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David Plunkett
Beginning Birding Tips 1 – Introduction
By David Plunkett
I had originally planned to put
together a two page list of tips covering lots of topics.
However, a series of short narratives looks like it will
work better. So, this is intended to be the introduction to
that short series of topics.
Since I only have been “serious” about
birds for less than ten years, I think I can offer you some
useful shortcuts that I have learned along the way. For me,
one of the things I like about birding is the continuous
learning process. However, you don’t need to learn anything
to enjoy looking at birds in their varied shapes, colors,
behaviors, and habitats.
At the same time, I have gotten much
more serious about nature photography. Photography and
birding both encourage you to take a better look at the
world around you. Movement, colors, shapes are all
important as you are looking for birds.
One of the best tools for “seeing”
birds better is binoculars. Other than toy binoculars, any
pair should give you a better view than you have today. My
plan is a more detailed article on “seeing better” which
includes more detailed information on binoculars and
spotting scopes.
What, where, when is another topic that
I plan to discuss. What birds are we more likely to see in
our area? Where are the better places to see birds? The
good news is your backyard is a great place to start. When
should you be looking for particular birds? This is
something I am still learning but the tool below really
helps.
The “Birds of Southern Brazoria County,
Texas” compiled by the Brazosport Birders and Naturalists
and published by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (GCBO) is a
great place to start. This lists 321 species of birds
expected to be present in our area at some point in the
year. The question is when and where and that is addressed
in the checklist. The GCBO birder’s map is another great
resource.
Spring migration is coming soon and
places like the Quintana Neotropical Sanctuary, Bobcat
Woods, the Betty Brown Unit and Hudson Woods Unit of the San
Bernard Wildlife Refuge, and GCBO in Lake Jackson are good
places to look for migrating songbirds. There are lots of
other places in our area and South Texas to look at certain
times of the year for certain birds.
Another great tool is a bird book or
guide. There are many different ones available. I have
many different books but National Geographic’s “Birds of
North America” is my favorite. Various guides are available
in our area at GCBO, Hastings and Waldenbooks. Sounds like
a topic on resources.
Hopefully, this series will be helpful
for you and increase your awareness of the birds and natural
resources in our area.
Great Blue Heron at Brazos Bend
State Park
Come back
later for these topics:
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Beginning Birding Tips 2 – Seeing Birds
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Beginning Birding Tips 3 – What, When, Where
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Beginning Birding Tips 4 – Resources
One of F.O.R.'s
primary functions is to educate the public
regarding the issues concerning the San Bernard
River and it's Communities. Contact Pat Webb
pat@sanbernardriver.com to schedule a
guest speaker for your group or special event.
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