Try Bird Watching With Your Kids
January 17, 2008
In a world full of video games and little together time, it is hard for families to find time together. Bird watching with your kids is one way to get some fresh air and spend time together.
Try Bird Watching With Your Kids
Bird watching has a lot going for it when it comes to doing it as a family event. It is done outdoors, so everyone gets a bit of fresh air and some exercise. It is also inexpensive since you basically need binoculars and a journal to record your sightings. Most importantly, it provides you with a lot of time together to talk and laugh.
It is fairly amazing that we do not hear more about hand injuries with kids. The rate at which they play video games and pound those buttons is pretty amazing. I will avoid jumping into the debate on the content of video games, but what is clear is kids need to get out more instead of sitting in front of the television or computer.
As a parent you probably agree with this notion. You, however, are no off the hook. While kids may be spending endless hours playing video games, parents are equally busy. From working to running errands, weekends hardly seem like days off anymore. Heck, it is hard to find time to sit down together as a family just to have dinner.
Bird watching solves all of these problems nicely. Bird watching is a hobby, not a sport. This means there is a lot of time to just be together. You might see a lot of birds, but you might not. While fanatical birders would blanch at the thought, bird watching with your kids is not really about seeing birds. It is about being with your kids, talking to them and just spending time together. This means you need to leave the cell phone and blackberry at home.
Finding time together can be difficult these days. Take your kids out bird watching and you will have carved out your own slice of the week to just be a family. If you see some birds or get hooked on birding, all the better.
Bird Watching Tips
January 17, 2008
Simply sitting and watching birds is a popular hobby around the world. It’s fun and relaxing at the same time.
Many people quite enjoy just watching the birds in their garden, yard, trees and bushes from their front window. And it’s even better to actually go out into the wild and watch the birds in their own natural habitats.
“Natural Habitat” of course usually means going into the woods, or to remote areas. So before going on a bird watching outing, be sure you’ve prepared a little. First and foremost, be sure you’re wearing the appropriate clothes for both the location you’ll be visiting, and the climate that area is currently experiencing.
If you live in a warm desert area for instance, and you plan to go up a mountain for a day of bird watching, you’ll want to first find out if there’s any snow on the mountain, or whether it’s cold during the daylight hours.
You’ll of course also want to be sure you have some food or snacks, and plenty of water to keep you hydrated.
Binoculars are almost a requirement for bird watching too. They allow you to get a close up view of any birds, nests, and chicks. Many bird lovers also enjoy having pen or pencil, and a notepad on hand so they can take notes about the birds they’ve seen, or sketch them as they’re watching.
And of course if you like pictures… you’ll want to bring along a camera 
Last but not least, it would be helpful to have some sort of bird identification system or reference available. Whether you can take it with you into the woods, or you have it hanging at home, these are always quite useful over the long term.
© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Find more of Kathy’s writing in the Brain Dump section of Electronic Perceptions Promotions – You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URLs remain intact.
Bird Watching Binoculars Magnify Your Sights
January 17, 2008
Bird watching is one of those hobbies that many people from all over the planet enjoy. Most of these bird watchers are everyday people, not scientists. They gain great pleasure from just gazing upon the various and amazing feathered creatures. Many people join bird watching clubs and get together with others in these groups for a day out or even just a few hours of socializing and bird watching. Watching the birds without the aid of binoculars is fine for some people, but most people use binoculars to magnify their sights of the birds and get a closer view of all the birds’ details and colors.
Bird Watching Binoculars For Everybody
There are a vast array of bird watching binoculars that are available on the market to suit everybody’s budget and personal taste. In most circumstances the more expensive the binoculars then the better the quality will be. However, there are quality binoculars available in every price range. Also, there are three sizes of bird watching binoculars available. They are compact or pocket, mid-sized and full-sized binoculars. You can find a great pair in any of these sizes. The smaller ones are easier to carry around with you especially for when you are out in the field searching for birds. The full-sized are great if you are staying in one location or not moving around very much as they can be a little heavy to tote around for long periods. And, size doesn’t necessarily matter in regards to magnification. There are mid-sized models that are more powerful than full-sized ones.
Bird Watching Binoculars – Optics And Features
A very good pair of bird watching binoculars should have bright, clear, sharp, high-contrast images. Many manufacturers make binoculars but it is best to go with a company that has a great reputation. Companies like Pentax, Nikon, Swarovski and Zeiss all offer great bird watching binoculars in addition to all their other optical equipment.
To bird watch at any time of the day, you will find that these manufacturers offer equipment that will be able to show all the details of the birds in bright light and low light conditions whether the birds are flying or stationary. The lenses’ magnification will allow you to see the birds as if you were up close to them. These bird watching binoculars are easy to focus quickly to catch birds in flight, too. The binoculars from these great companies offer superb clarity and true colors with high-contrast images. They feel comfortable in the hand so the avid bird watcher will enjoy using them throughout the day in various areas.
Interested in learning more about birdwatching and bird watching binoculars? Visit http://www.about-birds.info an instructive website that provides birdwatcher advice, tips and resources including information on birdwatching binoculars, clothing, tours and equipment for beginners to experienced birdwatchers.
How To Choose The Right Bird Watching Hat
January 17, 2008
Bird watching is a very relaxing activity. Many people go into bird watching not just to see and observe their favorite birds but also to get rid of stress. According to studies, birdwatchers show less signs of strains and stress compared to those people who sit inside the room and watch TV or tinker with their computers. The fact that bird watching takes the person outdoor and let him or her commune with nature helps that person fight stress better compared to his or her counterparts. If you are one of those people who are leading sedentary indoor lives, doing some bird watching will greatly help you stay fit and healthy.
Getting Ready For Bird Watching
There are at least two basic things that you will need when you want to go bird watching. First, you will need your binoculars and second you will need a hat. A bird watching hat is just as important as the binoculars because this will protect you from the heat of the sun. Note that the damage in the ozone layer of your planet is so great that being exposed to the direct heat of the sun is now considered hazardous. In recent years, cases of skin cancers due to the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun have increased considerably thus we should never take things for granted when we go into the sun. It doesn’t matter if we only get exposed to the sun once in a while; you still need to protect yourself from being directly exposed to the sun.
When choosing a bird watching hat, you need to consider the size, shape and color of the hat. Choose a wide brim hat over those dainty looking hats. Wide brim hats that shade your face are effective in protecting your face from the damaging effects of the sun. A hat that is made of thick cloth material can be a lot cooler compared to bird watching hats that are made of leather and other types of materials. Furthermore, hats that are made of cloth are easier to manage compared to those hats that are made up of more rigid materials. Note that the rigid materials of your hat can be quite inconvenient especially when you are straining to take a better view of your favorite bird.
The color of your bird watching hat is very important. Although bright colored bird watching hats can be quite attractive, they are not really suitable for bird watching. Bright colored hats make you stick out from your hiding place. Instead of using bright colored hats, try some of those earth colored hats. Brown bird watching hats in particular are very helpful when you want to blend into the bushes.
If you are looking for additional bird watching tips and advice, visit http://www.birdwatchingadvice.com for more information.
Bird Watching Field Guide About Bird Species Benefit Those Devoted To This Great Hobby
January 17, 2008
A bird watching field guide about bird species can make for an amazing learning experience of this fascinating hobby. All birds are a beautiful part of nature. There are a great deal of people who gain immense satisfaction from observing as many birds as they can.
Field guides often increase the interest level of the bird watchers in their hobby in many ways. The bird watchers are able to discover many picturesque areas for watching colorful and amazing birds. As well, bird watchers can discover in these guides information on birds that are near to their home and many locations that would make for an amazing holiday destination for them to partake in this hobby.
There are a great deal of different bird species dispersed throughout the world, and devoted bird watchers usually wish to observe as many as they can. Even though they never see all of them, they can at least get a glimpse of the different types in the guides.
There are a great number of bird and bird watching field guides available. Some of them concentrate on just one of the bird species and others concentrate on various areas and countries. Very good guides will display the birds in numerous areas of their habitats and will list the different migratory paths that they take, as well as detailed descriptions about the birds and their habitats. No doubt that you will find some guides that are better than others for identifying various bird species.
Some of these books provide directions on making a garden and backyard that will help in attracting birds. By creating an attractive backyard for the birds, you will be able to watch many beautiful birds with relative ease.
Investing In Wild Bird Watching
Those people who are looking for a bird watching field guide about bird species for themselves or as a gift for a bird watcher friend will find there are many to choose from. Many of these guides are available to look through at the local library and book store. Spend some time perusing the different ones. You are sure to find one or two that seem to be just what you are looking for.
Interested in learning more about birds and birdwatching? Visit http://www.greatbirdwatchingtoday.com an instructive website that provides birdwatcher advice, tips and resources including information on birdwatching binoculars, clothing, tours and equipment.
Hummingbird Feeders
January 17, 2008
Humming bird feeders are a great welcome in any home. Putting a humming bird feeder in your back yard will give you pleasure while you are there. You can also place a humming bird feeder outside a window anywhere on your house. This great humming bird feeder placement will allowed you to see the humming birds from your own house.
Humming bird feeders are not only great if you live in a house, humming bird feeders can be a great addition to any apartment. You can have a humming bird feeder if you live in an apartment, and received the same joys as a homeowner would. In an apartment watching birds may be a bit difficult, but if you have a window or a balcony that you can hang a wire from, then you can easily hang a humming bird feeder and therefore, watch birds!
Once you decide that a humming bird feeder is what you are looking for you need to decide what kind of humming bird feeder you want. There are plastic humming bird feeders, glass humming bird feeders, blown glass humming bird feeders, hand blown humming bird feeders, humming bird feeders with multiple feeding points and humming bird feeders with one feeding point. There are also combination humming bird feeders which combine these aspects.
Remember, that humming birds do not eat seeds, they drink nectar. When you buy your humming bird feeder be sure to buy humming bird food as well.
Even though there is many different types of humming bird feeders, choosing one is really simple. Order a humming bird feeder online that you really like and that you would like to see outside your window.
Pam Caouette has had a wonderful garden full of wild birds. Learn more about wild birds and bird feeders at http://www.aplusbirdfeeders.com
Bird Watching Journals – Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences
January 17, 2008
Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips.
Bird Watching Journals
Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went bird watching. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, every bird sighted and so on. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you had kept a bird watching journal, this wouldn’t be the case.
There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your bird watching experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.
A good bird watching journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don’t have to take up unnecessary space for other things. Second, it should have a case to protect it from rain, spills and so on. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:
1. Who you went birding with,
2. Where you stayed and if you enjoyed it,
3. Who you met and contact information for them,
4. The geographic and weather conditions, and
5. The birds you sighted and added to your life list.
At the end of the trip, you should be able to get the following from your journal:
1. Contact information for other bird watchers and people you met,
2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you travel to the location a second time.
3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and
4. Something to pass on to your children and grandchildren.
To get the most out of your bird watching journal, you should write in it during and immediately after birding. Every sighting brings new experiences even if you’re just sitting in your backyard.
Bird watching is a great way to commune with nature. Make sure to preserve the experience.
Bird Watching in Tobago
January 17, 2008
Once you catch birding fever, it will overtake your entire life. In fact, you will start planning trips around it as can occur with bird watching in Tobago.
Exotic is the term that best defines Tobago bird watching, an exciting and rewarding experience for bird watchers. Tobago is the smaller island of the Trinidad and Tobago nation, the southern most island of the Caribbean, located off the East Coast of Venezuela.
Tobago bird watching focus on the marine environment and coral reefs as an unusual setting for bird watching. This island is home to numerous colonies of nesting Red-billed Tropicbirds, Magnificent Frigate birds, and Red-footed Boobies. Tobago is the place where introduction to birding in South American began.
Tobago has around 150 to 200 bird species of the 467 recorded in both Trinidad and Tobago. However, Tobago is a drier island, further offshore than Trinidad. It offers great birding with species not found anywhere else in Central America, including specialty birds, such as the Caribbean Martin, White-fringed Antwren, and Pale-vented Pigeon.
Birds of Tobago are not usually seen on Trinidad, the reason why it is convenient to take one of the many local tours, or schedule a bird watching activity with your actual tour operator. Another advantage of ecotourism and bird watching at Trinidad and Tobago is migration.
Some bird watching ventures are scheduled around the dates when birds form North America and other Caribbean Islands migrate to Tobago, adding a rewarding experience to bird watching. Tours offer visitors the nonpareil opportunity to watch jacamars, cocricos, hummingbirds, peregrine falcons, white-tailed sabrewings, ruby-topaz, and more.
However, you can simply travel to Tobago pretty much any time of the year for good birding. Once there, planning a bird watching excursion is easy, particularly with the help of islanders who know better than anyone else where the best birding viewpoints are located. In fact, most hotels and resorts strongly suggest not engaging in bird watching without a local guide.
If you are making the decision to head to Tobago for some bird watching, you can pick up an excellent book written by William Murphy – A Birder’s Guide to Trinidad and Tobago. Murphy knows his stuff.
Bird Watching Trips – India A Bird Watchers Paradise!
January 17, 2008
Of the 8650 species of birds (migratory and originating species) in the world, India is home to as many as 1200 (roughly 14%), out of which 141 are endemic to this region.
While the number of birds is huge and enough to satisfy any bird watcher, it is the amount of rare birds to see that makes India such an exciting destination for a bird watching trip.
India is also a country that takes eco tourism seriously and provides a number of protected wildlife sanctuaries, that are secluded and perfect for bird watching.
bird watching trips and a variety of stunning scenery and wildlife
India is such a diverse country in terms of its geography which ranges from the mighty Himalayas bordering Tibet in the north, to lush plains, desert and jungle surrounded by thousands of miles of beaches.
This diversity is of landscape is of course, reflected in its wildlife.
Bird watching trips in India give an opportunity to see birds, but you can combine a bird watching trip with a safari, or holiday package and see elephants, tigers, lions and rhinos, or take in some of the thousands of years of cultural history.
India is perfect for bird watching trips, but for the adventurous traveller offers much more, in terms of the variety of wildlife and stunning scenery.
Bird Watching, tigers, elephants and much more!
North India offers a wide variety of bird watching trips including the Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) a world heritage spot and considered one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world.
There are over 350 species of birds found and the habitat varies from shallow lakes to flooded forests and barren earth.
The rich collection of birds in Corbett National Park, India’s first tiger reserve is another bird watchers paradise. Here you can go bird watching in open-air jeeps, or on elephants.
The setting is superb and the sheer variety of bird life astounding, with 580 species of birds to be found in the park.
Bird watching in some of the best wildlife parks in India
South India includes some of its most famous wildlife parks and some great bird watching destinations.
Nagarole national park for example, is counted among India’s best wildlife parks and has a large elephant and bison population, as well as great bird watching, with approximately 250 species of birds to be seen.
On its northern confines is the Kabini River and on its southern fringes is the Bandipur national park. During the dry season, February – June, the lakes and rivers of the park attract a large number of animals, making it an ideal spot for bird watching and taking in the other diverse and exciting array of wildlife.
Indian bird watching trips find out more
India is one of the best holiday destinations in the world for bird watchers.This report only scratches the surface of bird watching trips in India, so to read more about bird watching in India go to http://www.raptoradventures.co.uk/articles-sitemap.html
Bird Watching Gifts For The Bird Watching Enthusiast
January 17, 2008
Bird watching has become a very popular hobby because it’s not only interesting and fun, but because it is an educational experience that the entire family can participate in, too. If a friend or family member you know likes this hobby, then the list below will help you find the perfect bird watching gifts for them when you are looking.
Bird Watching Gear
Because bird watching can be done throughout the year, there are pieces of gear that would help guard you from the sunshine in the summer and the cold in the winter. One particular piece of bird watching gear would be a hat or cap to guard your head. Long pants with lots of pockets, such as cargo pants, so that bird watchers would have places to put their hobby’s various items would be another great piece of gear that is important.
Bird Watching Binoculars
The majority of bird watchers usually own a pair of binoculars. However, with the variety of binoculars that are available there is certain to be an upgraded version that the bird watcher would love to have. If the upgraded type of binoculars are too expensive, as they certainly can be, you may consider purchasing them a new case to protect their present pair of binoculars or a new strap to keep their binoculars more comfortably close to them rather than bouncing around when out walking.
A bird watching journal is another one of those great bird watching gifts. It is where a bird watcher can record information about the types and numbers of birds that they saw. A bird watching book or guide is also a wonderful bird watching gift. Every bird watcher loves to get a good guide that shows the pictures and lists the characteristics of the many different birds.
Digital cameras and video cameras are great bird watching gifts. With the various models that are available, you are sure to find one that will be suitable for your bird watching friend. Bird baths and bird feeders are other bird watching gifts that you may want to consider if they don’t have these already.
Bird Watching Vacation
If the person that you are buying the bird watching gifts for is someone special to you, such as a spouse or family member, you may consider a bird watching vacation to an exotic location like Costa Rica or to watch Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
To make the bird watching gifts seem even more special, especially if it is an expensive item, you will want to make sure that the person does not already possess one of the items already.
All ages of people find that bird watching is not only relaxing but it is also entertaining. If you haven’t tried it yet yourself, go into your backyard or a nearby park and just watch the birds for a few minutes. You’ll probably find that this is a fun and addictive hobby and the next bird watching gifts that you buy might just be for you personally!
For more bird watching tips and a free subscription to my bird watching newsletter, just go to http://www.greatbirdwatchingtoday.com an instructive website that provides birdwatcher advice, tips and resources including information on birdwatching binoculars, clothing, tours and equipment.
