In an effort to drastically improve and enhance the Birdfreak Guide to Taking Kids Birding (a handy PDF we created in January 2008) we decided to overhaul it completely. We have been working diligently on crafting what will hopefully become a small book. We have changed the name of this “guide” to Take Kids Birding! to provide a better emphasis on the overall goal: to encourage parents and their children to partake in birding and other nature-related activities.

We would appreciate any feedback including criticism on this section but keep in mind it is a work in progress and hasn’t been through the editor (our sister, Susie) yet. You can leave comments below or email us directly with ideas. Check out the preview to Section One here.

Section 2 — Where to Find Birds

Birds are practically everywhere. They can be found in big cities, on rural farms, and everywhere in between. There are many different types of habitats and each habitat will have different birds (with some overlapping). The better the habitat, the more diversity and the higher number of birds. But birds can practically show up anywhere at just about any time.

There are some places that are geographically located to have “better” birding. Plus, some lands that have been preserved because of their great habitats will naturally offer enhanced chances to find more birds. The great news is that no matter where you live, there’s bound to be a great place to find some really cool birds.

2.1 Your Own Backyard (Bird Feeders)

Backyards and bird feeders are an excellent way to start a kid birding. Many famous, world class birders began at a feeder. Even if your backyard is small or non-existant, if you can put up a feeder within view of a window you are bound to attract some birds.

There are often discussions about the environmental friendliness of feeding birds in an “artificial” setting, but for now the educational benefits of a well-kept feeding station outweigh any negatives.

Feeders provide all the essentials for a new birder: birds (of course!), a concentrated area to practice using bins, and the opportunity for long term study in comfort. Plus, as many great birders will tell you, it is important to get the “common” birds down before seeking anything elusive or rare.

Kids that have yet to master the use of binoculars will enjoy watching birds visit the feeders with the naked eye. This is also a good place to start an interest in photographing birds (discussed later).

The best way to set up a feeding station is to go to your local bird feed store or home improvement store and start small. Purchase a small to medium sized multi-purpose feeder that can hang from a tree limb and a thistle feeder or sock.

The multi-purpose feeder can be filled with sunflower seeds which are less expensive than safflower but higher quality than the “mix” seed bags which have low-quality filler seeds. The thistle feeder or sock (mesh bag) can be filled with thistle (sometimes called nyjer) seed which is a bit more expensive but attracts finches amazingly.

The goal in any feeding station is to have a variety of seed which can include suet bricks as well, at varying heights and feeders. Some birds naturally forage on the ground so spreading seed there will attract them. Of course, squirrels and other animals will also be attracted to a free offering of food so be on the lookout.

Most feeders can be equipped with commercial or home-made baffles that when installed well make it much harder for squirrels to pillage.

Once your feeding station is set up don’t get discouraged if no birds show up for several days. Have patience because once birds discover a good source of food they’re likely to return again and again.

Note: some small feeder birds like Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches become highly accustomed to people especially around feeders. Some really patient birders have been able to stand with an offering of seed and have birds literally eating out of their hands.

2.2 Bird Banding

If you live in close proximity to a bird banding station take every opportunity you have to visit. We began our interest in birds because of banding.

Bird banding in a nutshell is this: a licensed master bander catches wild birds in mist nets, records data about the bird, bands it, and then releases it.

The information gathered from bird banding is some of the most precise and important for bird population study and conservation. The birds banded are just a sample of a given area’s birds but it provides study opportunities not always available in the field.

In our home county in northern Illinois we are lucky to have one of the world’s premiere banding facilities – Sand Bluff Bird Observatory. Here, the banders put on a “show” describing in great detail not just what the banders are doing but about all sorts of topics ranging from bird color to conservation. The overwhelming feeling quickly gives way to just plain awe-inspiring learning.

No matter how many hours you put in the field, your chances of being eye to eye with a Baltimore Oriole are low. Bird banding gives that first hand “feel” to just how cool birds are.

If you reside somewhere that does not offer good backyard birding, bird banding can be a great alternative to spark the interest in birds.

Section 2.3 Open areas/Wetlands

Once the feeders have been thoroughly scrutinized and your brain is full of bird banding information, it is time to go into the field—or prairies, wetlands, etc. Any open natural area that has nearly 360 degree views will do.

Try to go to a place where you know there will be birds. Even if the birds are common (or even the same ones as the feeders) this will give kids more practice using bins and also increase the excitement of finding new birds.

Wetlands and rookeries are great places to visit as many of the birds are large and more stationary. A lake with a variety of ducks in it can be a great place (although you may need a spotting scope) as ducks often provide easier targets and still enough diversity to make use of a field guide.

If the weather is cold or the little ones are tired from hiking, take a drive down a quiet road (gravel roads work well for this) to look in farm fields for open country birds. Roadways with powerlines running parallel to them will often have raptors perched on them. This is a great way to find American Kestrels and Red-tailed Hawks. Powerlines often hold flycatchers and other birds as well.

Section 2.4 Other Birding Spots

Where you bird largely depends on how close your access is to superb birding places. Thankfully, nearly anywhere in the United States you are within an hour from a great birding location. You may not live near one of the best of the best, but we guarantee you’re closer than you think to great birding.

Start with your county map and look for state parks, forest preserves, large city parks with water sources (like creeks, rivers, ponds and even recreational man-made lakes), national forests, etc. Anywhere with public access, trails, and a variety of habitat will mean a diversity of birds.

After scouring your immediate area, look for other, larger state parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, state recreational areas, National trails, and more. Check out places like the National Audubon Society [www.audubon.org] and the Nature Conservancy [www.nature.org] for even more places. These last two are often some of the most unique and pristine areas in the country.

Many states now have official state or regional birding trails. These trails consist of a series of birding spots linked together by driving routes. They have maps and additional information to guide you in finding the location as well as what species you can expect to encounter.

You can view an updated list of birding trails here: http://www.aba.org/resources/birdingtrails.html

So after a two hour drive and a two-mile bird hike it is likely the kids are getting tired or even the dreaded “b” word: bored. The next section provides some ideas for keeping the interest going, short and long term.

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Kroger Community Rewards Program – Kroger Stores are donating dollars to nonprofit organizations and one group has joined up to help bird conservation. The Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) in Oak Harbor, Ohio is part of the rewards programs and urges local shoppers to sign up via a simple online process. Each time a signed up member swipes their Kroger card, the BSBO automatically earns a rebate. Easy, breezy conservation dollars.

Less in the Landfill – A lot of direct mail advertising ends up in the landfill. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a few tips on how to reduce your junk mail. On of those ways is through a free service called Direct Mail Marketing. This takes you off lists by category or all at once.

JUNK MAIL creates four million tons of preventable waste each year. The enormous waste generated by junk mail has a big negative impact. This junk…
* Costs taxpayers $320 million in disposal fees annually.
* Destroys 62 million trees a year.
* Creates 28 billion gallons of wastewater per year.
* Fills 3% of America’s landfills.
* 44% percent is unopened, unread and trashed.
—Ohio Department of Natural Resources

The dust (snow) is settling around the big move to Ohio and blustery weather has not encouraged birding. Dakota and I have realized a good window view is perfect for those days that don’t go much beyond single digit temperatures.

The welcoming committee from our living room window

The discovery of a Northern Mockingbird pair hanging out near our window has brightened the winter considerably. A rare occurrence in northern Illinois made the regular viewing in Missouri much more exciting and I was afraid we wouldn’t see many here in Ohio. The pair spends a lot of time chasing other birds on a regular basis since we’ve moved in. They are becoming one of my favorite birds.

The view

The birding excursions, though rather short, have included two small conservation areas in Hancock County, Ohio; Litzenberg Memorial Woods and Blue Rock Forest Preserve.

Litzenberg Memorial Woods
Litzenberg Memorial Woods is a 227 acre part of the Hancock County Park system and includes some trails and a farm. The area was donated for conservation and is relatively new to the public; 1995.

Dakota and I took a half mile trail in melting snow-turned-to-ice. Our total bird list did not even reach a dozen, but it was nice to be “hiking in Ohio” for the first time.

Litzenberg Memorial Woods – Hancock County, Ohio

Blue Rock Nature Preserve
A second place we checked out was Blue Rock Nature Preserve, a small 11-acre wooded area in Findlay. We had our first Ohio sighting of a White-breasted Nuthatch and watched some rowdy Northern Cardinals.

History: A gift from the Remington Arms and DuPont Companies, Blue Rock Nature Preserve receives its’ name from the heavy, bluish clay mined from the property in the early 1900’s. Remington Arms Company used the clay for their Blue Rock brand clay sportsmen’s targets. The strip-mined area has now been returned to a natural state. — Hancock Parks

Blue Rock Nature Preserve

Thanks to all the Ohio birders who have been in contact with us; our next goal is to join up with some birding and nature clubs in the area and go on some group field trips. Thanks everyone for all of your input and good birding to you!

With so many birding field guides to choose from it is difficult to choose one. This is probably why many birders own several! There really is no “perfect” guide out there but some of these come close. Whatever guide(s) you use it is important to familiarize yourself with the format and order prior to going out into the field. Also, while out in the field it is a good idea to only consult your guide after the mystery bird flies away. We hope you enjoy this “guide to birding field guides”.

Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America

The Kaufman Field Guide Series (which also includes Insects, Butterflies, and Mammals) uses high quality digitally edited photos to showcase birds in positions that show off identifying field marks. Call-out lines are used to further point out key markings on the photos which are mentioned in the text.

The birds are organized by family and/or similarity rather than taxonomically. This has some potential for confusing the scientific learning of birds and their biological relationships but for a budding birder makes it a lot easier to identify in the field.

For example, there is a page on “Various Micro-Birds” which covers Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Bushtit, and Verdin together since they behave and look similar.

To further help finding birds, the book has color-coded sections which matches the table of contents as well as a checklist style index (so you could mark off birds you’ve seen).

The plates (pictures of birds) reside on the right page and the accompanying text is on the left. The text includes scientific information as well as habitat and identification pointers. Some birds include a description of their voice and all but the rarest have color-coded range maps to show where and when to expect the bird.

Kaufman covers all the birds of North America and the guide is sized well for a large pocket to bring out in the field.

Note: There is also a Spanish version of the Kaufman Guide – Aves de Norteamerica – which is translated by Patricia Manzano Fischer.

National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds

Referred to as simply the “Sibley”, The Sibley Guide to Birds comes in Eastern, Western, and all of North America editions. The Eastern and Western versions are “field-guide sized” and cover their respective regions. However, the full version is a must and what we discuss below. (We refer to this as the “Big Sibley” as do many birders.)

First published in 2000, I’ve used the Big Sibley ever since and have loved sharing it with all who bird with me. Instead of photography, all the birds are illustrated by David Allen Sibley. The illustrations provide for a “best-case scenario” when out birding as the birds are positioned in such ways to show off key field marks.

This approach has been criticized but provides a great way to learn birds ahead of time and improve field identification when the book is not readily available.

I learned the majority of my eastern wood warblers by paging through the warbler section about a hundred times. Each of the birds are positioned facing the same general way and also in flight so you can get a better understanding of the form and function of the bird along with the colors and markings.

The guide follows taxonomic organization (that was current of the book’s printing) and the species accounts feature no more than two birds on a page. Scientific information, habitat, and identification tips are all included as well as voice and color-coded range maps.

Some species with numerous variations are covered in more depth with even more illustrations and at the start of each family of birds there is a detailed overview of the family and all the species represented in the guide for that family.

The Sibley is definitely big and thus a little more cumbersome for quick field use but for a bird-learning guide it is perfect.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition

The “Nat Geo” guide provides a compact, true field guide organized in more recently updated taxonomic order. The format includes illustrated plates on the right side and informational text on the left hand pages. The easy-to-use table of contents and tabbed pages make accessing a particular family simple and easy. Unfortunately, not all families are tabbed so you still need to refer to the table of contents or index to find certain families or species.

The text is some of the best found in traditional field guides and includes detailed descriptions of what to look for to identify a specific bird. The range maps are a bit smaller than other guides but still accurately show geographical and seasonal expectability of each species.

One of the best features of the Nat Geo is that it includes every species seen in North America, even some of the really rare ones. While it might seem like species overload, it provides an opportunity to study birds that may show up on that dream trip to the southern tip of Texas or even that wayward hummingbird in southern Wisconsin.

Note: A Green-breasted Mango showed up near the border of Wisconsin and Illinois and guides like the Nat Geo made it much easier to provide an identification of a bird that is normally several thousand miles south.

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America

Roger Tory Peterson’s first field guide to birds was published in 1934 and has since evolved pleasantly to be one of the most widely used guides on the market. Peterson passed away in 1996 but in 2008 a new edition to his guide was published to celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday.

This guide is a bit different from the earlier versions but still retains the “Peterson” feel and is still a top-notch guide. This edition is the first in the Peterson line to include all of North America (instead of eastern and western editions which are going to be published later) and thus is much larger than past printings.

The bigger size makes for big, bold artwork which includes callout lines to specific field marks. The format is similar to other guides with plates on the right pages and textual information on the left pages. The range maps are tiny but are also indexed in the back at a much larger size (the biggest of any guide).

The guide begins with a wonderful introduction on how to identify birds and includes silhouettes (outlines) of birds as you may see them on wires, fence posts, in-flight, etc.

Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America

The Smithsonian, at first glance, may seem a bit of information overload. The text and photos are packed together and fill up over 500 pages. But this wealth of information make this an awesome guide, perhaps for older young birders.

The birds are arranged in taxonomic order and every family of birds is introduced thoroughly. The text alone is worth having and reading this guide and with some 2,000 photographs, the visual appeal is there too.

Accompanying the Smithsonian Field Guide to Birds is a DVD loaded with 587 bird sounds covering 138 species. These can be loaded into an iPod or computer to help learn and associate the sounds with the birds. This is a first for a field guide and provides an added benefit to the cost of the field guide.

All the Birds of North America (American Bird Conservancy’s Field Guide)

ABC’s field guide is marketed as a “pocket-size guide for real field use” but is a bit awkward in size for a pocket. However, for using the guide in the field, All the Birds does a fine job. The guide is organized in an unconventional manner with species arranged by appearance, focusing on such things as bill shapes and sizes and behavioral similarities like “tree climbers”.

Such a layout creates an interesting way to identify birds: say you are unsure that a Cactus Wren is indeed a wren, you can find it amongst the “curved-bills”. This greatly enhances learning similar birds that are actually unrelated and thus normally in a different section of a field guide. However, some of the sections are too large with too many families represented which becomes pretty confusing.

Each section is introduced with wonderful text that explains what, how, and where to look for that type of bird. This feature is pretty cool because it provides a bit of pre-field work help to aid your success of finding birds. It is always a good idea to read the text and study your guide before going into the field and this encourages that.

The illustrations are beautiful and other helpful identification tips are sprinkled throughout the pages making All the Birds a great learning tool.

Birds of Eastern North America: A Photographic Guide (Princeton Field Guides)

This beautiful guide comes in both Eastern and Western varieties with the only differences being regional coverage. The photography alone is worth owning this guide; the photos were hand-picked specifically for their ability to illustrate identifying marks and also show the amazing beauty of the birds.

The text that accompanies the photography is wonderful as well and includes several pages of introductory text that covers topics such as plumage, migration, and habitat types. The detailed information on habitats comes in handy for understanding where to look for specific birds.

The layout consists of species text and range maps on the left-hand side and a collage of photographs on the right-hand side. The collage covers male, female, immature, and alternate plumages where applicable.

Similar species are arranged closely together for quick comparison and the index is easy to use to find a particular bird. The top corners of the pages have small bird photos that also help for finding birds while flipping pages.

This guide is more than just beautiful photos but may be a bit difficult to want to abuse out in the field.

National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America

The NWF guide is thick, heavy, and includes most of the birds of North America. Missing are some of the rarer species which is a shame because some of these are being seem more often especially along the US/Mexico border.

The guide begins with a lengthy introduction which describes how to define and identify birds, the natural history of birds, and various other nuggets of information. The birds are organized taxonomically and each family or grouping is introduced with explanative text about similarities among the group. This helps to provide a broader approach to larger groups of birds that share a lot in common.

The layout is fairly “busy” with mostly two species covered per page and loaded with multiple, small photographs. The text is limited but adequate and the range maps do their job nicely. The photos are overlaid with (hard-to-read) identification tips which help for identification but make the layout even more cluttered.

With a waterproof, heavy-duty cover and a lot of birds to explore, the National Wildlife Federation’s guide is a practical choice for field use.

Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region (Stokes Field Guides)

This guide comes in both Eastern and Western varieties with the only differences being regional coverage. The guide has a rather simple format that could be considered plain. Although, the lack of flair is quite appealing because the focus is then drawn on the birds and the information needed to identify them.

Each species is given a full page with one or more color photographs and the text immediately follows below. Behaviors are discussed along with identification tips and info on feeding and nesting. A range map plus info on habitat, voice, and conservation status is also included.

The guide is organized taxonomically (in scientific order at the time of publishing) and the pages are color-coded by family types to speed up finding a particular section. Sprinkled throughout the guide are “Learning Pages” which provide extended information on certain types of birds that can be difficult to identify.

The guide is fairly heavy and a bit too large for a pocket but is highly durable.

The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (Peterson Field Guides)

While it only covers 200 species and there is no western counterpart (yet), The Young Birder’s Guide is a great step forward into fully functional focused guides for young birders. The condensed format will leave some birds unidentifiable (for example, many warblers and sparrows are missing) but the format and look offer a lot of appeal to kids.

The format consists of one bird per page (or two extremely similar birds on the same page) where there is a photograph or two, an illustration, range map, and text explaining what to look for and listen for and other things to consider in finding and identifying a species. The specific tips on behaviors to watch for and habitats to explore enhance the functionality of the guide.

Each species also has a “wow!” fact that is sure to grab and hold the attention of younger birders. There is also a fairly large introductory section with tips on how to help birds, become better birders, birding manners, and field skills. This text provides the perfect tool to help encourage kids to get outside and look for birds.

There are other guides available and some of these are a bit “dated” but we hope this provides a nice overview of what is out there. As always, we appreciate your opinions so please provide them below in the comments!

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On January 23rd, 2010 a small plane crashed in Sugar Grove, Illinois killing two Florida men. The explosion from the crash torched a tree where a raptor was roosting for the night. Unbelievably, the bird was alive and taken to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation where her outlook is positive for a full recovery.

The raptor was so badly burned that a positive identification wasn’t originally clear. They now believe the bird to be a female Red-tailed Hawk and have named her “Phoenix”. Nearly all the bird’s outer feathers including her tail were burned. Her talons and outer eyelid were also burned so much so that she couldn’t see when she first arrived at Flint Creek.

The following photos were taken by Phil Hampel of Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabiliation and speak for themselves how badly this bird was injured.

Get updates from Flint Creek at their blog. Special thanks go out to the sheriff’s deputy who first spotted the bird and Kane County Animal Control and of course to Dawn Keller who is the president and founder of Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation. We badly need more people like Dawn.

Video from WTTW 11 – Chicago Tonight

Please donate whatever you can to help this bird and others being cared for at Flint Creek! Thanks to Phil Hampel for permission to use his photos for this post!!

In an effort to drastically improve and enhance the Birdfreak Guide to Taking Kids Birding (a handy PDF we created in January 2008) we decided to overhaul it completely. We have been working diligently on crafting what will hopefully become a small book and would love to share the first, raw section. We have changed the name of this “guide” to Take Kids Birding! to provide a better emphasis on the overall goal: to encourage parents and their children to partake in birding and other nature-related activities.

We would appreciate any feedback including criticism on this section but keep in mind it is a work in progress and hasn’t been through the editor (our sister, Susie) yet. You can leave comments below or email us directly with ideas. If you really want to you can download a PDF of this section now to read it in a little better format than on the blog. Only the first three sub-sections are included in this preview (for space) but we will be posting more parts over the coming weeks! Photos and illustrations will also be added but for now we are focusing on the text

=================================================
Table of Contents — Take Kids Birding!! Ages 6-12

Section 1 — Getting Started
Section 2 — Where to Find birds
Section 3 — Keeping the Interest
Section 4 — Going Beyond Birds
Appendix A — Recommended Books
Appendix B — Recommended Websites
=================================================

PART ONE — Ages 6-12

Introduction

Kids are wonderful. They not only have the great capacity to learn, but they want to learn. Everything around them is new and exciting. Take a kid birding and you not only provide the opportunity to teach a child new things, but you afford yourself the opportunity to share in the same excitement of learning when nearly everything was brand new and interesting.

This guide will provide a starting point to ensure you have a good time birding with a child (or children). By no means is this guide all inclusive, but it will certainly help enhance a child’s appreciation of nature, turn them into a birder, and provide future generations with the conservationists we so desperately need.

While this guide is intended for kids aged 6 to 12, younger kids are always welcome to learn about animals and nature.

Part two of this book is dedicated to teenagers, ages 13-19. It has a more intense focus on topics like photography, conservation and advanced birding.

Section 1 — Getting Started

Preparation before you venture into the outdoors is important to having a successful and fun time. There is a balance between packing too much and not having the right stuff. Mostly, it is better to pack a bit heavy than to forgo some of the more useful items. Although you do not need to go overboard either and make hiking miserable.

1.1 – What to include in a backpack/daypack

To help in your packing here’s a checklist of important items that can easily fit in a normal backpack without bogging you down:

1. Water!! – make sure to have at least 20 ounces of water for every person and more if it is hot or you are hiking for more than 30 minutes to an hour.
2. First aid kit – a small “camper’s” first aid kit is fine. Make sure it is stocked with items to deal with scrapes and cuts, insect and snake bites, bee stings, and ice packs.
3. Cell phone – don’t leave it in the car!
4. Map of the area you plan to hike
5. Snacks – nothing that is sticky or would make a mess.
6. Bird book (field guide) – we discuss these in much greater detail later in this section.
7. Notebooks and pens – it is a good idea to write down observations while in the field and also provides a good reason to stop and take a break from hiking.
8. Sunscreen – good idea even on cloudy days
9. Insect repellent – if season dictates
10. Any other child-specific items like medication

No matter how much you pack it is important to always consider functionality of what you bring. Pack more water the first time out and make sure to drink often. Bring extra snacks and take more breaks. For the first few outings you can skip bringing a field guide and maybe just have one small notebook.

The overall goal isn’t to turn every birding hike into a grand expedition but instead to be prepared every time you go and it will become second nature. Having tons of stuff doesn’t make a birding trip great. It’s all about having the right stuff.

1.2 – What to Wear

Any outdoor activity can be greatly enhanced by making sure you have the proper gear. There are so many choices of brands and types of gear and you can easily spend a small fortune equipping your child with the latest and greatest gear. But that is highly unnecessary.

What we recommend is focusing on some of the truly essential gear and moving to other stuff as you see fit. The most important consideration is comfort. If the gear doesn’t provide support, warmth, relaxed fit, etc. the journey in the great outdoors will be short-lived.

Boots or sturdy, durable shoes are a good starting point. Birding requires a lot of walking over uneven terrain as well as a great deal of standing in one position. Boots are best if you plan on hiking in a lot of tall, wet grassed areas or muddy trails. They need to be high enough to avoid water cresting over the top as well as waterproof throughout. Wet feet equal bad experience.

For “regular” birding and hiking good shoes are fine. They need not be waterproof but should provide a lot of support and darker colors will provide a longer lasting good look. Some new brands of shoes offer waterproof sneakers or walking shoes that work perfect for birding. If they can be thrown in the washing machine, even better. Sandals, flip-flops, etc. should be avoided since they attract small rocks and sunburn on exposed feet.

For outerwear, layers work best. You can always remove a jacket or sweatshirt but if you go into the field in a t-shirt and it starts to rain, the level of misery will rise quickly. Jeans or other long pants are also a must if you plan on walking through grassy areas or it is a buggy time of year. Shorts do not provide enough cooling to compensate for itchy legs.

Hats and sunscreen are also musts. Even on cloudy days, spending hours in the field without a hat can torture your eyes and sunburn happens even on overcast days. An added bonus for wearing a hat: no worries of messy hair from waking at the crack of dawn.

Hot weather can come up on kids and become a dangerous problem rather quickly. Many kids don’t realize they are feeling the effects of the heat until it is too late.

Heat exhaustion can lead to much worse problems and should never be taken lightly.

Here are seasonal checklists for what to wear based on our northern Illinois climate.

Spring

Hat
Long-sleeves
T-shirt
Rain-resistant jacket
Long pants
Comfy socks
Sturdy walking shoes or boots

If there has been recent rain, hiking boots that go past the ankle can provide extra support and keep feet dry if there is any standing water/mud on trails. Throwing in an extra pair of socks is a good idea too for avoiding wet feet.

Summer

Hat
Cooling bandana (soak in cold water before hiking trip)
T-shirt
Long-sleeves (especially if buggy out)
Long pants – we highly recommend not wearing shorts on a hike because it reduces bug bites, sunburn, and potential for poison ivy or other plant related itchiness
Socks
Sturdy walking shoes or boots

If there has been recent rain, hiking boots that go past the ankle can provide extra support and keep feet dry if there is any standing water/mud on trails. Throwing in an extra pair of socks is a good idea too for avoiding wet feet.

Fall

Hat
T-shirt
Long-sleeves
Sweatshirt
Long pants
Socks
Sturdy walking shoes or boots

Winter

Stocking cap
Balaclava (ski mask or other that covers more of the face)
Long-sleeves
Hoody
Long underwear
Long pants
Snow pants
Winter jacket
Gloves or mittens
Warm socks
Snow boots

Just because it is cold out doesn’t mean you can’t go for a bird hike. Bring extra pairs of socks, extra gloves, and hand and feet warmers to ensure extra comfort. Just don’t bundle up so much that walking is uncomfortable. Once you get moving and keep moving staying warm is much easier.

1.3 Binoculars

Binoculars [also called bins, binocs, field glasses, optics] are one of the most important items in birding and also one of the most difficult for kids to use. Big and bulky binoculars are often cumbersome to use. But high-end binoculars can cost over $1000 (or more). So how do you choose a pair for a kid that may or may not enjoy using them?

For starting out, a good, inexpensive pair will be sufficient. There are several good ones between $80-$150 that will work well enough, especially with young eyes. Some may see this as a pretty big cost for an activity that can be done pretty much anywhere and with out much effort (watching birds) but considering how much other sports cost, this is a good deal for an activity that can easily last a lifetime.

We feel that avoiding ultra-cheap, ineffective bins will have a longtime, positive gain. If the optics don’t work well enough to see moving birds you’ve already lost the young birder to boredom. Binoculars are easy to work and the price differences are directly related to how clear an image you’ll see, along with the magnification, field-of-view, and to a lesser extent, how durable they are.

Note: much of the cost of optics is related to how the lenses are coated. The higher quality, better coatings cost more and last longer while the lower quality are the opposite.

Magnification varies a great deal. The best options are 7x, 8x or 10x. It is a common mistake to try to get a pair with a larger magnification, say 15x, but this actually makes it harder to see birds clearly because it is too difficult to handhold a pair steady. Spotting scopes, used to see far away birds, have 20x and more magnification but are almost always mounted on a tripod so are not as prone to unsteady shaking.

Make sure before heading into the field the bins are adjusted properly including the strap, and that the bins are comfortable around the neck of the child. This will help ensure the trip isn’t cut short because of discomfort. Explain that the bins aren’t a toy but a tool. This is yet another reason not to use cheap and often plastic, colorful bins.

Our recommendation is to check out Eagle Optics’ “Technical Guide” [http://www.eagleoptics.com/articles/technical-guide/] as they have an amazing array of choices and recommendations on which bins will fit your budget. In popular birding magazines there are numerous articles (almost in every issue) explaining in great detail the latest optics so this is another great place to check. (See Appendix A for some excellent birding magazines.)

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This is the recap of the 2nd Annual Rock Cut Christmas Bird Count (CBC) of which the Birdfreak Team coordinates and compiles. The event took place on January 3rd, 2010 and was frigid but sunny. This post was delayed due to Birdfreak having his wisdom teeth removed which apparently took a bit of his wisdom with

Considering the cold temperatures and a sizable decline in counters (11 instead of 19 last year) it is no surprise that we had less birds and species. However, Birdfreak’s fiancee, Stacia, participated in her first CBC which definitely added to the fun of the event. And three of our counters were in Ohio!

• Total Species: 44 (47 last year)
• Total Individuals: 3,637 (almost 12,000 last year)

Water conditions (mostly frozen) played a huge role in the decline of birds as well: Canada Geese were down over 6,300!!

But we still had some wonderful highlights including 11 brand new species:

1. Common Goldeneye
2. Lapland Longspur
3. Peregrine Falcon
4. Owl Sp.
5. Purple Finch
6. Rough-legged Hawk
7. Snow Bunting
8. Ring-necked Pheasant
9. Red-headed Woodpecker
10. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
11. Pileated Woodpecker

We counted all SEVEN species of woodpeckers in our area (outside a major rarity)! We found three Pileated Woodpeckers at Rock Cut State Park (the count’s namesake) which is becoming a really reliable place to find this awesome bird.

It was too cold for photography so hopefully next year we’ll have warmer temperatures, more counters, and more birds.

Cerulean Warblers are sadly in decline. These beautiful, sometimes hard to see wood warblers are one of our favorites. We have several reliable preserves where they nest in northern Illinois but not in any great numbers.

The Vinton Furnance Experimental Forest (along with the neighboring Raccoon Ecological Management Area) is located 75 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio contains the highest recorded density of Ceruleans in Ohio and perhaps all of the Appalachians. Thus, this is an extremely important area to preserve and protect.

Not only does this area hold Cerulean Warblers but also other birds and animals of conservation concern: Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Wood Thrush, Blue-winged Warbler, Prairie Warbler, timber rattlesnake, black bear, and bobcat.

Since 1952 the area has been used for forest use and sustainability research including that of oak forest restoration. This is crucial towards implementing habitat restoration efforts for Cerulean Warblers and the research done here has contributed to citations in numerous scientific papers on forest ecology and management as well as wildlife.

The Ohio DNR’s goal is to complete the purchase of this important habitat by July 2010. The land will be renamed Vinton Furnace Experimental State Forest.

More info from the Ohio Ornithological Society.

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Conservation Media is the home of professional ecologists who use green film-making to bring about conservation issues and ideas in professional-grade videos.

The site is fairly new but Conservation Media has a wonderfully sound concept behind them. Their push for green film-making means that their video production is carbon neutral. They use solar power to charge all batteries in the field, efficient LED lighting, reusable memory, environmentally friendly computer equipment, efficient field vehicles, and offset any other energy consumption through Brighter Planet.

Make sure to check out Disturbance, Conservation Media’s award-winning, amazing film 19-minute film on fire ecology and fire dependent species, including the Black-backed Woodpecker.

Conservation Media is not looking to profit off their films but instead is benefiting from funding from the exposure their web presence is getting. The company is highly active across social networking sites:

Vimeo (video): http://www.vimeo.com/naturefilmmaker
Twitter: @naturefilmmaker
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ConservationMEDIA1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Conservation-Media/232766778337

Some cool things to look for from Conservation Media in 2010 include:

• A longer broadcast piece on birds and climate change to show the general public how climate change impacts bird species, including some much more disproportionally
• Filming Kittlitz’s Murrelets and researchers with the NPS in Glacier Bay
• Short web piece for Montana Audubon on sage grouse
• A piece for the Sonoran Institute on the value of open space

Keep checking out Conservation Media for new conservation-focused films and make sure to spread the word on and offline.

“[Zuckerman] is able to present the usual in the most unusual way by aiming at the essence, rather than the appearance, of the subject. The pages flow throughout the book as a cinematic sequence, teasing the viewer through a window into the limitless white world.” – Massimo Vignelli

Bird takes a minimalist approach to showcasing the beauty of birds. This has become a popular way of presenting, as more and more publications across the board attempt to reduce the clutter and make things easier. With the incredible amount of stimulants vying for our attention, Bird provides a much needed focus of what we love: birds.

This method matches nature pretty well. Even though the natural world is full of an unfathomable array of colors, sights, sounds, smells, and touches, there is almost always a pure, relaxed feeling when out in nature and when watching birds specifically.

Bird captures an intense view of the birds every detail from positions and angles that would be difficult to reproduce in a truly wild setting. And while nothing compares to being out in the field, the ability to witness the “essence of birds” is extremely worthwhile to us as bird conservation promoters.

The closest I can relate to this sort of view is through bird banding and raptor flight shows. Both provide up-close inspection of what makes different birds unique. These views are almost impossible to replicate in the field but are invaluable to learning about birds.

Some of the world’s coolest birds are pictured in such ways that are guaranteed to inspire and spark not only interest in birds, but a deep sense of appreciation of the incredible awe birds carry on their wings.

A ton of work went into the production of Bird and these videos show a small fraction of it:

Get your copy of Bird today to enjoy some of the most magnificent avian images.

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Happy New Year! I (Jennie) am relocating to Findlay, Ohio for a brand new job with the Natural Resources Conservation Service as a Cartographer. Findlay is in the northwest part of the state, 44 miles south of Toledo.

This is a scary yet exciting time for both my son, Dakota and I; we are eager to see Lake Erie and find the many places to go birding. Since my brother (Eddie) will be in Rockford, Illinois, our hope is that this will be an interesting new year of blogging from duel locations!

What we are most looking forward to:

1. !!Dakota joining the Ohio Young Birders Club!!
2. !Birding and connecting with other Ohio birders such as Kenn and Kim Kaufman!
3. Living near and visiting the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and Magee Marsh
4. Starting a brand new state bird list
5. Learning all about Ohio’s flora and fauna

Dakota and Jennie 2010 FIRSTS:

• First heard and seen bird of the year: Canada Goose from the hotel doorway
• First Ohio bird: Red-tailed Hawk from the highway

New Year’s Eve decorations at the hotel in Findlay

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Road and walking conditions were equally bad for this year’s Kishwaukee Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The count circle covers the southern part of Winnebago County which is not part of the more northwestern circle that is the Rockford CBC.

Each year we try to do as many area bird counts as possible to assist in collecting data on the bird populations in our local haunts. Our area mostly included driving but we did get out a bit and walk.

The main highlights were a Rough-legged Hawk, Horned Larks, 1 Lapland Longspur, and a huge flock of American Crows (311).

This is just a small part of the larger flock.

We also had a really cool non-bird sighting of a Red Fox. He was less than 100 feet from us but by the time I got the camera ready (just a little point-and-shoot) he had scurried pretty far away.

Although the “Birdfreak Year” began December 1st, the following are some of our top goals for 2010 in terms of birding, conservation, and other natural studies. Happy New Year!!

1. Further promote birding to young naturalists
2. Feature more content on gardening, especially native plants and birdscaping
3. Expand beyond birds into other natural studies: trees, wildflowers, and butterflies (and more)
4. Start pushing a change from term “conservation” to a more detailed and hopefully better phrase: “efficient habitat restoration”
5. Finish writing new, majorly updated version of the Guide to Taking Kids Birding
6. Study bird behaviors in greater detail and encourage others to do so

None of these goals are set in stone. One thing we’ve learned from blogging the past three years is that it evolves in interesting ways and it is best to leave a lot of room to change and adapt as circumstances dictate.

The following is advice from the eCornell course we took on “Courtship and Rivalry In Birds”. We thought it would be perfect for birders who want to really get into learning and observing bird behavior.

• Watch carefully; even small actions can carry big messages.
• Don’t be dazzled by the flash. Look past the most obvious actions for other clues to what is happening.
• Be aware of the difference between observation and inference. Separate what you actually saw from what you concluded or assumed.
• Try to figure out what category of behavior you are watching. Foraging? Social behavior? Nesting?
• Draw or describe the displays you see structurally. What postures, movements, sounds, and plumages are involved?
• Try to identify individuals. Which birds are doing what? Who is communicating with whom?
• Try to figure out age and sex of the birds involved.
• Keep an eye out for multiple pairings. Don’t assume one male for one female.
• Think about what kinds of information would answer a question at the level you are actually interested in. What information would support your inferences?
• Try to infer about function of displays based on form. What are the birds highlighting or minimizing?
• Consider how a behavior might be appropriate for the environment in which the bird lives. How might it improve the bird’s chances of surviving and producing young?
• Find out some background information on the species that interest you most. Who feeds the young? What do they eat? Who competes with whom for what? What kind of a mating system do they have?
• Figure out what time of year behaviors and displays happen in species you’re interested in. Ask yourself whether your conclusions would be appropriate or unusual for the time of year.
• Be skeptical of things that aren’t consistent with what you’re observing, even if they are published.
• Be skeptical of things you infer that aren’t consistent with what is published.
• If all else fails, take detailed, understandable notes on what, how many, when, where, who, and in what order!

Another session of the “Courtship and Rivalry in Birds” course begins January 6, 2010. We suggest you sign up!!

We reviewed Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail and now the Audio Tour CD is available. Here is the press release.

Sackets Harbor, NY – Wildlife biologist Kimberly Corwin and Adirondack Kids® co-author and television show host Gary Allen VanRiper are inviting birders to experience the Great Lakes Seaway Trail in their time, at their pace and in their style year-round. The pair narrate the 80-minute “Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail” Audio Tour CD produced by the non-profit Seaway Trail Foundation as a companion to the recently released “Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail” book authored by ornithologist Gerald A. “Gerry” Smith.

The Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byway Program, the New York State Department of Transportation and the Environmental Analysis Bureau, and the John Ben Snow Foundation provided funding to the Seaway Trail Foundation for the book and CD project.

All manner of migratory and resident raptors, songbirds, and waterfowl frequent the 518-mile freshwater shoreline travel route known that is one of America’s Byways and a National Recreation Trail. Birds fill the forests, fields, wetlands, parks and backyards along the big waters of the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York and Pennsylvania.

As travelers drive, bicycle, RV, boat, paddle or kayak, birders will hear Corwin and VanRiper speaking about the birds of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail and the only-found-here” natural areas that include such noted birding sites as the 1000 Islands, Derby Hill Bird Observatory along Lake Ontario, Braddock Bay, Niagara Gorge/Niagara Falls, and Presque Isle Bay.

Bird-theme Great Lakes Seaway Trail outdoor storyteller interpretive signs located at significant points along the byway share fascinating birding facts, legends, and lore and celebrate the byway region’s natural diversity. Wildlife artist Robert McNamara, illustrator/designer of the Birding the Great Lakes Seaway Trail field guide, designed the outdoor signs.

Learn more online at www.seawaytrailstore.com. The CD retails for $9.95.

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‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was sturring, not even a mouse;

The cat hat removed any stray rodents running the floors,
Because she followed the policy to keep cats indoors;

The birders were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of lifers flitted in their heads;

When out in the great oak a clatter did brew,
A Barred Owl calling “Who cooks for you?”;

I sprang from my bed and grabbed my bins,
Slipped on a bird book and bonked both my shins;

I felt the need for a pain reliever,
And nearly toppled over my sleeping Chesapeake Bay Retriever;

I made it to the window and looked at the feeding station,
And remembered all the year’s work for conservation;

I gazed at the moon-lit yard, which twinkled like glass,
Oh how great it looked with frozen prairie grass;

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
An early rising Cardinal chirping with no fear;

I grabbed my coat and was followed by my entourage,
Our two wild Dobermans out towards the garage;

The shadows of the old willow blocked the light of the moon,
Concealing the suet where woodpeckers would be soon;

Suddenly out of the darkness a figure did stand,
The friendliest person I’ve seen in the land;

He carried a camera, bins, bird guide, and gave me a smile,
And asked if he could talk to me for awhile;

He called out bird names with a bellow,
“Whooping Crane, Cerulean Warbler, and that ‘Lord God’ fellow;

All birds facing the danger of vanishing from Earth,
Unless people realize just what they’re worth;

Birders and nature-lovers must make a stand,
Educate the ill-informed to make sure to care for the land”;

He warned me to never quit fighting for birds,
Even if just through this blog with photos and words;

Without warning his mouth was drawn and he let out a pish,
And a Bald Eagle arrived still carrying a fish;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Let me know if we work together we have nothing to dread;

And then I heard him exclaim as he vanished from sight,
“Merry Christmas and good birding to all, and to all a good night!”

‘Lord God’ is a reference to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Originally written December 2006 by Eddie Callaway

2009 was the fifth consecutive year I’ve counted for the Rockford Christmas Bird Count. Birds were low in numbers but some of the highlights were pretty impressive. We still have two counts left to go this season including the second year of the Rock Cut Christmas Bird Count which we created last year.

The biggest highlight just because they are always so cool was the five Bald Eagles we spotted. The one pictured was the most impressive as it glided in along the river and posed before taking off again.

Another big highlight was a couple Northern Harriers. The photo didn’t turn out as well but this beauty floated gracefully and low over a field.

Walking was fairly slow going with the uneven and icy snow but we managed (like every year) to hike our booties off. There were numerous trees with snow damage, specifically at Sugar River Forest Preserve, a place we enjoy camping. Many of the pine trees had downed limbs from the heavy snow.

Lunch time was spent at a hunting lodge where the wonderfully friendly hunting club is always willing to open up to us birders and let us watch their feeders. These feeders are a constant explosion of Black-capped Chickadees, White and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and more. We estimated around 35 chickadees competing for feeder space.

Black-capped Chickadee

We will update the count total after we get the numbers but our contribution was certainly adequate on a chilly, windy, low bird day.

We have recently enrolled in an eCornell course called “Courtship and Rivalry in Birds“. This is a 5-week course and here is a recap of the third module/week of this course. [View Week 1] [View Week 2] [View Week 3] [View Week 4]

The focus this week was cooperative-breeding among birds, specifically that of Florida Scrub-Jays, one of the most interesting birds in the U.S. Cooperative-breeding is rather rare among birds but has some great benefits. The young of a pair assists its parents to raise more young (siblings) which increases the overall number of successfully fledged birds. This breeding method is useful in the scrub-jay’s habitat since food is scarce and it would be harder for the young (helpers) to go out on their own right away and breed.

Over time, this strategy enables more birds to fledge and larger territories to be acquired which eventually leads to the helper birds carving out their own breeding “plot”.

Some other cooperative-breeding birds showcased were Pied Kingfisher, American Crow, Groove-billed Ani, Green Woodhoopoe, Acorn Woodpecker, and Superb Fairywren.

The strategy works for these birds in improving overall breeding success but it is somewhat confusing when compared to all the world’s birds. Why don’t all or most birds employ this strategy? What about birds that gladly associate at feeders or other areas of high amounts of food? How come some birds found in scarce habitats do NOT participate in cooperative-breeding?

A discussion finished up week 5 with other cooperative behaviors among birds (outside the nest).

After the final discussion we have completed the eCornell Course “Courtship and Rivalry Among Birds”.

Another session of the course begins January 6, 2010.