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Bird Watching
Bird Watching Basics
By: Albreht Moy -
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Bird watching or birding is a very popular hobby that
includes the observation and study of birds. Because visual observation
of birds is complemented with auditory observation, the term "birding"
is more accurate. |
Birding is the second
most popular outdoor activity in America, second only to gardening as the
number-one recreation.
For many people bird watching is an opportunity to feel close to nature. They
also enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness by watching birds. Some
birders, however, will travel long distances just to see a rare bird. These birders
are known as twitchers. Twitching is popular in Britain and several other
European countries.
Most birders start out by watching and attracting birds to their own
backyards. Bird feeding can benefit birds and also provide great bird
watching. You can attract a variety of interesting birds to your yard by
selecting and offering the right kinds of food. The common types of food offered
in bird feeding are seeds, nectar, suet and fruit. Early morning is the best time
for bird watching since many birds are then searching most actively for food.
Once you start feeding birds, you'll probably want to identify who is coming to
visit. Equipment used for birding includes binoculars, a blank notebook, and one
or more good field guides.
Field guides are books with pictures and descriptions of the birds. A field guide
shows birds of just one country, or one region of a country, or one habitat.
Binoculars are described by two numbers: 8x32 for example. The first number tells
you the magnification power of the binoculars. The second tells you the size of
the objective lens at the end of the binoculars in millimeters. Most bird
watchers think that 7 or 8 power is about right for most birding.
The next step is to broaden your birding experience beyond your own
backyard. Plan a trip to a bird sanctuary, national park and other locations
where you can see birds in large numbers. Wherever you go, never harm the birds
and always respect other birders.
And don't forget to join a local birding club. Clubs organize field trips, show
films of good bird watching destinations and some of them are involved in local
environmental projects. Also visit your local library and check out books on
birds and ornithology.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Albreht Moy owns Old World Maps website. Find antique map reproductions on his
site.
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