Bird Watching - What To Take With You

Bird watching is among the most popular pastimes in the United States and Europe. People who enjoy bird watching come from a wide range of backgrounds and bird watching knowledge; from the occasional park goers who feed pigeons, to conservationists who watch, photograph, and catalogue an assortment of avian varieties.

If you take bird watching seriously and are proposing to adopt it as a full time hobby, there are a number of items which you'll need to take with you on your bird watching jaunts. Dependent on your own likes and dislikes and your reasons for taking up bird watching, you may not neccesarily need all of the equipment presented here; however, it never hurts to be prepared.

Binoculars - any good place of binoculars will do for bird watching, though if you're planning to view nocturnal birds, be sure that the pair you get has night vision capability. Since you'll be mostly outdoors , get a robust pair that won't break if you happen to drop them and that can withstand likely weather conditions.

Bird Field Guide - if you're packing a palmtop, download a bird field guide, or buy a small pocket guide at a book shop. With a good guide, you'll be able to identify the species of bird that you're watching, as well as finding out useful information like its feeding habits and behaviour patterns. The best guides also have tips on popular parks and reserves you can visit.

Digital Camera - digital cameras are silent as unlike classic shutter-types, which make them useful for bird watching. Birds are exceedingly sensitive to sounds, i in the countryside, so a digital camera won't scare them. Make certain that you choose a camera that has high resolution and a high frame capture rate, in case you manage to get a shot of a bird in flight. A good zoom magnification is another requirement for a digital camera , as you'll most likely be viewing birds from a long distance away.

Notebook and Pen - keeping a diary allows you to keep track of what kinds of birds you've seen, when, where, and under what conditions. As well as being a personal record , this can actually be particularly useful if you encounter a rare breed of bird, or even one that is on an endangered species list so that you can report its presence and location to your local wildlife preserve.

Clothing - be suitably attired. If it's summer, take a shady hat, sunglasses and don't forget sun cream. In winter, waterproof clothing can save you a great deal of discomfort.

General Outdoor Equipment - this isn't for the casual bird watcher. For those who plan to actually take trips out into the countryside however, pack a tent, sleeping bag, rations of food and water and other camping essentials. Include safety and survivial gear like first aid kits and emergency flares. If you're just going for a day out, don't forget the food and water and some means of communication in case of emergency.

If you have the right equipment for your level of interest in bird watching, then the experience will be that much more enjoyable.