Hi all!
Im a beginner when it comes to birding. I can ID some garden regulars and a few others but I'm wanting to get a bit more serious about it. So can anyone recommend some essential beginners gear?
I'm particularly looking for recs for a good guide book and binoculars. Nothing that will stretch the purse strings too far (me being a poor student here!) but are a good place to start while I build up my skills...
Thanks for any advice!
Hello Joss and welcome to the forum.A couple of books I'd recommend are the RSPB Handbook of British Birds, and the RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds. Both are very useful guides and the latter is especially useful for in the field.As for binoculars, there's a good chance you'll find a decent second-hand pair. As with any optical equipment, it's always best to try out a few until you find something you feel comfortable with.Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
Hello Joss and welcome from me also
Can't help with the binos but I am with Paul (Heron 77) on the RSPB Pocket Birds of Britain and Europe. Another, which is great but a bit heavier, is the Collins Complete Guide to British Wildlife. That, despite its title, also covers trees, lichens, mosses, fungi, wildflowers, animals, insects, fish, molluscs, etc. etc. as well as birds. I got it recently in Waterstones - £15.99 and it comes complete with a recyclable plastic wallet cover. So, although heavier, it would be lighter than carrying around separate books on each subject.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Another book recommendation I would make, and approaching the subject from a slightly different angle is 'Identifying Birds by Behaviour' by Dominic Couzens, you will not find any detailed pictures showing subtle plumage differences in this book, but an alternative approach to identifying birds is to look at what they are doing and how they behave, this can often be very useful at times. Sometimes you cannot get close enough to ID an individual or you will often come across a number of similar looking birds that behave in different ways, so this book is best used together with a more traditional field guide (an approach recommended by the author).
If you are not familiar with Dominic Couzens, it is well worth seeking out some of his books (they are often available in libraries) as he has written many interesting books about bird behaviour and migration, he has also written some excellent magazine articles on telling similar species apart.
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag" Mary Poppins
I just saw Birdwatching magazine this month- Dominic Couzens did an article on Mediterranean gull ID
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
Thanks everyone for all your tips, advice and links. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for any post-christmas offers and will hopefully be out in the field soon!
Hi Joss
Sorry this reply is a bit late but I am a relative newcomer to the forum and I'm browsing some of the old posts.
I am currently using the RSPB Handbook of British Birds that came with the membership, however I found it to be a little too big so I bought the RSPB Pocket Birds of Britain and Europe which goes everywhere with me (both excellent).
I still keep referring back to my old faithful Hamlyn Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe - "new revised edition published 1978 and reprinted 1980" price £2.95! I bought it in Liverpool in 1981 and it has travelled around the world with me ever since - needless to say it is a bit dog-eared now!
Regards, Albert.
"I was born under a wanderin' star......"