#23 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation There is no reason you can’t own a cat and be a birder. But there is also no reason for your cat to be outdoors. Cats are not evil or bad, but there natural instincts are to hunt – birds, mice, small mammals, reptiles, etc. No
Tag: 31 days
Learn to Pish and Imitate Owls
#22 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation Pete Dunne’s book The Art of Pishing is a great resource to learn how to pish and make owl calls. What’s “pishing”? Pishing, while it goes by many names and sounds, is the art of making a noise that grabs the attention of birds. A few
Take a Kid Birding
This is #21 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation Kids are like sponges (perhaps that’s why they like Spongebob so much); they learn incredibly fast and are fascinated by what’s around them. If you take a kid birding you are laying the groundwork for future birders and of course, future conservationists. A few
Feed Birds
#20 of 31 Days of Better Birding and Conservation There are debates of whether or not it is “right” to feed wild birds but for the most part, keeping clean feeders with a variety of seed can provide needed fuel for birds and excellent opportunities for observing them. There are a multitude of types of
Don’t Bash the Brown Birds
#19 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation One of our least favorite terms in birding are “little brown jobbies” or LBJs. This term usually refers to sparrows but has been expanded to include birds from wrens to sandpipers. They are usually families of birds that include similar species, so we could also include
Bird at All Times of the Day
#18 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation Ever heard the myth that birds become inactive at a certain time of day? Well, it is indeed a myth. Birds are active at all times of the day, and of course some at night too. Nearly every day I try to go birding at lunch
Pursue the Unknown Birds
#17 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation While we don’t condone trespassing or trampling wildflowers, sometimes it is worthwhile to go a bit off trail to figure out an unknown bird. Often a bird crosses your path and into the brush and you get a tantalizing glimpse of an odd looking field mark.
Bird With a Friend
#16 of 31 Days to Better Birding and Conservation Some of the best birding can be done alone, but birding with a friend has some extra rewards. For instance, having an extra pair of eyes and ears increases the likeliness of finding birds. You can share duties of lugging around a scope or handling the
