In this episode, renowned birding experts Don and Lillian Stokes offer suggestions for what to take along on bird-watching trip and tips on bird photography. They also take an excursion to Sanibel Island, Florida and the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Field Essentials As with any outdoor adventure, if you're planning to set off on a bird-watching expedition, there are a few essential items you'll want to take along. Remember that you may be spending an entire day in a remote location, so you'll want to be prepared. Here are some suggestions for gear you might take along.
- Sunscreen is recommended anytime you'll be spending a lot of time in the outdoors. It helps protect your skin from painful sunburn and damaging ultraviolet rays (figure A).
- Insect repellent is also recommended for protection against mosquitoes and other biting or nuisance insects.
- Fire-ant bite remedy is a good idea if you're going to be in any of the regions where fire ants are native (figure B). Their bite can be painful and cause itching, and the remedy will help reduce the symptoms.
- A field guide to birds is perhaps the bird watcher's most useful tool. These comprehensive guidebooks provide information on bird species, including their appearance, behaviors, feeding habits, habitat ranges, gender differences, scientific names, etc. They are usually illustrated with color photographs or diagrams that can help you identify virtually any bird you observe in the wild. Some focus on birds within a specific region, such as the eastern region of the US, coastal regions or particular states.
- Binoculars are one of the most valuable tools for enhancing your bird-watching experience. Binoculars (figure C) will help you to get a close look at a subject that tends to be elusive and hard to approach. They come in a range of sizes, styles and levels of quality. Binoculars well suited for bird-watching generally start in a price around $200, and may range upward of $1000. It's best for each bird-watcher to have his or her own pair of binoculars.
- Lens pens are handy and useful tools for cleaning the optical elements of scopes and binoculars (figure D).
- To record your birding adventure, and take home images of the birds you encounter, consider taking a good 35mm or digital camera, or a video camera (figure E). In either case a telephoto or zoom lens or adapter will greatly enhance your picture-taking ability.
- Be sure to bring lots of film and some spare batteries. Keep film dry in your pack or bag by placing it in a zip-lock container (figure F).
- A fanny pack (figure G) or small back-pack will be handy for carrying and organizing small items. This is particularly helpful if you'll be taking photos and carrying photo accessories.
- Be sure to take along bottled water and snacks such as fruit or power bars.
- You can store all of your field essentials in a plastic bin (figure H) to keep it all together in your vehicle, and to protect the contents from moisture or dust.
- To make the trip to your birding location more enjoyable, and to help you with bird identification, consider taking bird-call tapes or CDs to listen to on your car stereo (figure I).
- Some bird sanctuaries and wildlife parks offer checklists of birds or wildlife you might expect to see in the wildlife areas. These can sometimes be obtained from the visitor center.
- Consider keeping a journal of the birds you see in the wild, including lists, descriptions and sketches (figure J).
- For advanced bird-watching and bird photography, you'll also need your scopes, camera tripods and telephoto lenses (figure K). These can be protected in your vehicle by laying them on foam egg-crate padding.
RESOURCES :
National Audubon Society
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 979-3000
Fax: (212) 979-3188
Web site: www.audubon.org
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region
Model: 157042588
Author: Kevin Colver, Donald Stokes, Lillian Q. Stokes
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds
Model: 0316816965
Author: Donald Stokes, Thomas Young, Lillian Q. Stokes
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Don and Lillian Stokes' website
Stokes Birds at Home
Website: www.stokesbirdsathome.com
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