I am currently in Kentucky although I live on Long Island in NY. I tried my hand at birdwatching while I am here. I was told there weren’t  many types of birds that come to their feeders. Not so. I have seen at least 10 species almost every time! (With a few that I was unable to positively identify). Downloaded the list for this area on Merlin and Ebird and found the majority of the birds here are pretty much what I find at home. The most exciting occasion was one day I thought I heard an osprey but was sure I was hearing things until the next day when one flew right over my head!!! I did some research because I always believed that they were strictly salt water birds and found that they adapt to any water of any type as long as it is shallow enough to hunt in and they have the availability of a tree or platform to nest in just like at home!!!!!!!

Activity 1: I went to a small neighborhood lake (14 acres) with my kayak and practiced making my second complete checklist with eBird. I found 8 species over the hour. There were certainly more but I am still developing my skills. I use species I know (Mallard, Canada Goose) and some sound ID from Merlin to help (White-Eyed Vireo!)

Activity 2: While I have been using Merlin for a while I was not aware of the "By family - most likely" setting. I have turned that on and love it! I prefer this grouping to help me hone in on my local birds.

Activity 3: I am very interested in birding by ear, and I listen with Merlin frequently. The first time it caught a European Starling I laughed, sure it was wrong based on name alone, but then reviewed the range map. It and these other birds are birds Merlin has heard but I have yet to see with my eyes, though the maps tell me it is possible: Wild Turkey, Northern Parula, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Great Crested Flycatcher.

I was at Oak Mounain Stae Park on red trail and I saw; Yellow throated sparrows, tufftwed tit-mouse, cardinals, summer tangers, wrens, crows, red bellied- wood peckers, harry woodpeckrs, yellow rumped warblers, eastern Pheobes, Brown thrather, chickidees, white- breated nuthatches, black eyes junos, cowbirds, and blue jays.

Activity 1: I decided to observe birds in two locations, my feeder at home and the Cornell FeederWatch cam. At home, I saw 4 Tufted Titmice and 2 Black-capped chickadees. From the cam, I saw 2 Black-capped chickadees, 2 American Goldfinches, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and heard a Red-bellied woodpecker.

Activity 2: According to Merlin, the most likely birds in my area are Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, and Dark-eyed Juncos, and Downy Woodpeckers. I’ve encountered all these birds today except for the nuthatch, though I do regularly see/hear them.

Activity 3: I checked the ebird bar chart and found out that Ruffled Grouse, Killdeer, Horned Larks, Bobolinks (who have a really neat song!), and Common Mergansers all live in my county.

Activity 1:

I saw these birds today: Dark-eyed Junco; Northern Cardinal; Black Vulture; Carolina Wren; Black-Capped Chickadee; White-throated Sparrow; Song Sparrow; Tufted Titmouse; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; White-breasted Nuthatch, and House Finch.

According to Cornell Sanctuary Checklist, I am to see a large amount of species native to my area.

Since January 6th, I have observed 14 different birds, including:

Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Downy WP, Hairy WP, Northern Flicker, Pileated WP, Black Capped Chickadee, Cardinal, Crow (by sound), Tufted Titmouse, Starling, Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

I used Merlin ID to check my identification skills for many of these birds

Activity 3:

I looked at the bar charts on eBird for the Western Cape. From there, I checked out a few birds and used their Range Maps to see if they actually ever occurred in my area specifically. Here are five birds that I didn't know passed through my area:

• White-rumped Swift


• African Snipe


• African Paradise Flycatcher


• Namaqua Dove


• African Stonechat

The African Snipe, Namaqua Dove and African Stonechat are actually in the area year-round, but the White-rumped Swift and the African Paradise Flycatcher are mainly here in the breeding season, which is now.

Activity 2:

According to Merlin, the most likely birds in my area are as follows:

• Cape White-eye


• Red-eyed Dove


• Red-winged Starling


• Hadada Ibis


• Egyptian Goose

The only one of these that I haven't seen recently is the Red-winged Starling.

Activity 3: I looked through bar charts on eBird to see which birds have been seen in the county where I live in southern Minnesota. I chose five birds that I thought I might see in the habitats near my house (I avoided shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors since I don’t often watch birds near mudflats or large bodies of water and I have difficulty identifying raptors unless I see them sitting still, which doesn’t often happen in my neighborhood). The birds I wanted to learn more about were the Harris’s Sparrow, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. The Harris’s Sparrow is a very large sparrow with black on the head, and adults have a spotted upper breast. The Eastern Phoebe is a plain-colored gray bird who likes to pump his tail up and down. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is one of the smallest birds that can be found in Minnesota. The male has a red spot on the top of his head. He flashes it when he is excited. Hermit Thrushes have a pretty song. They are brown on top and have a speckled upper breast. The male Yellow-rumped Warbler is much easier to identify than the female, who is brown on top with a striped brown breast. He is gray on top with yellow patches on his head, belly, and rump. He also has a white belly.

I started on this activity around last spring. The first bird I started learning about was the Harris’s Sparrow. I was so excited when a large sparrow-sized bird with a black head showed up at my feeder this winter. He turned out to be a Harris’s Sparrow! I have this activity to thank for being able to identify him. Learning about what birds other birdwatchers have seen can really pay off!

Activity 1: There is a little wooded area along the river where I live. You see structures in every direction, but the trees are tall and in the early morning it’s a neat birdwatching spot. Unfortunately I couldn’t get there this morning, and I won’t be able to do so tomorrow morning, so I decided to try for the afternoon to avoid putting off this activity indefinitely. I saw 4 Mallards, 4 Buffleheads, 1 Mourning Dove, 25 Dark-eyed Juncos (I counted them in groups of 5), and 5 White Throated sparrows. At first I didn’t notice the sparrows weren’t more Juncos, but their calls are different (and I verified this with Merlin), then I started taking the time to pick them out. They were in among bushes so I may have under counted them. I also heard a Blue Jay, which are very much part of the normal background noise of the area.

Activity 2: I didn’t see most of the “Most Likely” list today, which was surprising because a lot of them are birds I see and hear regularly. The birds I did see (mentioned above) were all pretty low on the list, but of course not at all rare or unreported. I’m actually more surprised by the birds which I haven’t seen around since I started keeping a list this summer, but which I really do expect to see, like the Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Tufted Titmouse. There are also birds I didn’t know we got around here, like the Mute Swan. And then there are the birds which I didn’t even know existed, like the American Black Duck. I am going to be staring extra hard at every bird which I assume is a female Mallard, now.

Activity 3: I looked at the bar charts and range maps on Merlin, after I had played around with the Most Likely list for the above activity. I already mentioned the Mute Swan and American Black Duck, I think I didn’t realize the variety of waterfowl that existed and that we have (which is silly, there is water everywhere). Maybe I just associate a variety of ducks with less urban areas, I don’t know. Anyway, I also took a look at the Hooded Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, and Gadwall. Like the American Black Duck, I didn’t really know these birds existed at all, even though I probably have seen them fly by. As for the calls, none of them sounded particularly familiar. I’ll be keeping an ear open for them going forward, though!

I live in Connecticut, USA. My activities are based on my nearby locations.

Activity 1: Birdwatching for 15 minutes. ///// Location: Picked a Hotspot from eBird app: Colchester Transfer Station Air Line State Park Trail. ///// Habitat description: Second growth mixed forest with electrical lines running through the forest. Disturbed area has tall grasses and appears to be in muddied/marshy area. ///// Birds observed: 4 Mourning Doves: chunky body, small head. Flying over open electrical lines area. / 3 Turkey Vultures: Large birds; black body with reddish face. Perched on electrical line posts. / 2 Blue Jays: White chest and belly, dark necklace, blue on wings. Seen flying over open area, then landing in trees with lots of leaf cover. Lots of calling to each other. / 1 American Crow: heard calling in distance. / 1 Black-capped Chickadee: calling from tree cover. / 1 Tufted Titmouse: calling from tree cover. / Hawk species but could not identify with confidence. Caught sight as he was flying away from trail into woods. Was flying over open area of electrical lines. Most likely a Red-shouldered Hawk or Red-tailed Hawk. Very large. Brownish-whitish-gray back. Tail barred.

Activity 2: Using “Most Likely in Merlin”. At Harknes Memorial State Park in Goshen Cove. On the Most Likely lists was:  House Finch, Northern Mockingbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, American Herring Gull, American Crow. All were seen.

Activity 3: Maps and bar charts: find five birds that pass through my area.   /////  Bird 1: Ruddy Duck:  Bar Chart Late September through early May with good possible sightings in November and December.  Non-breeding Season.    Sounds Makes an insect like sound or call with lots of popping and crackling.     3 Markings: White cheeks; black cap that masks eye; brownish back and sides. If I am lucky to see one here when breeding season starts (Mar-Aug), I would look for a blue bill and reddish brown body in the male.   Behavior:  swims with its tail upraised.   Habitat: found in open water of ponds, lakes, and bays. Fresh water.  /////     Bird 2 Lincoln’s Sparrow:  Bar Chart: Migration during fall months late September through December.    Sounds: Song consists of chirps, trills with varying pitches.   3 Markings: Pencil thin stripes on buffy chest; White belly; Buffy Malors with fine streaks on white throat.   Behavior: Usually solitary, secretive.   Habitat: Usually in habitats that includes low cover of shrubs and thickets. Always near ground or near dense cover.    /////   Bird 3 Blue-headed Vireo   Bar Chart: May through November breeding season and migration.   Sounds Song is clear phrases of slurred notes that say ‘cheerio’ be-seein-u.   3 Markings: Dark gray face and cap with white throat; Spectacles or eyerings with white lores; 2 white wing bars on grayish-green wings; Yellow smudges on sides and flanks.    Behavior:  Solitary; Gleans insects from leaves.    Habitat: Found in mixed forests. In trees usually at mid to upper levels. /////  Bird 4 Tennessee Warbler   Bar Chart: May-June and September through November. Spring and Fall migration.   Sound: High chipping sounds that start out slowly then increase in speed.   3 Markings:  Crown and nape are grayish; Back and Wings Olive greenish-yellow; Thin dark-line through eye. Behavior: Hops while moving through foliage. Will eat fruit during migration.   Habitat: wooded habitats; Likes semi-open areas in 2nd growth forests.  /////  Bird 5 Swainson’s Thrush    Bar Chart May through June and September through November; Spring and Fall Migration.   Sounds: Flutelike; Chirps and notes that slur and roll. Clear.  3 Markings:  Buffy eyering; Upper breast buffy with clar large spots that fade and become smudgy on whitish lower chest and belly; From cap to tail all reddish-brown.     Buffy eyering; Upper breast buffy with clar large spots that fade and become smudgy on whitish lower chest and belly; From cap to tail all reddish-brown.    Behavior: Hops on ground and along branches while foraging. Forages mainly on the ground.  Likes fruiting trees and shrubs.  Habitat:  Uses a wide variety of habitats on migration. Likes dense undergrowth in wet areas.

References:  Merlin: Explore Birds;  Birds of the World; Guide to Sibley Birds 2nd edition.

Activity 1.  I went to a local conservation park that I had only just learned about from eBird, Kettle Pond Park in Middleton, Wisconsin.  It was afternoon and there was not much activity.  I walked around the pond and eventually spotted some large water birds on a slight mound in the pond.  There were 2 adults and 3 youngsters ( they seemed a little big to call chicks, but they still had down)  They were preening, stretching, and seemed larger than I expected for a duck.  It took a few minutes with binocs to see colors, brown, buff (or cream) and blue,  orange legs or feet, longish necks. No green neck,   After returning to my car I used Merlin to determine these were Mallards.  I am guessing female and non-breeding male (?) Later I saw a few swimming, but they seemed much smaller in the water.

Activity 1: I have a bird feeder in my balcony, and I see at least 8 species along the day: blue-gray tanager, palm tanager, scrub tanager, thick-billed euphonia, ruddy ground dove, saffron finch, red-crowned woodpecker, and great kiskadee.  I also have flower plants, and the rufous-tailed hummingbird comes for its nectar.  I love to see the birds come and go through the day.

Activity 2: Merlin shows a long list of likely birds in my neighbourhood.  I have been able to identify about 30 of them either in my balcony or during our daily walks in the neighborhood park.  I am still learning to identify the songs; I can do that to three of them.

My son and I watched the Cornell FeederCam in Ithaca, New York. We saw red-winged blackbirds, hairy woodpeckers, and male and female Northern Cardinals. The red-winged blackbirds and hairy woodpeckers are local to where we live out west but Northern Cardinals aren't so they were fun to see. The hairy woodpeckers we had to use Merlin to identify because they are so similar to downy woodpeckers. Their longer bill helped us identify them.

In the BirdCam I was able to see a Barred owl, located in Indianapolis IN, thats been waking in and out of a peaceful sleep. It doesn't make any noise,aside from the constant shifting in its nest. It blends in to some degree due to having a brown coat but the white spots  does make it stand out a bit more

According to Merlin my most likely bird to see in my area today is a Northern Cardinal. This doesn't surprise me as I can see several out my back window today. The males stand out beautifully in the snow while I have to look a bit closer to see their mates. 

Activity 1:

I feel that I am always bird watching in one way or another, as I am just happy to see or listen to birds. As I go birding, I have become better at identifying birds that I see as I travel with family, go on walks, or look at my yard. Since it is fall/winter migration time, I feel that on a good day I can see or hear almost 20 different bird species. I never get bored seeing them as I feel that I get to learn something new every time.

Very good

I have beehives by my house and have noticed for a long time that they attract birds, even in the winter, especially on mild days when the bees come outside for cleansing flights and carry out dead bees from the hive. The birds flit by so quickly I have to practice my binocular skills a lot more!
Today I saw tufted titmice, very common in my yard, also two lovely red cardinals, and I heard a white throated sparrow but was not quick enough to see it. Lording it over everything else, the local red tailed hawk made an appearance high up above the oak trees. And a flock of 20 wild turkeys visited our yard earlier this morning, no doubt foraging on the abundant acorns.
I plan to slow down and sit with a good view of the beehives and watch the bird action carefully during this winter. it will be a change from obsessing over the bees, my other hobby!

My favorite place to listen to birds is in our woods. Dawn or dusk is the best time to listen and watch. There, depending on whether I am close to a pond or more tall trees or clingy grass, I am intruding on bird conversations.  Turning on Merlin and pulling up my binocs, I listen.  The first to chatter are the Caroline Wren, Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, and the Yellow-Breasted Chat.  Soon the Pileated can be heard pounding one of the older trees in the forest. A Red-bellied woodpecker calls above me.  Of course, the Red-tail Hawks teaching their young to hunt scream above. Carolina wren will usually follow me as I climb over the fallen branches on the less traveled path.  If I sit quietly on one of the protruding rocks a flock of turkey or deer or bunnies will appear with Bobwhite close by answering each other. The Carolina Wren, Black-capped chickadee, Tufted Titmouse all chastise me for being in their forest. Soon the Cedar Waxwing, Robin, Cardinal, Red-Winged Blackbird, Summer Tanager, Mockingbird, Chipping Sparrow, and the Vireos (both the red-eyed and the white-eyed). The cacophony of sounds is amazing.  I love going down my path when the warblers arrive.  That's when my life list jumps. Depending on the number of birds decides the time frame. Sometimes I am in the woods for fifteen minutes and sometimes a couple of hours. My dogs usually nudge me to head back to home base where the Bluebird, Carolina Wren and Mocker greet me.  E-bird is a great tool to pinpoint the trails I've walked.

These lessons have helped me so much, in ways that will make my birding a hundred times better! Sitting and watching birds at my window is probably best since I have window bird feeders. I have had so many birds come to the window feeders such as Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jays, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, most Finches, Cowbirds, Chipping Sparrow, and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds.

Watching Birds is truly one of the most relaxing and fun activities.

(This is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker at my window suet feeder)

My husband and I have 2 bird feeders close to our back porch.  Yesterday, we quietly sat out on the porch watching the birds and listening for their calls.  No birds would come close to us for the first 15 minutes except for the Tufted Titmice.  Then they slowly started coming in closer.  We saw the following birds

• Carolina Chickadee--I noticed that this bird was smaller than the Black-capped Chickadee that we are used to seeing.


• Red-winged Blackbirds, both male and female.


• Northern Cardinals, both male and female


• Red-bellied Woodpeckers


• American Robin feeding on the ground under the Apple tree


• Bluejays in the trees


• Cowbirds

In addition to hearing some of these birds, Merlin told us that we also heard a Red-eyed Vireo.  I never even heard of this bird before this year.  Then we saw some brown birds who have been coming to our feeder who we have been trying to figure out what they are.  Looking at our Sibley's Field guide, we think the bird in front is a juvenile House Finch and the one in back is a female house finch.

I loved listening to loons on trips to Canada in the summer. I was surprised to find they can be found in Ohio during migration. Now I will use the provide apps to try and figure out when and where to see them. Perhaps they'll be listed on one of the rare bird alerts. My husband and I are very new to birding and really appreciate the information provided in this course. I was also amazed by the number of different ducks in my area. One very exciting sighting recently was a northern mockingbird. Did not realize they are in Ohio

It was a bright, sunny but breezy day & I went to a favorite spot by the ocean where I often see a variety of birds.  There seemed to be fewer than usual, but I did see a pair of Eider Ducks (a male & a female) one Cormorant, and one Song Sparrow. I also saw flying birds that I couldn't exactly identify except that I know some were gulls, some were ducks and there were 5 or 6 smaller birds that were some type of swallow.  They flew very fast & low, seeming to skim over the water, diving quickly and flying away.  There was also a small flock of shore birds that rose from the rocks, swooped & soared & returned to the rocks.  They were probably small sandpipers which have been seen there before. I also saw a Common Grackle which landed on some seaweed.