Just because you see a bird doesn’t mean you should scramble to raise your birdwatching binoculars and make a huge scene. You’ll get them eventually, especially as you learn more about their patterns.
If you’re really close, you have to be even more careful. Act as if you’re trying not to wake a baby up. Be gentle, deliberate, and slow.
Be Quiet
In tandem with the previous advice, also be quiet. Going slow does limit movement, but it also limits noise.
Another way to limit noise is to whisper or talk softly – don’t freak out if you see a bird! There will be plenty.
Also, try to limit noise from supplies by having quiet bags for food or Tupperware, reusable water bottles, and pull out supplies ahead of time. If you want to get someone’s attention – don’t worry! Most people know the etiquette is to be very quiet, so speak softly to let them know if you see anything interesting.
Wear Subdued Colors
Wearing neon colors, bright clothes, or whites will make any motion super noticeable.
Instead, you want to camouflage yourself. You don’t need actual camo pants, as they don’t make a huge difference. However, you should still wear dark colors or earthy tones.
Pish
Even if you’re careful to not bring attention to yourself, sometimes the opposite has to happen in a very subtle way. If the birds are simply too far to look at them properly, you may need to do a little “pishing.”
Pishing entails either kissing your hand or blowing air through your teeth to make a slight whistle sound. Usually, the smaller birds are most interested in faint noises like this and might come closer in response to these sounds.
Listen For Birds
All you have to do is keep an open ear, and you’ll hear birds soon enough!
You need to familiarize yourself with the breeding and nonbreeding seasons as well, as you’ll find more of the songbirds join mixed groups of birds during the nonbreeding season. They are typically pretty quiet in the nonbreeding seasons, but there are a few outliers if you’re in a quiet enough place.
However, if you go in the fall, you can hear what’s called a “chip” note that shows a group is together.
On the other hand, if you go in the winter, you can hear a few sounds that imply a larger group is in there. Familiarizing yourself with the sounds of each season is key to good preparation before you go!
Study
For the most successful experience, you probably want a little knowledge to precurse your bird watching excursion. You have to learn about the concept of habitat, the sounds individual birds make, and when and where the best places to look are.
Even if you aren’t looking for something specific, it’s still good to know a little about where large groups of birds typically go. Usually, birds don’t just go wherever you’re standing. To find the most birds, you can look online to see local birds in your area and the best places to find them. You could also join a birding group!
Look for Groups, Not Individuals
You may search for hours, looking at each bird you come across. This is a time consuming, slightly labor-intensive way of looking for birds. It will also limit the range you manage to find.
Your best strategy is to go where the groups are. A group of birds isn’t necessarily all one type of bird! Even if it is, you get to see more variation within the one kind of breed.
Pick A Good Location
Your best bet is to pick a comfortable spot where birds are known to go.
To add to this comfort, face away from the sun. You don’t want to try looking at a bird and have to squint to see it. And long sun exposure can hurt your eyes!
Also, you won’t even be able to see the bird that well.
Don’t Limit Yourself
It may seem obvious to look in the sky for birds.
But birds can be anywhere, so you have to keep your eyes peeled! Make sure to check little overlooked areas, such as:
- Branches
- The ground
- Even behind you
You would be surprised at how many birds you miss when you only hyperfocus on one area.
Zoom In!
You will most likely want to figure out the exact bird you’re viewing.
You may be able to see it’s small and red. But then, you’ll probably want to zoom in further, but don’t have enough zoom to get that detailed.
Spotting Scopes
No worries! You can simply purchase a spotting scope.
They aren’t the cheapest things to get, but they do let you see quite a distance.
You may need this if you’re looking across a lake or up in a very high tree – places you can’t really get closer to physically.
What to Bring (Besides Binoculars for Bird Watching)
Camera for Birding
You will definitely want to bring a camera along with you to capture the moment!
This is best if you need some help identifying which bird you’re looking at, as you can submit it to an app or a forum for bird watchers and get some advice. Or, if you love taking pictures of birds, you can do that too!
People make a living taking wildlife pictures, so you could even turn your hobby into a little job on the side! You would get beautiful memories of the birds, and you can share their gorgeous looks with the world, all while getting paid!
