Birds at Home: Bird watching

Showing posts with label Bird watching. Show all posts

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Peru BIRD WATCHING

Hoazin in Peru - Photo: Wikimedia

Peru bird watching is one of the greatest things a bird watching hobbyist could ever experience. This is because the place provides a great background not only on magnificent bird life but can also present to you a landscape gifted with almost everything nature has to offer.

Next to Colombia, Peru is the next country that has the largest variety of bird species available. Because of its unique topography and strategic geography, Peru offers a great habitat for so many birds in almost all parts of the world.

Studies show that there are almost 2000 bird species existing in Peru. Ornithologists—people who conduct a scientific study on the life of wild and domestic birds. Investigate and record their anatomy, behavior, evolutionary development, ecology, classification, and species distribution—say that almost 19 percent of all the bird species in the world and almost 50 percent of neo-tropical birds can be found in Peru. The country also offers virgin forests that are a perfect habitat for rare species of birds as well as animals.

The best places for Peru bird watching

Knowing how rich the variety of birds present in the country, no bird watching hobbyist can resist visiting the country. But before packing your bags and your binoculars, it is a must that you conduct a brief research first about the country so you can maximize your stay there. In your research, you should include the list of things that you need and the best places to conduct the activity. Here are some of the best places for Peru bird watching:

1. The Paracas National Reserve. This is considered as one of the most spectacular and convenient places to go bird watching in Peru. Located in Lima, this preserve in Paracas can be reached after almost 4 hours. The common birds that can be seen in the area include the Humboldt Current, the Pisco, Dark-faced Ground Tyrant, Peruvian Thick-knee, and Tawny-throated Dotterel.

2. The Lomas de Lachay National Reserve. You can reach this place if you traveling almost 100 km. north of the capital city, Lima. If you are into daytime bird watching, this is the ideal place for you because the place can only accommodate a small number of people. Although it is quite far, the trip well worth it because you will find rare species of Thick-billed Miner and Yellow-finches.

3. The Marcapomacocha. This area is almost five hours away from the capital city. But, the trip will really delight hardcore bird watchers because the place offers the view of some of the world's most rare bird species including different breeds of Andean species, Sandpipers, the beautiful White-bellied Cinclodes, and black-breasted Hillstar that is really popular in the country.

You can also enjoy the off-road views of the Giant Coot located in the lake of Marcapomacocha, the Lake Junin, the Huánuco, and the Carpish range. (TIP: Make sure that you bring lots of water when you go to these places because the weather can be so hot and cause you dehydration.)

4. The Huascarán Biosphere Reserv. Located at Huaráz in the central Andes, the reserve can be reached after almost 10 hours of driving. Before reaching the place where you can find the rare White-cheeked Cotinga, different kinds of finches, and Andean Condors, you will pass through breathtaking mountain ranges and lakes.

5. The Chiclayo-Cajamarca Circuit. Peru bird watching can never be complete without visiting this establishment because you can see the most legendary and rare species of birds that can only be seen in Peru including the Buff-bridled Inca Finch, long-whiskered owlet, marañon Crescent-chest, and the marvelous spatuletail.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Prince Edward Island - A Must for Bird Watching Enthusiasts

Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island - Photo: Wikimedia

The Prince Edward Island holds the same name as the Canadian province where it is located. The national park is a haven for many bird species and a delight for bird watching enthusiasts.

Such natural beauty this place has that birds and people flock around to enjoy what the site has in store for its visitor. The rolling hills, untouched forests, ocean coves and its red soil is what makes this place stand out for its beauty. You could only wonder in amazement that such place exists.

Prince Edward Island, the Province
Its government is now trying to enact laws to be able to preserve the place and prevent further damage from happening in the area which was brought about by the lack of zoning and planning for land use within the province that has resulted to some unpleasant aesthetic development in recent times.

Did you know that the author of the classic novel entitled "Anne of Green Gables," Lucy Maud Montgomery, got her inspiration for the settings and backgrounds of the story from the Prince Edward Island? It was done during the Victorian era. What was envisioned in the book can still be felt now? This island seems to be waiting for artists to draw their inspiration from its captivating beauty. Not only that, the place is now a favorite for tourists for relaxation activities like going to the beaches, golfing, eco-tourism experience, while enjoying all the sights and seeing on the cultural events within its local communities.

The slow-paced kind of life in the place rural areas is really what draws in more tourists as they can enjoy their vacation and truly relax in the process. This factor gives the impression of something like an old world flavor for most of the tourists that frequent it.

Most communities in the rural areas of the Prince Edward Island get their living through the small-scale type of agriculture. The reason for this is that the size of the farm areas in the vicinity is indeed small especially if you compare it to the other areas in Canada. Although today, industrial farming is slowly being adopted in the area as the old farms become consolidated and likewise modernized.

The Coast of Prince Edward Island
This is the frequent stop of bird watchers in the area. The island's coastline has long beaches, dunes, and cliffs made out of sandstone. Rolling hills can be found along its landscape. And it has a lot of bays and also harbors.

The Islanders take their responsibility as guardians of the precious nature surrounding them. They only give back for whatever the place has also bestowed them through agriculture, abundant fisheries and, of course, tourism.

There are said to be about 333 kinds of birds that can be found in the area. There is really something for everyone to enjoy here. The bird watchers will have a feast with what's in store for them at this paradise.

Bird watching is only one of the many things that a tourist can enjoy at the Prince Edward Island. It is really a must-see place to experience such oneness with nature. Don't forget your binoculars and a heart set out for nature once you've had the chance to check it out.

Friday, October 20, 2017

BIRD WATCHING for Children

Illustration of a tit from Edmund Selous's Bird Watching (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bird watching for children is one of the activities that can help instill the value and love for animals on their young minds. Aside from teaching them the importance of taking good care of animals, bird watching for children can also be great for spending quality time with them. This activity is also great for children because it can teach them to become nature-wise and can teach them to teach them good manners such as respect for animals.

What you need

Before you go bird watching with children, make sure that you yourself have had a first-hand experience of the activity. What you can do is search on the Internet what are the best places to bird watching with children. Once you found the best one or the nearest one in your area, take a time off to visit it before bring your children there.

Check if the entire area is safe for children. If you are having doubts about children safety, it is best to talk to the administrator of the park or the preserve to make sure that they have enough facilities to take care of kids. Also, ask what are the things that you need to bring when going there.

Also check how much are the fees, how many kids are allowed to bird watch, and what are the ideal ages for bird watching. When everything is done and you are confident that your child will be safe while bird watching, book a tour date while you're there.

On the date of the bird watching activity, make sure that you bring the following:

1. A good pair of binoculars for kids. This is very important because the center might not have enough binoculars for the visitors. To ensure that the kids can use something, grab a good yet cheap pair of binoculars when you are in the department store.

2. A bird book or field guide. Although most of the bird parks offer booklet that contains information on the birds that can be seen there, it is best to bring a book guide on your own just in case they don’t have one. The book guide can help your kids identify the common birds in the area and can help them in describing the birds based on their appearance, color, size, and shape.

3. Bottled water and snacks. Since kids tend to get hungry often, it is best if you bring lots of bottled water and handy snack packs just in case no convenient store is near the area.

4. First aid kit. This should always be a must whenever you go out with your kids because they can be so accident-prone. Make sure that you include a first aid kit in your child's backpack to make sure that you can tend to the wound or scratch immediately.

5. A camera. This is also a "must" when going out with kids because it can preserve the memories with your kids. Having a handy camera can enable you to take as many pictures of your kids during the tour. You can also ask your kids to take as many photos as they can of the birds that they see.

6. A notebook or sketchpad with pens or pencils. One of the benefits of bird watching for children is that it encourages them to jot down their observations. These can also be helpful to artistically-inclined children because it can encourage them to draw the birds that they see.

Monday, September 4, 2017

BIRD WATCHING Tips for Beginners

Bird watching can be a very fun and interesting activity once you are familiar with the thing that you need to know when doing it. The first thing that you need to familiarize yourself about bird watching is identifying the bird that you will watch.

This very task is quite challenging because it is not easy to identify them especially when they are so many feet away from the ground. Since birds are energetic and active animals, you need a clear and quick eye to be able to see as many details possible in such as a very short period of time.

Bird watching hide.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Aside from being too far away from you, other problems that you might encounter—especially if you are a first-time bird watcher—is the dim light shaded by trees, the glint of sunlight that can affect your sight, and the hidden places where birds go to play. So, when you are into bird watching, it is always best to have a general knowledge on bird's attitudes and observe them carefully. You might not name them properly the first time but you definitely can the next time if you pay proper attention in observing them.

The following are just of the helpful tips that can help you in your very first bird watching session:

- Always keep on eye on one bird. Bird watching is more effective if one uses a binocular. When you are bird watching, try to spot only one bird that catches your attention. Once you have seen one, never take your eyes off it because it might fly to a place where you cannot see it.

In most bird watching centres, beginners are given a field guide in a form of a booklet or brochure so they can identify the bird once they have seen one. Once you know what is it, take time to observe its physical details as well as its behaviours and mannerisms. Make sure that you observe the bird's movements, markings, feeding habits, songs, colour, and size so you can easily identify it the next time you see it.

- Make sure that you listen intently for the bird's calls and song. Although listening to a bird's song is easy, it doesn’t stay long in a person's memory. What you should do is to listen intently when the bird calls or sings and play the bird's song in your mind repetitively. Listening to a bird's call and the song is important because it can help you identify the bird even without seeing it.

- Take time to estimate the bird's shape and general size. The average shape and size of the bird will give you a huge clue in finding out the family it came from. In bird watching, make sure that you assess its overall appearance and take note of its approximate size and shape. Once you can tell from the size and shape of the bird what kind is it, then you are doing good.

- Pay attention to the bill characteristics and facial markings of the bird in sight. This is one of the hardest things to do because the average of almost all birds is small. They also keep on moving so it will be hard to take note any unique markings on their faces. It is also equally hard to take note of characteristics of its bills because most birds keep on picking all the time.

To get these details, spot a bird that doesn’t fly around that much. Once you found one, start observing it head by looking for any distinguishing hue patches or colour strips. These can be present in their eye lines, crowns, napes, and arcs or in the rings.

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