How Do I Become a Backyard Birder?
Remember, (The Great Haiku and Algebra Bird Feeder Contest!) ends at 11:59PM
EST on August 3rd, 2007. There's still time to enter, but Monika is starting to take a commanding lead!
Onward!
Nice photo above isn't it? But something's missing... More later...
When I was a kid (back in the '60s and '70s), I used to read Mechanix Illustrated... Oh, that was exciting stuff! Why, that magazine had articles describing how to build your own log cabin, your own airplane... It even had an article detailing how to build your own SCUBA tank! For a kid of 10, that was some kind of toe-twitching action! But those types of magazines/publications are pretty much gone now... There's still Mother Earth News, Instant Boats, and a few others of that ilk, but the days of cheap; "ok-or-better quality"; "do-it-yourself" stuff are pretty much over. Or are they???
Absolutely not! Here's how to become a legit "Backyard Birder" without breaking the bank. First things first... Scrap all ideas about backyard bird watching equating to $5,000 trips to Peru. (And yes, there are junkets out there that cost that kind of money.) Forget about that... Let's take this in steps...
And when all is said and done, what does the picture of the Monarda at the top of this post have to do with becoming a backyard birder? Simple... Whether you merely surrender a few stale bread crumbs to the birds, or blow $740 on the right digital camera (whatever that might be), you need to accept the fact that there will be days when all you get to see is a pretty flower. When you come to grips with that, you're well on your way to becoming a backyard birder.
See you by those sometimes lonely feeders,
CapeCodAlan
Onward!
Nice photo above isn't it? But something's missing... More later...
When I was a kid (back in the '60s and '70s), I used to read Mechanix Illustrated... Oh, that was exciting stuff! Why, that magazine had articles describing how to build your own log cabin, your own airplane... It even had an article detailing how to build your own SCUBA tank! For a kid of 10, that was some kind of toe-twitching action! But those types of magazines/publications are pretty much gone now... There's still Mother Earth News, Instant Boats, and a few others of that ilk, but the days of cheap; "ok-or-better quality"; "do-it-yourself" stuff are pretty much over. Or are they???
Absolutely not! Here's how to become a legit "Backyard Birder" without breaking the bank. First things first... Scrap all ideas about backyard bird watching equating to $5,000 trips to Peru. (And yes, there are junkets out there that cost that kind of money.) Forget about that... Let's take this in steps...
- Spend nothing. Whether you live in the country or live in the city, just take note of the birds. You can use the links to the sites below to identify those creatures. Very simple.
- Get slightly more involved in the pastime. You can pick up (or borrow) a used bird book. Old bread crumbs shared during your lunch hour will work as bird food. A pad of paper can be your birding journal.
- Get even more involved by hanging a feeder, (part 1 and part 2) and/or building a birdhouse (part 1 and part 2). You can also use your computer to act as your birding journal.
- Spend some money on feed, feeder(s), more books, binoculars, camera(s), etc. (If you buy a camera, it is well worth it to buy or make a tripod.)
- You could drive downtown and ask "Cam the Camera Man" what he thinks you should buy. And no doubt that old Cam will have just the model for you. (And it's on sale too!) Man, oh man, oh man... Did you take Cam to the cleaners or what?!? Uhhh... Not exactly. (Old Cam hasn't been in business for 27 years because he gives away top-shelf cameras.)
- Ok, time for a different tack. You could ask Cousin Frick... No that's a terrible idea.
- Maybe you should hit the magazine rack or the camera Web sites, and see what they suggest, except that those "objective" magazines and Web sites are loaded with advertisements.
If I'm going to buy a camera (or whatever), I go to a site like Amazon.com, and search the entire site for the word "camera". Next, I organize by category. After that I sort
by the best sellers. Now, as an example, I just went through that process and found the Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS 6MP with 12x Image Stabilized Zoom for $300 (410 customer
reviews and four and a half stars out of five), and the Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black) for $740 (226
customer reviews and four and a half stars out of five). What you want to look for is a best-selling camera with a lot of customer reviews and a high rating in your price
range. (And for heaven's sake, take the time to read some of the customer reviews both good and bad!) It will probably take a while, but that system will help you find
the best camera (or the best book, or the best crock pot, or the best whatever).
And when all is said and done, what does the picture of the Monarda at the top of this post have to do with becoming a backyard birder? Simple... Whether you merely surrender a few stale bread crumbs to the birds, or blow $740 on the right digital camera (whatever that might be), you need to accept the fact that there will be days when all you get to see is a pretty flower. When you come to grips with that, you're well on your way to becoming a backyard birder.
See you by those sometimes lonely feeders,
CapeCodAlan
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wikipedia
- Audubon Society
- U.S. Geological Survey
- MSN Encarta
- The National Audubon Society’s “The Sibley Guide to Birds”
- ”Birds Of North America” published by Golden
- ”Birds of New England” from Smithsonian Handbooks
- Chapman's "Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America"
- Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds"
- "Birdwatching" from publisher "Discovery Travel Adventures"