Birding 'Fieldcraft'

[Goatboy]

As anyone who has seen my posts realises, I'm a noob to this birdwatching lark, only took it up seriously last spring in fact.

One common occurrence in my limited experience is as follows. After a day of slogging around a bird reserve, I am confronted by an experienced twitcher asking me if I saw the "Lesser Spotted this" and the "Great Northern that". I look nervously to the floor in the knowledge that the most exciting thing that I've seen is a Shoveler (no offence to any Shovelers out there)

I know it takes years out there in the field to see every species and luck on the day also plays its part, but some decent knowledge must be crucial.

Are there any books out there that give advice on how I can find the Bitterns rather than the Mallards?

[paulchandler6]

There are books around to tell you “where to watch birds”. However it takes time and patience and a bit of luck. Also visiting the right habitats at the right time of year.
For a Bittern you will usually need an extensive reed bed habitat but have also seen one on the banks of the Thames in winter and on an island in the middle of a lake at Blenheim Palace. very few reeds in sight.

Paul

[ChrisJB]

Yes luck does play a big part, but patience comes in very handy as well. Though I appreciate when it's cold and wet, that particular attribute is often tested to the limit.

When you're new it's always tricky. Just keep working on your I.Ds, songs and calls, etc, and keep getting out there and everything will fall into place. Also, ask other birdwatchers. Most of them are friendly and approachable and only too willing to help other birders.

Regards, Chris

[GuyF]

What area do you live in? If you look on the internet you might find that your local bird club has a website, and these often have sightings on. It's a good way of discovering new birding sites, and finding out where there are interesting birds around, I only discovered mine fairly recently but it's helped me see some amazing birds.
Guy

[Ollie]

As others have said luck plays a part being in the right place at the right time. Knowing what habitats and what time of year different species of birds are likely to be found in any particular habitat helps enormously as does knowing the calls and songs of the different species.

Get out and about as often as you can, there is no substitute for experience. Try to make friends with some more experienced birders than yourself and join your local wildlife club or bird organisation to meet like minded people who are usually willing to share their knowledge.

Enjoy your birding and don't worry that you haven't seen as many species as so and so, it takes many years of experience to become what I would term a good birder. I've been a bird watcher near on thirty years and there are still many species I haven't seen.
Roger

[Goatboy]

Thanks for the advice. I guess there are no short cuts to experience and patience. I just wondered if there were any birding secrets that would way the odds a little more in my favour.

The local bird club idea is a good one, I'll look into that. I live in North Staffs and tend to travel to the North West coast for my days out. I could do with some guidance on nearer spots so a local club could be ideal.

[MagpieMick]

Hello Goatboy,

Try these
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
BirdForum - The Net's Largest Birding Community, Dedicated To Wild Birds
www.birdguides.com
Surfbirds The World Birding Website

The most important things enjoy yourself and the wildlife..!!

Mick..

[Ferret]

The best advice I was ever given was to use my ears as well as my eyes.
I have been interested, with varying levels of commitment, in birds for forty odd years and much like you never seemed to see as many birds as some other birders. Then two years ago I met and became friends with a local birder and RSPB warden, the first thing I noticed when out birding with him was that he picked up a lot of birds by there call first and congratulated him on his knowledge of bird calls, he then gave me what I consider to be the best piece of fieldcraft I have ever been given he said “I don’t necessarily know the call, I just know it is different from the commoner calls that I do recognise”
By using this method we may scanning a flock of waders when he will suddenly call out that a “Rock Pipit has just flown over behind us” or “what’s that calling from that bush” or “I heard an odd call from that flock of finches over there, lets have a closer look at them”, by this method I am often looking at species we would never have seen, or we will arrive at a wood in spring and within five minutes without raising his binoculars he has put the rest of us onto ten or fifteen species.
I have over the last couple of years with the aid of CD’s and even better by checking every call in the field, with my friends help, I have got to the stage where most of the common bird calls are familiar to me and I can filter them out of the background noise and pick up the unusual calls, its hard work when you first start but very soon brings pleasing and sometimes, just once in a while exciting results. Try it and see how you get on, it sure worked for my, and you are always improving and learning new calls.

[sometimes]

I'd support anyone who suggests learning the calls of birds, even if it's only the most common ones. Not only will it put you onto birds quicker but you start to spend time on the ones you don't know, ie, you've not heard the call.

Get your favourite book and page through it again and again, get to know where the types of birds are in the book. Start to identify birds by characters of build - a finch or a warbler, stuff like that.

For fieldcraft my tips would be
My biggest tip would be to get out there on your own (if you don't) and work at your own pace.
My second tip would be to walk a bit and stop a bit longer, walk a bit and stop again. I've seen birders who - well you'd think they have a train to catch.

[coasty]

One common occurrence in my limited experience is as follows. After a day of slogging around a bird reserve, I am confronted by an experienced twitcher asking me if I saw the "Lesser Spotted this" and the "Great Northern that". I look nervously to the floor in the knowledge that the most exciting thing that I've seen is a Shoveler (no offence to any Shovelers out there

Ive been a fairly keen birdwatcher for a long time. I think that the above posts offer some excellent advice especially about finding your local group and their website.

As regards comments as above regarding twitchers. In my view they are the worst kind of box ticker imaginable and will have probably ignored many interesting species of bird present that most of us, myself included love to see. Also many love to wind up more inexpeienced birders,

Learn the common bird calls , Make sure you carry a decent field guide and your knowledge and success will improve,

The advice above to walk a bit and stay still a lot is dead on. and teach yourself to really study groups of birds. It is really easy when scanning a group of finches or waders to miss the vagrant hidden in among them

Good luck.....

Andy

[Susie]

I am still a noob too but the little I have learned I have got from latching on to very experienced birdwatchers and going out with them. With their help I not only learned the calls of some birds but also the habits which helps me differentiate between birds that might look similar to a novice through binoculars, i.e. Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethoats only really look slightly different because one is more rufous than the other but not only do they have different calls but different habits.

I think it also helps to get to know your local patch and then when something different comes along it will stand out to you.

Finally, as said before, you can't beat finding a quiet spot and just sitting down and watching. An awful lot of little birds will shut up when someone with big boots traipses past but will come out again when they think the coast is clear.

It probably wouldn't mean much to a twitcher, but you can't beat the shere joy of watching goldfinches playing just feet away from you or a kingfisher sitting on its perch seemingly oblivious to your presence.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Susie

I am still a noob too but the little I have learned I have got from latching on to very experienced birdwatchers and going out with them. With their help I not only learned the calls of some birds but also the habits which helps me differentiate between birds that might look similar to a novice through binoculars, i.e. Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethoats only really look slightly different because one is more rufous than the other but not only do they have different calls but different habits.

I think it also helps to get to know your local patch and then when something different comes along it will stand out to you.

Finally, as said before, you can't beat finding a quiet spot and just sitting down and watching. An awful lot of little birds will shut up when someone with big boots traipses past but will come out again when they think the coast is clear.

It probably wouldn't mean much to a twitcher, but you can't beat the shere joy of watching goldfinches playing just feet away from you or a kingfisher sitting on its perch seemingly oblivious to your presence.

Absolutely Suzie.
You'll find rarer birds such as the Bittern, as and when, but please NEVER be embarrassed to marvel at such things as Shoveler ducks or any of the more common species. I still do - and I still learn from time spent watching the more common birds. Always will!
Cheers
Doug

[Goatboy]

Thanks again for all the help. There is certainly a lot to get me started.

I totally agree about the twitcher thing. Its always nice to see something new but I'm getting a big kick from just being out in the countryside.

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Ferret

“I don’t necessarily know the call, I just know it is different from the commoner calls that I do recognise”
.

Well said Ferret, I agree with this wholeheartedly. Learn the common stuff and if you hear something unusual to you, then it just might be an unusual bird full stop.

This strategy has been a great aid to me over the years.

Regards, Chris