How I did it: I decided to adopt this goal to challenge myself to go out and find new birds to identify and learn about and to provide me a systematic way of organizing the things I learned. I've always been interested in wildlife but didn't start pursuing birdwatching very seriously until earlier this year when I started running. This place where I run, the Sepulveda Basin, near where I live, is an open space area alongside restored sections of the Los Angeles River that is home to dozens of species of migratory birds. As I ran, I began to notice a variety of birds that I hadn't seen before and realized I had no idea what they were. That's where my interest began, and I ended up combining it with my amateur interest in photography.
It's one thing to spot birds sporatically while running, but what I really had to do to see more birds was to learn to be patient and sharpen my observation skills. When you stop a while at a particular place and take the time to listen and look around, you really do notice things that your mind shuts out while quickly passing through. I've learned to be more attuned to the small things in the surrounding environment, and a couple of people have even expressed surprise at my ability to spot birds or to recognize them by their calls alone. Most birds are pretty shy, so it takes effort and concentration to find them and sometimes a willingness to stay quiet in one spot for a little while. There was one time I noticed my shoes were too loud, so I took them off and walked barefoot very slowly in the mud to get a decent view and photographs of a killdeer.
Although one of the things I wanted to do with this goal was to learn to improve the quality of the photos I take, the primary purpose of the photos was to assist me in the identification process. The photos help because most of the time I only get fleeting glances of the birds I encounter, and I've found that I don't take good enough notes in the field and my memory isn't accurate enough if it's my first time seeing a specific type of bird. However, the more birds I learn the less I need to rely on photographs.
If I want to be more serious about getting very high quality shots of birds, I really need to upgrade my equipment. For one, I don't have an SLR and sophisticated telephoto lenses. To shoot the photos used in the entries under this goal, I used two "bridge" cameras (these are higher end point and shoot cameras that have some functionality of an SLR like, for example, a lot of optical zoom or allowing some element of manual control). Most of the photos were shot with a 4 year old Canon Powershot S2 IS with 12X optical zoom and a 5 megapixel sensor. When I was able to get very close to the birds, I used the Canon Powershot G9 with 6X optimal zoom and a 12 megapixel sensor. These cameras were able to get me shots adequate to help me in the identification process but were able to produce relatively few that I feel are good enough to print out and hang on the wall. The problem is that most birds won't let people get all that close to them before flying away. Powerful telephoto lenses are essential in getting very high quality shots from a distance. I'm considering if or when to make this investment.
Anyway, in the entires under this goal, I make an effort to identify not just the physical characteristics of the birds I saw but also where and when they can be found, the type of habitats they prefer, what they eat, and other behaviorial characteristics. This is helpful because understanding these things can help to distinguish among similar appearing species. Just to give some examples, I know I won't find acorn woodpeckers unless there are oak trees around. Small birds with short thick beaks (like sparrows and finches) tend to eat mostly seeds, and small birds with longer, thinner bills (like black phoebes and ruby-crowned kinglets) tend to eat mostly insects.
I have really enjoyed doing this goal and will continue it. In general, I just find that I'm happier overall now that I have a hobby that I've been sticking with consistently.
Lessons & tips: To get started, obtain a good field guide for the region where you plan to go birding and become familiar with the various different species you are likely to see. Find out if there's a local Audubon Society chapter or other association of birders in your area as they can help you get started in learning about the best places to go and in general what to do. Bring a pair of binoculars along with some patience and curiosity and just enjoy what's around you. Also, a camera with a decent amount of optical zoom is necessary for good photographs.
Resources: These are the sources for the information I quoted in my entries unless otherwise noted.
1) The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America (ISBN-13: 978-0679451211)
The Sibley guide seems to be the one most widely used by birders in North America. It's comprehensive, covering over 700 species with illustrations showing the variations between the sexes and between juvenile and adult, yet compact enough to carry along in the field.
2) Birds of the Los Angeles Region (ISBN-13: 978-0964081055)
This covers birds specific to the Los Angeles area, and I like that it includes photographs rather than illustrations (although both are nice to see as there are pluses and minus to either).
3) www.allaboutbirds.org
This site is run by Cornell University's orinthology lab and includes comprehensive information of just about any North American species of bird. I like this site because it includes audio recordings of many of the bird calls .
4) www.birdforum.net
I particularly find the Bird Identification Q&A forum helpful for getting ID tips from other knowledgeable birders.
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Nov 25, 2009, 06:11PM PST
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