Probably the first item of equipment that is purchased by most people is a good pair of binoculars. Birders today have the advantage over those years ago who had to lug around heavy and bulky binoculars. You can purchase a pretty decent pair of bins at most sporting goods stores or boutiques. A common magnification range is 8×40, but try some different combinations to find what works best for you.

If you need more power in your viewing tools, you might want to consider a spotting scope. Higher magnification or lens size can become heavy quickly and are harder to carry around with you. With a spotting scope, it’s easier to get the magnification value without the weight. Scopes are easier to hold steady since they are lighter.

One simple but important piece of bird watching equipment is a notebook. Birders need a notebook or recording book to keep track of the species that have seen. Something that is compact and waterproof is an excellent choice. You will want to have room for the species name, where you saw it, the date, and any special conditions that you noted. It’s important to have a working pen or pencil that is attached to the notebook.

A good field guide to aid in identification of birds is a necessity. If you see an unusual sighting, a compact field guide will help you make a positive identification. Weight and good quality drawings are key elements in the book design. Look for a design that is intuitive in the order of descriptions.

Most birders incorporate a good camera into the field equipment that they carry. Although taking good bird pictures in their natural habitat can be an arts, you still will enjoy the process of capturing the sight of unusual breeds as proof of identification.

Some birders get even more elaborate with their bird watching equipment. They may have recording equipment to attract or identify bird sounds and songs. They may use computer software as an identification tool. Keep in mind that each piece of added equipment is something that must be carried and maintained while in the field.

Are you new to bird watching? Do you know where the best place to start classifying those birds would be? Your very own back yard, right at the bird feeders you put up. We assume you know what a Blue Jay looks like or an American Robin. You probably learned the names of those birds as well as many others because you saw them often, even as a little child. Knowing the names of a couple of birds in your area is a good place to start.

Why is wild bird identification so important? Because it will make it easier to learn about them from reference books. If you are keeping a list of the wild birds you saw, then it will also be more helpful to know the names of them. You may even want to brag to your friends about the rare birds that visited your area. The latest addition to our list is the Northern Shrike, that is definitely a bird that is worth bragging about.

By knowing the names of the wild birds that are visiting your feeders, this will help you be able to learn more about them. You can easily research their mating habits, what they prefer to eat, their migration patterns and many more. This is going to make it possible to attract more critters to your own yard.

What are some things you need? You will need a pair of binoculars, a good field guide, a pencil and note pad. You may also want to take a camera along with you, but that is not necessary. For your computer, you can also find bird software available, which can help you with identifying the critters you come across.

If you follow a process, wild bird identification will be a lot easier. Take note that no two bird field guides will be the same. You should start by practicing in your own backyard with the birds that you know. How fast can you find a blue jay, cardinal or chickadee in the field guide?

The large and small tour companies both offer bargains, but the real pleasure would be what it is all about. With a big tour company, you may have to pay a little bit more, but that may be a good thing. You see, that higher price may mean that you will have a high quality experience. With those small companies, they can give you personal attention.

If a newer company is giving a tour for less than the competitors, then it would be a good idea to look into them and make sure you will be getting everything you pay for. Ask them about the things about their birding trips that are the most important to you.

Speak with the members of a bird club in your area and see if they have a company that they could recommend. Chances are, you know someone that has been on guided tours with a company before. We have found that those personal recommendations are very helpful.

If you have never went on a tour before and you live in the USA, then you should start on a little one in North America so that you can see how you like it.

This is better than going on a four week trip to an exotic country only to find that you do not like it. You should also consider the pace of the tour. For instance, some trips are very relaxes, while others are really fast paced.

If it is your first trip, then you should start off with an easy one and save that challenging one for a bit later. The tour company will be able to tell you about the pace of the trip. If you have any questions to offer a touring company, then make sure you do so. Overall, birding trips should be a pleasure to go on and very enjoyable.

If you’ve wondered about the numbers that are used in descriptions of binoculars, they are quite simple. The numbers will look something like 8×42 or 7×35. The first number is the amount of magnification. A 7x lens makes items look seven times closer. 10x binoculars make birds appear ten times closer. Many birders, particularly those who use the tool in varied conditions will choose an 8x set.

The second part of the number is the diameter of the larger lens expressed in millimeters. Larger lens allow more light to enter the instrument so that you can see detail more clearly. Choosing a much larger lens means a heavier and bulkier set of binoculars, so they may not be as desirable for a backpacking trip. The preferred range is between 35mm and 50mm.

Two main types of prism design are available in bird watching binoculars. The porro prism has the outer lens offset from the eyepieces, so the light path follows a z-shaped pattern. These binoculars are wider but less durable than the roof prism type. Roof prisms are placed so that the binoculars are very streamlined. They are also significantly more expensive. Veteran birders usually recommend purchasing the roof prism design if you can afford the cost.

Ease of focusing the binoculars is very important when you are changing viewing distances. Birds can move very quickly and you want to be able to follow a flight path without the necessity of turning the focus more than one full revolution. The focusing screw should be located between the eyepieces so that it can be operated with the one index finger

Advanced technology has made it possible to find quality, lightweight binoculars. Usually a few ounces won’t make much difference in the comfort of using them. Be sure that the binoculars you choose are well balanced front to back or you will notice wrist strain after lengthy use.

These are just a few of the major features in a good pair of bird watching binoculars. You should also check the lens coating and the comfort of the eye cups. If you have special vision needs, you may need a higher priced model in order to be able to fully enjoy your hobby.

Since many birds migrate for the winter the type of birds that you will find in the winter will vary greatly from those you will find in the summer. However there are some species where not all the birds of that species will migrate. There are also some species that do not migrate at all regardless of the weather.

There are about as many different sizes of birds as their types of wild birds. Although there are many different types they tend to fall into different categories. While there are literally thousands of different species of wild birds there are about 3 dozen or so families or categories of birds.

In many cases it is easy to see the association in these families such as the duck and the goose being in the same family. However there are some families of birds that cannot be so easily associated. Many of the smaller species of birds closely resemble each other and it is often hard to tell the difference on quick glance, unless you are a seasoned bird watcher.

There are also those birds that fall into the category of game birds, or birds that are hunted for food or simply recreational pleasures. The most common game bird is probably duck or turkey, but it is also popular to hunt grouse, partridge and quail.

There are some wild birds that closely represent each other but are actually in different families, one example of this is the quail. While the old world quail falls into the same family as turkeys, the new world quail are in a category their own. Both families are birds that rarely fly, but the new world quail category of birds mostly resides in the western United States.

There are some types of wild birds that are associated with particular regions of the country. A perfect example of the is would be the Pink flamingo who is clearly associated with Florida, and the great white eagle which is believed to be located mostly in the mountainous areas. Some birds evolve to their surroundings such as the falcons that live among the sky scrapers of Manhattan.

First of all, for the area you plan on visiting, you are going to need a field guide. What is a field guide? This is a book that is full of pictures of different birds. You are also going to find tips that will help you identify the ones you see. For those living in the United States, the Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds or Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds would be a great choice.

Once you are familiar with the birds that are in your area, you should look into the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of N. A. Third edition. For those young bird watchers, Peterson offers a guide just for you. In it, you will find descriptions of one hundred and eighty eight bird. The new Stokes Field Guides would also be something to look into.

Of course, during your birdwatching vacation, you will need to take some binoculars with you. This is so that you can see the birds.

The best birdwatchers out there have the best binoculars. Even though they are able to tell the species of a bird from one hundred yards away simply by looking at their silhouette, they still like to see them up close. There is a big different between those fifty dollar binoculars and the nine hundred dollar ones.

For the area you are traveling to, you need to know what to expect. The big woodpecker you saw in the woods was not an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, it was a Pileated Woodpecker. By looking at a checklist of the birds in the area, you will learn this. Many of the National and State parks will give you checklists of the birds that have been spotted in the park.

In order to see them, you need to find them. In order to find them, you will need to learn about the habitat of each species of bird you like. Do you want to spend more time on a lake, at the top of a tree or on the ground? You should also learn the voice of the birds in your yard and then later, learn the voice of the birds in other areas. In order to find a bird, often times, you are going to hear it first.

A birdwatching vacation can be a fun way to spend some time, but you will have a lot more fun if you do your homework ahead of time.

If you want to be able to watch birds in your backyard, you need to find a good location where you can see what is happening without unduly upsetting the birds who will visit there. Viewing through a window will probably be the most comfortable for you while you are watching and identifying the birds who visit. Other options are using a gazebo or porch or other place where you can be seated.

Building and siting of the bird feeder will be an important consideration for backyard bird watching. Birds who want to feed usually prefer a certain type of feed and an arrangement that will allow them to feed in safety. This means keeping the feeding space protected from marauding squirrels, cats and neighborhood dogs. Different feeding styles can be accommodated by design elements in the feeder. Adding a bird bath will bring other birds with different activities going on.

Having a spotting scope available close to where you sit to view the bird feeding site helps in identification, particularly if you are some distance from the feeder. Choosing a scope that has the ability to gather the maximum amount of light with the outer lens allows you to watch birds even with the light is dim, such as at dusk. Keep your scope handy and add a notebook or laptop to record the viewings.

A good quality camera is another piece of equipment that most bird watchers will want to have handy. If you want to record the images, look for zoom lens and fast shutter speed capability. You can enjoy stills or video images for documenting your hobby sightings.

Backyard bird watching is a hobby that can be enjoyed by children as well as adults. Since you don’t have to be physically fit to watch birds from your armchair, its a great hobby for those who have difficulty walking or hiking. The costs to get involved with bird watching are much lower than with other hobbies.

Did you know that birdseed is just like all other food, it does have an expiration date. Many individuals do not realize this one. Before you refill those feeders, it is important that you remove any old, clumped or moldy seed. Giving the feeder a good shake has a tendency to dislodge any of those clumps from the tube. There is also a handy feeder mop that you can use to reach those hard to get to areas. An old spoon or spatula will help get those messes or clumps from the platform feeders.

If you have children that would like to help out, then introduce them to feeding birds with suet. What is suet? Suet is prepackaged suet cakes that you can easily install into their feeders. They are the right size for those little hands and they do not make much mess.

Before you just go out and purchase a feeder for wild bird feeding, you need to think about where you would like to put it. You will want to place it in some place where you can easily see it and add some seed to it when the weather is harsh. You will also want to place it in an area where droppings and discarded shells will not be a problem to clean up.

The hummingbird feeders should be left filled with nectar. They should be visible for two weeks after your last hummingbird sighting.

This will allow them to replenish their energy before they migrate south. To prevent leaks from occurring in the stopper type feeders, put a stopper inside of the feeder and leave about one fourth of the length outside the feeder.

If you have only one feeder and only one type of seed, then you may want to make it into a tube feeder with some sunflower seeds in it. With this, you are going to attract cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, siskins and many more. For those squirrels, you should offer them a separate feeder full of nuts for them to enjoy, so that they will leave the bird food alone.

wild bird feeding is a great way to be able to do your bird watching right in your own yard!

Some bird feeders double as squirrel feeders, not that they are designed with that intention. This is actually the result of some crafty squirrels that will do whatever they can to access these feeders. In fact that will do acrobatic tricks that would baffle the imagination of the greatest circus acrobats. This does not mean you cannot hang out bird feeders in your yard. There are some bird feeders that are designed to be squirrel proof bird feeders.

Keeping a squirrel out of an ordinary bird feeder can be a daunting task, but if you use feeders that are designed to keep squirrels out, that is exactly what they will do. One way to handle these pesky critters is to actually put out feeders for them. There are squirrel feeders that are designed specifically to attract squirrels and keep them out of the birds feeders.

There are many different sources for squirrel proof bird feeders and many of them provide products that are designed to keep even the most stubborn squirrels out. These products can range from less than $20 to upwards of $500. It all depends on what you want to spend.

There are also several different types of feeders. Many of these are designed to attract a particular type of bird. Some of the feeders that are designed to keep the pests out are designed with a plastic dome along the top that makes it impossible for them to climb over it and access the food. One type of this product is known as the hummbrella dome. This product is designed to feed humming birds and keep squirrels out.

Another way of keeping squirrels out of a feeder is with a device known as a caged tube feeder. This type of feeder is a typical tube feeder that is encased in a wire grid that has one and a half inch holes. The holes are big enough for many species of birds to get through but are not big enough for a squirrel.

Squirrel proof feeders also come in varying sizes. There are small feeders that are designed to provide food to one bird at a time while there are others that are intended for numerous birds at once. These may vary based on the type of birds, since different species of birds have different social characteristics. Some birds are loners while others are birds that tend to be with a crowd.

Another way of keeping squirrels out of a feeder is with a device known as a caged tube feeder. These types of squirrel proof bird feeders are a typical tube feeder that is encased in a wire grid that has one and a half inch holes. The holes are big enough for many species of birds to get through but are not big enough for a squirrel.

There are many different kinds of bird seed available on the market, so it can be a bit confusing trying to figure out what seed you should use. The area that you live will in will determine what kind of birds might visit your yard. With different kinds of birds there are different kinds of food. However there are some bird seed that many different varieties of bird that will be attracted.

Black seed oil is one of those feeds that attracts many different kinds of birds and may attract birds to your feeder regardless of where you live. Black seed oil is a high meat to oil ratio bird seed that is high in fat. This seed is smaller than most and has a thin shell that makes it easy for the average small bird to handle.

One way to approach feeding the birds in your area is to start with sun flower seeds. Once you have tried these seeds you can graduate to other types of seeds. You may also want to keep in mind when looking for seed that some birds are particular and what they will eat in one area they won’t eat in another area.

Determining what kind of birds you have in your area will help decide what kind of wild bird seed to use. Suet is a popular choice that is typically able to attract small insect eating birds. This product is actually the fat from the kidneys of a cow. In fact you may be able to get this from you local grocer’s meat counter. There are also suet cakes that most bird stores and grocers may have for sale. Since suet is fat it should not be exposed to unusually hot temperatures because it is likely to spoil.

Most areas are home to one type of hummingbird or another. There are many different styles of hummingbird feeders available on the market. Hummingbirds will only be attracted to nectar. Nectar is a combination of water and sugar. If diluted correctly oriels are also likely to be attracted to these feeders.

Wild bird seed often contains grit, which is small articles of pebbles or other hard substances that help them digest their feed. Along with bird seed it is a good idea to provide a bird bath. Birds need water for drinking and bathing. While there are decorative bird baths you can also use a wimple dish that has a shallow pool of water on it.