Bird Watching Tips

Break away from corporate life and treat the nature lover in you by spending your weekend amidst beautiful scenery, bird watching, and indulging yourself in the natural beauty around you.

SriCity Nature Society is organising a BirdCount Program for anyone who is interested in preservation and conservation of nature in and around SriCity.

Imagine a beautiful location with lush green fields, distant mountains, chirping birds and a large lake.

Bird Watching Tips

• Bird Watching is best done without rushing. Take some time out by walking around slowly and you might be lucky to see the skulking and quiet ones too… 
• Relax in the nature around you and listen for birds chirping. These are as valuable as images taken, never ignore unfamiliar sounds too. 
• Birds that you know and have already seen before are easy to record. Pay attention and look carefully for the not so obvious species. 
• Bird calls are mostly how you find the rarest of the rare. Crested Shrike are often found by the sound of their stout beaks trying to break into tree barks. Whereas a subtle sound of dropping seeds on the ground indicate parrots feeding quietly on treetops. Hence listening is the most important part in Bird Watching. 
• There is a difference between camping and bird watching. That is Silence. The birds do not get disturbed when you are quiet. Never shout, but that does not mean you got to whisper. Talk normally. Because whispers might sometimes sound like sounds of many other species indicating aggression or alarm. 
• Wear camouflage colors or pastels and avoid clothes that shine and rustle. 
• The best time to do bird watching is early morning as they are most active then. On windy days it’s difficult to hear the calling and hence it better to choose a clear and bright day. Also watching for birds near traffic is not useful as it’s difficult to hear above the din. 
• During summer the birds are not very active and difficult to spot so it’s best to do bird watching early in the morning or late in the afternoon as its cooler then and birds come out to play. 
• Many small groups are better than one large group as sight of many people together can scare the birds away. 
• It’s easy to spot more birds in open areas such as fields rather than wooded forests. However rare species can be easily missed in open habitats, so take your time in whichever area you choose. 

Some safety Tips

Birdwatching is a safe and delightful pastime, still its better to keep a few things in your mind while you are out birdwatching. We want to make sure that all of the community have an enjoyable and, most importantly, safe bird watching experience. Please take the following precautions next time you set out to conduct any surveys.

• Respect private property; always seek permission before entering private property. 
• When on private property, make sure you leave gates as you found them, and do not disturb stock. Do not camp, light fires or go fishing when on private property without the EXPRESS permission of the land-owner. 
• Make sure your vehicle is in good working order. 
• When birdwatching in wooded areas it is easy to underestimate the distance between sites, so please make sure that you have ample fuel for your return journey. 
• When surveying sites near roads, make sure you park well off the road, so that traffic is not disrupted.  
• Make sure your vehicle is visible to other traffic when it is parked. Also make sure it is not parked across a front gate or other access point. 
• When surveying sites along roadsides, walk along the boundary of the paddock, rather than along the edge of a busy road. 
• Let someone reliable know where you are going and when you expect to return. 
• Carry appropriate maps with you and where possible a GPS unit as well. 
• Do not wander too far from your car. It is easy to become disorientated in relatively featureless landscapes. 
• Always carry plenty of water with you, especially during warm times of the year. 
• Take precautions against the heat and sun by conducting your surveys in the morning or late afternoon, wearing a hat and sunscreen. 
• Do not survey during day when it is too hot (when birds are generally inactive and often more difficult to detect). 
• Be mindful of snakes and carry a fully-equipped first aid kit. 
• Always wear sturdy boots or shoes. 

How to go birdwatching in an open forest

• Look around the ground for any birds.
• Check out the shrubs in the undergrowth.
• Check out the trunks of the larger trees, and the lower branches.
• Check around Bunch of trees.
• If there are any clearings, check the airspace above for aerial species like swallows or swifts.

How to go birdwatching in a wetland.

• Look at the nearest edges for any birds.
• Check out the marginal vegetation
• Check areas of open water.
• Look at the far banks.
• Check the tops of trees for roosting or nesting water birds.

How to go birdwatching on a beach

• Look the water’s edge for any birds; also check exposed rock formations if present.
• Check out the beach for dunes and marginal vegetation.
• Check areas of open beach, including among clumps of beach seaweed.