29 May 2009

Places to Find Birds For Birdwatching

People in Orchid, Florida use binoculars for b...Image via Wikipedia

By Todd Hammerstein

Catch bird watching fever, and you will become a birdwatcher for life. Your hobby will quickly become a lifestyle as you find yourself always searching for new bird viewing sites. Here is a little help for new birdwatchers on where to find good watching spots.

Whether you are in your neighborhood or traveling somewhere far from home you can find premium bird watching spots by following a few general rules. One thing to remember is that birds are fairly predictable. They show up in certain places at certain times just like clockwork. This gives you a little insight as to when and where you should choose to try and view birds.

As urban sprawl eats up wooded areas it is often difficult to find a place to bird watch, especially in the city. You may, however, find that there are city and neighborhood parks with enough woods to attract birds. These could be good spotting sites, as could the fringes of any wooded areas that still remain near your home.

If you live near the beach, you are probably already aware of a variety of beach and ocean birds that live near you. The best time to spot these birds is early in the morning, although herons and egrets may be spotted in bogs and marshes in the cool of the afternoon. Depending on where you live, including the climate and coastal habitat you may see sandpipers, plovers, and a variety of other shorebirds.

Marshes and flooded areas may make you think more of mosquitoes than birds. The truth is, mosquitoes make good food for birds, and these are usually good bird spotting areas. Where there are bugs you will find birds. Look for species such as bitterns, blackbirds, wrens, sparrows, flycatchers and warblers.

An extra tidbit to know is that non-migrating birds often live near man-made structures like dams. The flowing water seems to attract birds. The best way to begin spotting birds is to get outside and look. If you can't find any in the areas given here, find your own spot. You'll soon get a sense of where the birds are in your area.

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