Jul 26th, 2008 | Birds | Comments Off
This is what you normally ask yourself or your partner when you see an odd bird perched around in one of those trees.
It is fascinating to see birds around you chirping and enjoying the bounties of nature or even the city life. What is even more fascinating though is when you see a bird you have not seen before.
Have you ever seen a bird that seems different from the rest? Normally we give these unknown birds a name - odd birds. These odd birds are either an un-named breed by the taxonomists or a foreigner to a certain area.
Bird watching is one of the most calming and peaceful hobbies available. Just sit down in a good spot and have your kit in hand. For the novice, you might want to consider taking along a good picture book of the common birds in your area so you will not tag a named bird as odd.
If you suspect that the bird you saw is odd, take a picture of it and research. Look for it in books and bird websites. It just may be that the bird is just visiting your area but is not really going to stay there for long.
If you still have difficulty in looking for that specific bird share the picture to an ornithologist or someone more knowledgeable in that field. It will be a great contribution to science if this bird is still un-named and you found that bird and were able to take note of it.
Another help you can add is if the bird is used as a bio-indicator and might lead scientists to know if there is something new or different in the environment. An example of this are some shrike species that indicate presence of pollution. So share your knowledge and learn from it too.
Remember to note where you saw it, the sound of chirps that you heard, the colors, the form of the beak, the feet, feathers, wing span (approximately), length, tail, and its characteristics (like if its moves around from branch to branch or if its very noisy).
No matter how odd or different looking the bird you saw is, just be glad it showed itself to you. Settle down and don’t be too excited because you might scare this odd bird away and you may not be able to finish looking at its features.
Enjoy bird watching and be one with nature.
Feb 29th, 2008 | Birds | Comments Off
Bird watching is a simple, fun, and relaxing hobby. Any urban backyard, with a little attention to detail, can become a nesting ground for birds. If you want to provide a cozy little haven where birds will come to feed, pass though, and eventually live, here are a few things to do:
First, having a garden is a huge help. Birds and butterflies will gravitate towards a natural setting. An over abundance of steel and concrete lawn strikes most animals as a hostile environment because of the lack of food, water and shelter. Lacking the space for trees, at least heavy shrubs and/or ferns, will make birds feel much more secure and at home.
With foliage in place, your next step is to ensure that birds will come to your back yard. Animal needs are simple - food, water, and shelter. Addressing the first two needs is important; birds will not consider nesting in a place where these are scarce. Set up feeders in your backyard. These don’t have to be elaborate - something as simple as a row of plastic cups filled with birdseed will do. If you want to keep the setting as natural looking as possible, you can opt to use wooden troughs or can carve grooves and hollows in a tree.
You can also opt to grow plants in your garden that naturally grow seeds and berries that supplement the feeders. Look into growing a variety of plants which provide food no matter what the season, or grow groups of plants that bloom in different seasons so that your little guests have food all year round.
Water is the next consideration. You don’t need to have an expensive birdbath or fountain. Shallow pools of water will do. Try dishes or trays, if you want to keep things simple. Remember to place perches so the birds can use them as they drink. Or, if you want to follow a natural looking theme, dig a small pool in the center of your garden. Make it shallow, no more than 1 to 2 feet deep. If the pool is fairly wide, add small rock outcroppings in the center of the pool where birds can land.
Lastly, birds that become comfortable with your territory will build nests there. Shelter for birds in a natural setting is provided by thick, dense foliage; so if you’ve got a garden, cultivate it to grow. Heavy brushes and trees with thick leaf coverage will attract birds the most, as they will equate the cover with both camouflage and protection for their young from predators. If your garden can’t support this, there’s the classic approach of building your own little birdhouses.