I've only been bird watching a few weeks, mainly in the East Kent area e.g. Grove Ferry. Reculver, Pegwell etc. Thoroughly enjoying it but wondered if any more experienced birders have got any top tips for a beginner e.g. dos and don'ts of birdwatching.
Thanks
Selhurst
Hi Shelhurst
Welcome to the fourms
Im kinda new to birding too only started again a few weeks ago after a long layoff.
as long as you have a good pair of Bins and a notebook and pen yer sorted.
What i have in my bag is my Bins, Scope tripod, small camera and my Bird book. Oh aye along with my coffee flask lol.
Walk slow and always look up and around you . Your ears will start to tune into the bird songs.
Hope thats a bit of a help
Cheers
AL
If its no fun Yer no doin it right!
Hello Selhurst,
Welcome to birding. I envy you in the fact that you have a lifetime of wows, oh my gods, and sheer, dumbstruck awe all to come! You're in a fantastic area for birding, with so many good sites. ENJOY! This should help: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/watchingbirds/. By the way, after more than 35 years, I still have plenty of the above!
All the best.
mickycoop
It's the unpredictability that makes it such a pleasure. That and the fact that if I see anything more exotic or unusual than a chaffinch I have to spend a few frantic minutes searching through my bird book for clues and help.
What's (ideally) the best time of day to go birding, or does it not really matter that much?
Thanks for the advice.
It all depends what you're after. Different birds are active at different times. Generally speaking, dawn/early morning can provide the best results, as, at this time of year, many species are singing, and there are less people about to cause disturbance. One of my particular passions (albeit for only a few days a year) is watching Nightjars on the Suffolk Heathland. This requires being out at dusk and after dark, so care needs to be taken. But really, depending on the venue/habitat/species, any time of day can be great, and you can stumble upon something good when you weren't even looking for it. Once you get into it, you'll find yourself birding all the time (i.e: you'll be aware of the birds around you whenever and wherever you are.).
Have some links:
http://www.birdguides.com/home/default.asp?menu=menu_home (Check out Birdmap)
http://www.fatbirder.com/
http://www.bto.org/
http://www.kentos.org.uk/
http://www.surfbirds.com/
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/
Join a local group, they'll help you a lot. Yyou can investigate RSPB groups here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/localgroups/find.asp
We belong to the Guildford group - there are afternoon and evening indoor meetings from September until April, and field meetings all the year round, as well as coach trips and longer breaks away.
Thanks Micky, that's really helpful. I already use the KOS site - it's really good. I'll have a trawl through the others. Thanks again.
Good idea Elibee. There's a couple in East Kent which I can look into. Thanks very much.
Pleasure.
Welcome to a great hobby, i started only 2 years ago after an accident and best thing i ever did. Not just the birds but the animals too, so keep your ears pricked and your eyes focused and enjoy nature at it's best.
Peter
Selhurst said: I've only been bird watching a few weeks, mainly in the East Kent area e.g. Grove Ferry. Reculver, Pegwell etc. Thoroughly enjoying it but wondered if any more experienced birders have got any top tips for a beginner e.g. dos and don'ts of birdwatching. Thanks Selhurst
HI,
need I point out my 'Birding tips' in the gear forum here :) ??
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box