How to Find, Feed and Identify Beautiful Birds
What is also true for all types of bird-lovers is that the more one watches birds, the more fascinated one becomes and the more one wants to see birds, wants to see new birds, more birds and to get better views of birds. Birdwatching is a hobby that can really grow into an obsession.
This lens contains information on how to find, feed and identify more birds.
For those interested in bird behaviour and ecology, the BBC series "The Life of Birds" is highly recommended.
How to be a Good Birdwatcher
This lens gives some very specific tips on how to improve your birdwatching skills and how to contribute to ornithology and conservation.-
How to be a Good Birdwatcher - 16 Tips.
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I have been birdwatching for nearly 30 years now and have been a "professional" birder for almost 2 years and whilst I would not claim to be the perfect birdwatcher I hope that in this lens I can pass on a few tips and tricks that I have le...
Birdwatching Products
The Basic Tools for Birdwatching
1. Binoculars: Whilst birds can be seen and enjoyed with the naked eye, particularly in backgardens, a pair of binoculars is the least one will require for birdwatching.2. Bird Identification Guide: Less essential than binoculars, but at a very early stage most people want to know what it is that they are looking at.
Binoculars
An essential tool for birdwatchers
A Great Value-for-money Pair of Binoculars For Beginners
This is a great pair of binoculars for beginners. With a wide field of view and 8x magnification, locating birds through these binoculars is relatively easy. The lens quality is good and overall these are a good value for money pair of binoculars for beginners and even a very serviceable spare pair for experienced birders.
Finding Birds
Lets take a brief look at them:
1. Watching birds in the backyard.
This is easy and can be cheap, although if you get involved in lots of bird feeding the cost can get quite high.
2. Going for a walk in your local area and looking out for birds.
This is available to anyone and costs vitually nothing, although if you live in an urban area with no open spaces, birdwatching opportunities can be few.
3. Travelling to local wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves to see concentrations of birds. This is an activity that many people quickly progress to when they first take an interest in birds. Local wildlife and nature reserves are usually pockets of high-quality habitat and are specially managed for wildlife, meaning that a high number of species and individual birds is quite likely. Many birds in these reserves are ones that are very unlikely to come into your back yard.
Travelling further afield to see national specialities. This requires a larger financial commitment and gives birdwatchers the chance to see species which are restricted to certain areas and habitats. Once you start doing this you know that you are hooked - you are a birdwatcher!
5. Racing around the country to see national rarities; this is "twitching".
6. Travelling overseas to see exotic birds.
7. Hiring a bird guide to show you birds.
Birdwatching in the Garden
Probably the best thing about watching birds in the garden is that they are your birds; you can take a special pride in the fact that of all the places these birds could go, they have chosen your garden to feed in or make their nest in.Another great thing about garden birdwatching is that anyone can do it and it is a great way to share your love of birds with those that you live with.
Although many hard-core birdwatchers sneer at garden (or armchair) birders, this is a really excellent way of getting close up to birds and observing their behaviour and other characteristics - great for really getting to know a bird. Use your garden birding time to leanr how certain species move, what exactly they like to eat or how bold/shy each species is. Before you know it you will be an archair ornithologist rather than just a simple birdwatcher!
Here are a couple of lenses that demonstrate the passion that people can have for their garden birds:
My Olive-backed Sunbirds in Bangkok
Our Nesting Blackbirds
Birds of the Garden Poster
Bird Feeders
Alabama Crimson Tide Bird Feeder
Amazon Price: (as of 12/09/2009) 
12" Cardinal Tube Feeder Verdigris [Kitchen]
Amazon Price: $49.00 (as of 12/09/2009)
Birdscapes® 325 Panorama Feeder, 4.5 lb capacity
Amazon Price: $18.55 (as of 12/09/2009)
Bird Feeding Lenses
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Backyard Bird Feeders Types - Best Picks Bird Watchers
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Styles and types of backyard bird feeders to invite songbirds to your garden. Attracting songbirds to your garden or backyard habitat is as easy as setting up wild bird feeding stations and providing them with the foods different species prefer. This...
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Attracting Feeding Hummingbirds Garden Bird Feeders
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Birds, hummingbirds, animals and critter friends in your garden. Attracting hummingbirds to your backyard garden. Hummer feeder, cleaning, nectar recipe, plants for attracting hummingbirds and species may you see. About feeding, creating a habitat an...
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Finch Feeders
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"Backyard Birding" is a great American pastime. If you can create a safe, dependable environment for wild birds to feed and enjoy, you'll be able to attract a whole slew of species that you can spend countless hours identifying and watching. A safe,...
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Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders - Backyard Wildlife
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stop squirrels from hogging and raiding feeders! tired of squirrels eating all of your wild bird seed? They raid bird feeders and chew up parts., making it necessary to replace parts or expensive feeders, Squirrels also keep the birds away from feedi...
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Edible Bird Feeders
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Feeding the birds is a wonderful thing to do and there are many fun Unique Feeders out there to help. So I have put this page together to feature some very cool unique feeders that will not only compliment your yard, but feed the birds as well. It's...
Thanks for Visiting
Please feel free to leave any comments you may have here.
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- dustytoes dustytoes Jun 7, 2009 @ 5:43 am
- Thanks for visiting my lens about making suet, and for the lensrolls. You have so many bird lenses, I'm trying to get to them all!
by nickupton
Having been a birdologist since the age of seven I am something of an ornithological recluse. However, I managed to gain adulthood, if only physic... (more)
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