Bird Watching : An Easy Guide

 

One can be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, finance professional, artist, or actor.  Do you know that bird watching can be a profession too???

It can be an amazing hobby that can become a profession 😊

Let’s know how!!

Birds won’t queue up for us.  We have to go looking for them 😊

 

5 simple steps

• Find a bird in your neighborhood.

• Take help from parents and grandparents.

• Identify them

• Celebrate
• Repeat!! 😊

Generally, we, the amazing and awesome children, should try & learn more about birds & raise our interest in them. If you’re not interested in birds, then bird watching just won’t seem fun at all.  Why do something that isn’t fun? Right?

If you’re done with step 1 above ( “having interest “), try going around your house and practicing the above steps more often.

If you are thorough with this part, the rest is easy. In fact, that is all!  Congratulations!! You have started your birdwatching era.

Few of you may have this question for me !

1: Is this hobby only for children ?  Can elders Birdwatch along with us ?

I love to answer this…

Elders have a big role to play here.

• The best way is for parents or grandparents to introduce us, children, to birds in their immediate neighborhood.

• The elders should take children to nearby parks and botanical gardens once a week to familiarize the bird habitat.

With their guidance, children who are not as interested will slowly start doing it.

2. What is the right age to start Bird Watching?

 

Children who are 8 years and older will probably understand the never-ending fun of birdwatching more than others.

Harish Kumar Sir, a senior birder and a naturalist, mentions that 8 years and above are best formative years to start bird watching.

 

3.Why Can’t a much younger child do this activity ?

 

This is not a law as immutable as gravity.  Lower-aged children might find it fun as well. So, try it out.

 

4.Why specifically 8 yrs and above? 

 

Well, younger kids tend to get really excited. They may start shouting in excitement when they see a bird. Even the slightest noise can scare birds away.  Quietness is ultimately the most important thing one should practice when birdwatching.

Also, younger kids may not be able to walk in the sun for long too.

Now, let’s look at the things we are supposed to have during bird walks.

 

5.How to prepare for bird watching !!

One has to plan before as to how to reach the venue.

• Car pooling
• Nearest public transport
• If the venue is near by, walking or cycling are the best options.

 

What to Wear ?

• Dull-colored clothes
• To carry hats or caps
• To wear comfortable walking shoes
• To check the rain forecast and to carry rain gear if predicted.

 

What to Carry Along?

1. Book
2. Pen / Pencil
3. Bird Books for Reference
4.   Binoculars ( optional)
5.   Camera ( optional)
6.   Light snacks
7.   Water
8.   Napkin
9.   Sunglasses ( optional)

[ This is the list of instructions we usually receive on the what’s up group a day before the bird watching day.]

I would like to add that

1. You can get anything else you may feel is necessary.

2. Avoid using plastic water bottles.

 

6. Is It a must for children to carry their own binoculars and camera?

Children can always borrow binoculars and a camera from a senior birder. After many bird walks, we can decide on buying what is appropriate for our age.

But always remember, if you already have binoculars, always look for a bird without it, as it is easier to do so. Use the binoculars to get a closer look at the bird to identify it.

 

   7.Do’s and Don’ts of Bird Watching

• Do not go very close to the bird or bird nest, as this will scare them and trigger them to fly away.

• The group always should talk in whispers.

•  You should not wear too brightly colored clothes, as the bird can distinguish you from the surroundings and see you as a predator and fly away, but if you wear dull-colored clothes, the bird won’t be able to distinguish you from its natural surroundings.

8.At What time the Bird watching usually starts?

Usually, it starts at  7:30 a.m. and happens till 9:00 a.m.

Some members also arrive much earlier.

The bird watching can be done anytime throughout the day; however, morning hours are more suitable as there are more rare species to see during dawn.

For example, the night heron only comes out at night and you can get to see it if you start bird watching at dawn.

9.How do birders come together on a given day ?

Details on the location will be shared days before.

All the interested members will have to assemble at a given time and place.

10. What Ideally happens during  Bird Walks ?

 

If the group is large, it will be divided into smaller groups. Each group will be led by a senior birder who will help locate birds around.

The head of the group will adjust the binoculars for clear vision and allow all the rest to have a look.

The head of the group will tell out the position of the bird so that the fellow birders can also locate it with their naked eyes and then with binoculars.

The head of the group will further explain the features and give details on how the bird sounds, whether it is a local bird or migratory, whether a male or female, etc.

• We note down
• We walk
• We chat
• We observe
• We refer
• We make notes
• We listen to each others experiences

11.What Happens Next? 

The groups move at a slow-to-moderate pace, helping one another locate not only our feathered friends but discussing the flora, insects, and trees as well. If we are lucky, we may be able to see nests too.

 12.Can any person who has come on a morning walk and is not a part of the group join the bird watching group?

Anyone who finds this interesting can join the group. Why not???

   13.What happens once the bird watching gets concluded ?

Usually, most members will be there for that 1 hour 30 minutes of bird watching.

After that, they usually head to a nearby restaurant for breakfast and disperse from there.

Few members will return back to the location and will continue bird watching as long as their time allows.

14.Is  It Compulsory to bird watch for 1 hour 30 minutes?  Can a member leave early?

It’s not compulsory.  The members are free to leave as per their convenience. Trust me, it is such an enjoyable activity that no one wants to go any earlier.

15. Which day of the week does this happen?

Every Sunday.

 

16.Does the bird watching happen in the same location on all sundays?

No, each Sunday, a different location will be chosen. The locations are usually chosen around lakes and water bodies.

17.What activities can one start with, after bird watching? 

• We can start bird journaling.

• We can write blogs about birds.

• We can browse and find out more about birds, insects, and trees that we made note of.

• We can participate in discussions.

• We can attempt a quiz on birds.

• We can share this knowledge and encourage classmates, neighbors, and friends to make bird watching a hobby.

• We can be part of events such as Bangalore Bird Day. We get to meet experts in this field.

• We can write articles and books and publish them.

 

Bird Journaling

Once you come back home, you can do journaling of birds. You can maintain a notebook for the same. Draw pictures of birds that you saw, color them, and write something about them.

Origami of Birds : This is the most exciting activity.

 

  18.Are there any apps  to identify birds ?

There are

• iNaturalist

• Merlin Bird ID

We  can share a finding or upload a picture of a bird, an insect, a plant, etc., and experts will help identify them.

These apps help in immediate bird identification.

19.Do we have to pay any fee towards this?

No.  Only interest matters 😊

 

20.Do you know who is the “Bird Man” of India?

Mr. Salim Ali is referred to as “ Birdman of India?” He is a very well-known Indian ornithologist and naturalist.

A Proud Secret !!

• I carry an original, 11th edition of a book by Mr. Salim Ali, which goes by the name “ The Book of Indian Birds”.  This is from my grandfather’s book collection. [ This book could have been printed between 1984 and 1992].

• Many birds have been renamed and it feels good to carry this precious book of 80s and 90s with me 😊]

 20.How does bird  watching help children as a hobby? 

• We will be away from TV, laptops, mobiles and tabs.

• We will spend time in nature.

• We will learn to socialize with other people.

• We can connect with bird watching groups when we travel abroad.

• After being inside school premises and home, we will get to be close to nature for once.

• Bird watching is a good outdoor activity. We expose ourselves to sun… so good vitamin D. We can fill our lungs with fresh air. We walk.

• Bird watching will improve our observation skills.

• It is fascinating to listen to the calls of some birds.

• We will gain good knowledge about birds—different colors, their habitat, food habits, their features, their beak, kinds of feet, their nesting habits, etc.

• We will become more curious about nature.

• We will appreciate all kinds of life forms.

• We will learn to locate the birds by their call.

• We can also learn how to take pictures of birds.

• We can become researchers.

• We can become ornithologists.

Travel far and wide. Birds are everywhere.

So, when are you going to start bird watching?  Please let me know in the comments 😊

It was my grandfather, Mr. Shankarappa, whom I fondly called “thatha,” who introduced me to birds and nature.

I am thankful to Harish Kumar Sir, J N Prasad Sir, and Ullas Anand Sir, who always make my bird watching very interesting.

I am thankful to Raghavendra Sir, who organizes bird walks and workshops for children.

• Do you want to know how I became a birder ?

• Do you know which amazing bird watchers group I belong to ? TO?

Read it all in my next blog

see you there……

This is   signing off 😊

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Pics : Eshaan’s Gallery