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By Jon S. Painter
Mickie's Place Outdoor Gear

Bird watching is the number one sport in America--there are currently 51.3 million birders, as they are called, in the United States alone, and that's great because there couldn't be a better time to take an interest in birds. Due to loss of habitat, environmental pollution, and other problems, birds-- song birds in particular-- are disappearing in frightening numbers and can use all the attention and care we can give them. But beginning birders will find a lot more joy in searching the woods, fields, wetlands and beaches than they will dismay. Birds, to put it mildly, are fascinating.

You don't have to travel to faraway places to find fascinating birds, keep in mind. The fastest creature on earth is a bird that may be living atop a skyscraper right in your own hometown, and the animal responsible for the oak desk in your den may be cracking open sunflower seeds at your neighbor's bird feeder right now: the Peregrine Falcon, clocked at over 200 MPH, has made a comeback and has taken to nesting and hunting pigeons in urban areas, and the common Blue Jay, a cantankerous curmudgeon if there ever was one, is known for hording nuts then forgetting where it put them, a shortcoming that resulted in countless oak forests.

The birds, themselves, are not the only reasons to go bird watching, though. It's a pasttime that lends itself to so many other interests. Photographers and videographers enjoy the challenge of catching birds of prey, like the Cooper's Hawk, diving with talons extended  or recording the stall-and-fall attacks of Flycatchers on the hunt. Artists find no more graceful subject, though very likely the least cooperative, and backpackers and climbers find nothing quite so pleasant as reaching a summit only to be greeted by Gray-Slated Juncos who are soon boldly stealing G.O.R.P. crumbs. The wails of a Common Loon give canoeists and kayakers an unequalled sense of solitude.  Even woodworkers and young hobbyists love to build birdhouses, and, of course, conservationists never take their eyes off birds because they are literally the 'canaries in the mine'--the first to suffer the ill effects of escaping gas, canaries were once kept caged in mines, their silenced song a first warning to the miners. Today, changes in bird populations are taken as a very serious warning that environmental damage is threatening our own lives.

What's needed to become a bird watcher? Well, aside from a little ambition and a love of nature's creatures, a pair of easy-to-carry binoculars  with a wide field of vision and excellent clarity (not so-called pocket binoculars or heavy field or marine glasses), a field guide, and a pad and pencil will do. With those items, even those who can not leave their homes can observe birds at feeders. For those who are more adventurous, however, a good pair of walking or hiking shoes and clothing to suit the weather--any weather--is advisable. A backpack is a good idea, sufficient to carry a raincoat and extra socks, as well as to carry a field guide, binoculars, snacks and water, a fast-action camera with telephoto lens, and a pad and pencil to record your sightings or just your thoughts. Those are the basics; your own interests and where you go will decide what else you'll need.

Where are the best places to look for birds? Birds tend to congregate where habitats converge--where deciduous and coniferous forests neighbor each other, where fields abut forests, hedgerows surround swamps. And if you can find all of these conditions near bodies of water, you'll be in bird-heaven. Fortunately, much of your research has been done for you. Wildlife refuges, parks, and preserves have been established everywhere to protect natural habitats, and they're an excellent place to begin usually offering guided-tours over carefully placed roadways and paths, lookout towers, and professionally researched materials. Closer to home, perhaps, is your local cemetery. Many cemeteries have been landscaped to include a variety of leafy and needled trees, open areas, and even streams or ponds, and to a bird, a cemetery is protected habitat, little visited and even less disturbed. Check with the cemetery's management and familiarize yourself with their rules before visiting, and always respect the privacy of visiting loved-ones.

There are many good references for bird-watchers, and a field guide is a must. Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide To The Birds is a classic now in its Fifth Edition, but other guides, like Sibley's, similarly include sharp color photos for easy identification as well as descriptions of coloring, size, shape, foods, habitats, migration patterns and seasonal ranges, sounds, nest construction, egg colorings and size, and much more. Kenn Kaufman's excellent field guide is often recommended for beginners.

There are many organizations that can help you get started and where you'll find others with like interests. Often, they offer field trips, educational materials, and even an online knowledge base. The National Audubon Society is perhaps the best known, has an informative website, and may have a local chapter near you, but the Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, and internationally, the World Wildlife Fund, are all good sources of information.
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TRACKS staffs make great bird watching accessories. They have camera mounts, and binoculat attachments to make hiking in a setting up your optics a snap! Check them out at our eBay store. http://stores.ebay.com/Mickies-Place-Outdoor-Gear