, but the virus can't easily jump from birds to humans and there are no known instances of it spreading from human to human.

The Dutch/Japanese reports indicate that the virus enters birds in a different part of the respiratory tract than a human, and is therefore more difficult to spread unless the virus mutates. Read more about the technical reasons here.

I've been skeptical of this whole Bird Flu "scare" since the SARS malarkey blew over a few years back. Either give me a plague with giant, disgusting buboes and lesions that turn people into killer-mutant-zombies or it ain't worth getting out of bed over.