What to Take on Your Bird Watching Adventure
Bird watching is an exciting adventure. After all, you do not know exactly what lies ahead, what species you might encounter. Identifying the species you see or hear during a trip can also be challenging, especially to novice bird watchers. To maximize the fun and learning experience, be prepared.
A pair of binoculars is an essential tool when bird watching. A lot of birds have colors that easily blend with the surrounding foliage or many species are so small that you can’t easily see them unless they are located close or are magnified by your binoculars.
You can also bring a field guide. However, familiarize yourself with the book or booklet before you go bird watching else you’ll be doing more book reading than bird watching. The field guide will help you identify the species that you see. This is especially useful to distinguish species that might look closely alike but differ in certain aspects.
A camera, especially one attached to your binoculars, is always a piece of good equipment to bring along. You’ll be able to take photos of the birds and identify them at home. That way, you’ll have more time to look for other species. A better option is a video camera with extra memory cards so you won’t miss the action.
Some birdwatchers also bring along audio recording equipment to help them identify both the species that they see and the ones that they missed but heard calling/singing.
It is also possible to bring a portable media player. Also, to easily store data or upload them to the internet, some bird watchers also prefer bringing laptops or mobile phones with internet browsing capabilities.
