Joy of Birdwatching

I wish I had reached this part in the course sooner, as I have been observing birds on my daily walk and could have been noting their numbers in EBird. Going forward I downloaded the app but have yet to enroll in the course that gives the essentials of how to use it. I am in Long Island, NY and regularly see Common Grackles, Mourning Doves and House Sparrows at our backyard feeder, and an occasional Blue Jay. I also see Northern Cardinals, American Robins and Downy Woodpeckers while I am out walking, and on occasion a Baltimore Oriole. I will look for a birding group in which to participate once things open up. For now it has been enjoyable to read other people's comments in this course. It has been a very enjoyable course and I have learned a lot. I have enjoyed sharing what I've learned with others.

Activity 1: I made and submitted my first checklist on eBird! I hiked around a local park and added to my list whatever birds I could identify by listening or by sight.  It wasn't very many, and I know I missed a lot of birds from either not recognizing their song/call or if they flew by it was too fast or far away for me to identify that way.  However, I still reported 7 species (including 2 bald eagles sitting in trees by the river!), which is more than I would have realized if I had just been casually walking around.  It's a start and I can see how eventually my lists will grow as I keep practicing and learning more bird calls. Activity 2: This winter I joined my county's Coffee with the Birds program, which introduced me to Ottawa county's different birding clubs and opportunities.  They have been sending out weekly emails this spring including BOLO birds (be on the look out for..)

Hi, all from western Canada! Here we are closing in on the end of this wonderful course. Activity 1: In lieu of filed notes, I attempt to take pictures of the birds I see and identify them at home with the help of Merlin. I mentally keep notes on the habitat and activity of the birds I observe.  I can't seen myself taking pen and paper on my walks. Perhaps if I was observing from my deck or backyard I might be more inclined to do so. Activity 2: I joined a Facebook group for a local naturalist group. Most posts are about birding and people post on rare bird sightings. It's a great resource for help with identifying birds. I have yet to meet any of the people in person but hope to do so as things open up.    

Keeping track of your birdwatching This will be a set of final thoughts about my first attempt to get organized about a hobby in my 77 years. I have always loved nature.  I turned over rocks and logs and collected creatures.  I had collections of snakes and frogs and turtles and creatures to feed them. Birds were the uncatchable creatures that flew through the air and escaped all but my eyes. I had a field guide but never had a telephoto lens on a good digital camera and Merlin. This course convinced me to find some good places and be ready; to take pictures and examine them closely.  The picture below is an example of the value of these two new tools on my (still in my head) lifetime list. My visual survey of this spot (a spot my wife saw while walking) suggested the normal bunch of white ibis with with a spot of pink in the back. This 300mm telephoto shot made the pink into a roseate spoonbill and showed a duck in the water.  Expanding the image and using Merlin I saw the tricolor heron behind the spoonbill. Scanning other photos from that spot over the 15 or so minutes I found the duck out of the water and Merlin helped establish it was likely a female Green-winged Teal. Before I started the course I had seen a lot of small birds in the large Live Oak outside my lanai. I had not been able to see much detail. But, I hadn’t scanned the images carefully enough. By looking for the best images, blowing them up a bit, enhancing lighting a bit and using Merlin, I found a Palm Warbler, a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Great-crested Flycatcher.  The Palm Warbler was really trying to hide as you can see below.   A final example was a couple weeks ago, a friend said I should come to his terrace to see all the Wood Storks 200 yards away on the edge of a golf course. They looked more like Ibis to me and my camera helped me establish that but I saw black birds which proved to be Reddish Egrets and a pair of ducks shown below These were Mottled Duck males ID’d by Merlin. My field notes will never be great.  I probably won’t have a great life list, but I will take my telephoto and camera along whenever I go places. A little homework through ebirds and a glimpse of Merlin’s list of birds near me today will go a long way towards finding the name of more of those elusive creatures who fly so free.

Activity 1 - well I wish I could draw! What a wonderful way to create a memory of time outdoors. I did sign in to my eBird account and make my first submission. I can see how this could become a habit. I signed up for the eBird course, so will tackle that next. I totally agree that relying on memory leaves big gaps in what you saw, for now I will just take my phone and record my notes on the go in eBird. Great and easy to use tool!l

Activity 2 - I joined our local Audubon Society, and now will receive monthly newsletters. It looks like they have classes and events, too. Looking forward to participating  and learning more!

Activity 1 - I have been using EBird list and doing checklists when I go out birding. I try and photograph the birds. This can help me identify the bird later as I find it hard to note all the things I need to to identify a bird I am not sure of the identity. One recently was a Tennessee Warbler that without my photos I would not have identified. I check regularly EBird lists from people in my area to get an idea what birds are out there. I upload my photos to my list. I am using Merlin app to help ID.  If I think I know the bird , but not 100% sure, I enter in EBird and click on link to Merlin app to go to bird picture and details to confirm my sighting

Hi, again, all!  I live in Western Canada. This has been a great course. Activity 1:  Instead of keeping field notes, I bought a camera to photograph birds then identify them at home with the help of E-bird.  I keep mental notes of the bird's habitat and behaviour. If it's a new-to-me bird, I post it in my local naturalist Facebook site and see if I got the identification right. Once it's confirmed, I post the picture on my Facebook site along with date, and location. I also submit my bird sitings to E-bird as a way of keeping track.  I'm new to birding and this is the approach that is working for me so far. I think the most important part of a tracking system is one that you will actually do. Activity 2: I belong to a local naturalist group that has a focus on birds. I participated in my first bird count event with them a couple weeks ago. I've seen ads for local Christmas bird counts and could sign up this coming year. I know the bird groups are out there - it's up to me to connect.

I’m getting into the real-time record keeping slowly. The Merlin Bird ID app is great, I’ve recommended it to several friends. For now, I’m mostly putting short comments in my phone while I’m out walking. Usually these are birds I’m sure I’ve identified. Here in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, the ones I don’t know tend to move too quickly for me to do much identifying that I’m sure of. I still enjoy the process!

I take a list of birds every time i go birding at work to add to the park data base. In order to help me id the birds I have started taking detailed notes about what I see.  What habitat, time of day, weather conditions, date, what is the bird(s) doing and how are they doing it.  I made a sheet with all of these observations on it as well as a place to sketch the bird.  It is helping my learn what birds are in that area and what conditions are needed or best. At home I observe birds at the feeder or just hanging out in the trees and on the fence.

I use the Merlin ID app and started keeping a simple journal to record names and place. I don’t want to make it too difficult and take the fun out of birding. I joined the local Audubon group and was looking forward to getting out with them this spring, but Covid shut down a lot of things. The big problem around here are the crowds of people that are coming on the weekends. The local police have to shut down a lot of the parks by mid-morning and limit parking. I am so appreciative to be living in this area and getting to learn more about the birds around me!

I am really new to using ebird and after learning about I really find it interesting. My first trip ebirding I was able to identify some Canada Goose, female Hooded Merganser, and a Malard duck.

Activity 1: I discovered and started using the Merlin app awhile back. It is really helpful and the ability to download packs for different areas when I travel have been very helpful. I have also recommended it to friends who are casual bird watchers as it is very easy and intuitive to use. I like to write hand notes, but will try eBird as I start getting out again. Activity 2: I've joined the local Audubon chapter and can't wait until outings will be safe to begin again.

Activity 1:  We have been using the Merlin app and even tried the eBird list this weekend.  We love Merlin, especially the feature where one can take a photo and have Merlin identify the bird from it.  I tried putting in notes into my eBird list as I was making it.  However, sometimes I was so interested in the next bird that I skipped it.  Today we witnessed an Eastern Towhee doing a double scratching maneuver in the leaves, similar to the Fox Sparrow foraging back in unit 2.  Amazing!  Activity 2:  I have signed up for the eBird rare bird alerts and get them daily.  It definitely fuels the desire to get out there and try to find rare birds.  I would love to find the Connecticut Warbler, but so far, I've had no luck.  I will post a photo here if I see one.  Here are three bird photos from this weekend:  a Chestnut-sided Warbler, a Black-billed Cuckoo, and a Cedar Waxwing, my favorite local bird.

I have just started this course, and must admit to being quite intimidated. Live in far west central IL, in a town on the Mississippi River. Looks like so many people from all over the world, seeing birds I will never see. I live on 2.5 acres, with a farm pond. Have lots of feeders: two hummingbird feeders (front and back of house, since they can be pretty territorial, a sunflower chip feeder. a peanut feeder, a safflower seed feeder , a nyger seed feeder, and a suet feeder. Most I have to bring in at night, or the raccoons will destroy them. Lots of bird habitat. People in our area have noticed a greatly reduced number of ruby throated hummingbirds this spring. Did see a redheaded woodpecker - they are not seen often as they usually stick to the woods. Lots of house finches, cardinals, redwinged blackbirds, two pairs of rose breasted grosbeaks, downy and hairy woodpeckers, goldfinches, nuthatches, tufted titmouses, red bellied woodpeckers, blue jays, grackles, and the occasional starling, One Baltimore oriole, some mourning doves. Coopers hawks have not shown up yet. The pond mostly has Canada geese, and an occasional great blue heron. We are close enough to the Mississippi flyway that we get interesting migratory waterbirds, and if I head to the Mississippi River in the winter, Bald Eagles congregate at the lock and dam.  I would like more skill in sparrow identification. They are tough. And I would dearly love to be able to identify bird calls, especially owls. Am probably boring everyone, so will quit now.

1. I have been taking pictures and then spending some time in Merlin and ebird learning a bit about them, when they are seen in my area and their migration patterns, their calls/songs as well as what the males vs. females look like in different seasons. I have a difficult time with their sounds, although there are one or two common ones I now know right away- doves, red winged black-birds, red bellied woodpecker.  I have also been pointing out birds and identifying them to friends and family IRL or thru pictures whether they are interested or not :-) Really enjoyed looking at what others here have been doing to capture field notes- very creative. 2. I just started to get involved with the local Audubon (Bedford, NY) group and they are offering wonderful zoom sessions- I chance to learn more about birds, their behaviors and habitats. Some of the ways they are doing this is that their naturalist is taking the members (via zoom) with him as he goes bird watching.

Activity 1: Trying out different noting types was fun. Drawing was very enjoyable. However, I'm not very good, and I don't think it would help me identify/remember stuff later. I really enjoyed just righting down observations. For example: When somebody scared away the California Gulls, they flew in a huge flock in a circle around the pond and landed down where they had started.

Activity 1: I tried combining a few elements from my observations (photography taken, sound recordings made, research done) to retell a sighting from over the weekend… but in comic form. It’s probably not a very sustainable way of making field notes… but I found it a fun way to capture and communicate a memory. See what you think!

Activity 1: Rather than jotting down notes, I usually try to get pictures of birds to reference later, though without a good zoom lens that's not always possible. Yesterday, though, I heard a bird song that I wanted to identify, so I used the recorder app on my phone and then compared that to songs on the Merlin app. I am honestly weakest on identifying birds by their calls and songs. Some of them have so many, and some of them just sound very similar to me, so I have a hard time distinguishing. It's an area that I want to work on. Anyway, using my recording, I determined that I was hearing the song of a Carolina Chickadee. :-) I was only a little embarrassed at my ignorance there. I see those little guys in my yard constantly, and I hear them chattering to each other constantly, but I didn't recognize their song. I think I will continue to make recordings for reference so I can hone this skill. Activity 2: Not a lot is going on with local birding clubs right now due to COVID-19, but I did join the eBird Alert for Rare Birds in my area and get those emails daily.

YES, NOTES ARE VERY HELPFUL FOR ME WHILE OBSERVING A BIRD.

IT IS WIRE TAILED SWALLOW Swallows are small, with pointed narrow wings, wide and short tail, short bills, and small feet. Swallows spend much time in the air,flying all around quickly and capturing insects, they are most adapted to move fast and quickly. I found this beautiful bird in Delhi NCR, India. It takes many attempts to click a photo of a fast flier swallow. After studying the bird behaviour and its identification I came to know about this bird also. Keeping an eye on bird is very important to understand its behaviour. Morning time is best for bird watching. As a bird watcher it is important to keep patience as well as noticing bird and knowing its behaviour also requires patience. Wire tailed swallow is common here but as a first attempt it means a lot for me. It does not take straight flight, it takes sudden flight which is very impressive. Bird watching is very interesting. Tracking birds and seeing them with binoculars is really a wonderful feeling. Wing Tailed Swallow flies in form of circle all around its area. Its small bill helps in feeding and long wings are useful for its flight.

I love Manyu's drawing...I have long wanted to start a nature journal, so maybe this will inspire me!

Activity #1. Yes, my notes were helpful...I noted the size and color of some birds, and what the habitat was like. In a forested area, I saw robins, flickers, house sparrows, and a couple of warblers (it is May, after all!). In a marshy area, I saw Canada geese (including mom and four goslings), gulls (we only seem to have ring-billed gulls around Inwood Hill Park), and a solitary egret (it was distant, but I think it was a great egret. And I tried to describe some songs I heard, when I didn't see the birds...e.g. the three "warm-up notes" of the song sparrow; and the "conkaree" of the red-winged blackbird. Activity #2. I actually signed up for a NYC listserve last year: ebirds.nyc. It's been quiet because of the corona virus lockdown here, but today there was a burst of emails because people are starting to see warblers: one woman saw 19 species of warblers early this morning in a park I hadn't heard of, but will now check out (when lockdown is over, that is)

Activity 2 - Found a Bird community group called Jaipur Zoo. Will connect with them.

Activity 1