I'm a birdwatcher …

  • Watching

    I've always enjoyed being around birds and the more I get to know about them, the more I love them. Their songs provide a lovely soundtrack to my daily activities. Seeing them flitting about reminds me to get up and not waste away my hours. I feel fortunate to be near them, to hear the flutter of their wings; and when I find myself cooped up inside or otherwise in a birdless place, I'm uneasy and anxious to be back to their company.

    I'm no birding expert. I primarily know the ones that live on my own property and I don't even see or know all of them. I'm still learning, still excited to see new birds or to welcome the return of previous visitors.

  • Sharing

    Although birdwatching is somewhat of a solitary activity, it's fun to have people to share the excitement with - people who get it. Most folks I know enjoy seeing birds. Who wouldn't? But it often stops at "Oh, pretty bird!"

    So I seek out the company of other people who stop and stare towards the trees when they hear the rustle of leaves, who carry a camera with them when they do their yard work, who always take their morning coffee on the porch, even in the dead of winter, and sleep with a window cracked so they don't miss the morning song.

    Below, you'll find information on some of the places I've found to be good places to find the companionship of other birders.


  • For the Social Birder

    The Internet is a great place to find fellow birdwatchers to share your passion with. Here are a few online places where I've found lots of friendly birders.

    The Great Backyard Bird Count - This Facebook group is very active year 'round, not just during the count.

    Cornell Lab or Ornithology Facebook Page - The Lab posts lots of interesting things but be sure to look at the "posts by others" section too for lots of good photos shared by fellow birders.

  • Landscaping for the Birds

    As both an avid gardener and a birdwatcher, creating bird-friendly landscapes is something that really interests me.



    I've compiled some information about things that have worked for me. Although everyone's property and garden/landscape preferences are different, these are basic concepts that just about anyone should be able to employ where they live.

    You'll be surprised at how many more birds you can attract by making some simple changes around your yard.

    More »



  • Feeding the Birds

    Bird feeders can be special structures designed for specific types of birds or they can be really simple, like the cut-off tree stump in the photo above. I'll share what I've learned from trying out lots of different types of feeders and bird food.

    I found some good charts that list the types of store-bought and natural foods preferred by different birds. These are great resources to use in planning a bird feeding strategy that makes use of both bird feeders and natural sources of food . More »


Bird Photography

I really enjoy taking photos of birds. Their size and speed makes them a very challenging subject to photograph, but I think the reward of having some nice pictures of the birds who visit my yard is worth the time and effort.

As I continue to work on this site, I'll write up some pages that talk about what I've learned about bird photography.

Photographing birds has lead to an interest in photographing other nature subjects as well. I take my camera out just about every day and enjoy sharing my photos online. I've posted some of my favorite shots at 500px (which is a great website with a friendly community and a very attractive layout for photos). My 500px gallery.

 

Bird ID
by Color

I think the easiest way to get started with bird identification is by noting the bird's colors. I've created a very basic guide that shows some of the most common birds grouped by their color. This isn't intended to replace a good guidebook or the more detailed Internet resources, but I think it provides a pretty good place to start.

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