Archive for the 'Bird Watching' Category

Bird Watching In Uganda

One of the best places on earth that has a huge collection of animals is Africa. This is because of the terrain that includes rich savannahs, deserts, rain forests, wetlands and a lot more. This makes it an ideal place to be close nature and if you love birds, why don’t you go on a bird watching in Uganda.

Uganda is just one of more than 20 countries that are part of the African continent. It occupies a land area of 235,000 square kilometers which has more than 1008 species of birds. This figure represents more than half of the type of bird species found in Africa making it the best place to be should you desire to go on a bird watching vacation.

There are a lot of places to go bird watching in Uganda. You can take your pick from over 700 forest reserves.

Bird Watching in Rome - Georgia

Another place where you can do some bird watching is in Rome, Georgia. With a total land area of 59,000 square miles, you will get to encounter one of perhaps 300 plus bird species that have made this place their home.

Just to give you an idea of this state, Georgia is divided into 6 natural regions namely the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Gulf Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, the Blue Ridge province, the Ridge and Valley province, and the Appalachian Plateaus. Given that each is different from the other, it is no wonder that it can house a varied number of species.

Of the more than 300 species, 160 of them are permanent residents of this vast land. The others migrate here and these can often be seen during the winter.

Along the coast, you will to see the Anhinga, Black Crowned Night Herons, Clapper Rails, Egrets, Least Bitterns and Wood Storks. Along the shore, you will see Dunlins, Common Snipes, Spotted Sandpipers, Sanderlings and Semipalmated Sandpipers.

Bird watching in Maine

Bird watching is now a very popular hobby. There are several clubs and organizations that you can join and one place where you can go to see some species is in Maine.

One of your first stops could be by the great North Woods region where you will be able to see the Boreal Chickadees, Gray Jays, Olive-sided Flycatchers and the Spruce Grouse.

If you happen to travel by Maine’s Atlantic coast, you can see hundreds of puffins gathered around Machias Seal Island. With a tour guide, you can disembark from your boat and get within 4 feet of these birds. If you happen to visit this place during the migration season, you will be able to see migrating Arctic Terns.

Another great place is in Bangor that is considered to be the best bird watching spot in Maine. An example of this is the Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Here, you will be able to see the Eastern Phoebes, the Pine and Palm Warblers as well as the Yellow bellied Sapsuckers. These can be found in other parks along this area and along the riversides.

Bird Watching in Los Angeles

Some of you might think that it is impossible to do some bird watching in Los Angeles or in any other city. But there are places that you can visit making it possible for you to enjoy this hobby.

The first is the Arboretum of Los Angeles Country. This is a 127 acre garden that is blooming with plant and tree life making it a perfect location for some birds to live on. Here, you will get to see 200 peafowl birds that were imported from India and some peacocks.

Another place is the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center. This is a 10,000 square foot facility that can accommodate 1,000 birds at a time.

Approximately 40,000 children visit this place every year.  Guests will be able to see two large outdoor aviaries that house pelicans. They even have a hospital for birds that have been found and brought in for care by viewing the monitor.

Bird Watching in Big Bend

Not all birds can live in the same environment. This is the reason why bird enthusiasts travel all over the country and around the world to continue this hobby. One place that is not too far and has a lot to offer is in Big Bend National Park.

Big Bend National Park is located in the Southwest corner of Texas. It is halfway between El Paso and Laredo while the Rio Grande swings southward to form a huge bend which marks the southern boundary of this national reserve. All in all, it is 1200 square miles of Chihuahuan Desert and mountain grandeur.

This makes it an excellent habitat for more than 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals and 70 species of amphibians and reptiles. When the weather gets cold, most birds use this as a migratory flyway so you will get to see some birds that are only here once or twice a year.

Bird Watching in Arizona

Bird watching in Arizona in definitely a must for those who are into this kind of hobby. This is because the place offers a wide variety of birds perfect for observation such as the common ones including black and gray hawks, owls of different species such as whiskered screeches and elves, various species of hummingbirds, nightjars, trogons, flickers, woodpeckers, flycatchers, and pewees.

The place is also perfect if you want to see rare kinds of birds such as seasonal species of kingbirds, chickadees, becards, gnatcatchers, titmouses, sparrows, tanagers, and warblers.

If you are planning to go bird watching in Arizona, always make sure that you visit the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve which houses almost 300 different species of birds. If you want, you can make a schedule online and avail of the guided tours on Saturday mornings. The preserve has almost 3-mile long trail that gives you a breathtaking beauty of nature along with various species of birds nearby.

Things you need before you go for bird watching in Arizona

Bird Watching Caribbean Cruise

Who said you can’t enjoy two pleasures at the same time? If you have to go on a Caribbean cruise, another thing you can do is bird watching given that there are a lot of bird species living out there in the tropics. Here are some of them.

First is the Trinidad Asa Wright Nature Center that is ten miles north of the town of Arima on Blanchisseuse Road. This place is situated in 200 acres of rain forest so you ca walk around here and catch different bird species hiding amongst the trees. If you have the time, try to spend at least 2 to 3 days here so you can take your time doing your hobby.

Next is the Bubali Pond in Aruba that is on the north side of eagle beach and south of De Olde Molen that happens to be a known windmill restaurant. This isn’t a wildlife preserve but rather a pond that is kept wet all year round. You can expect to see brown pelicans here in large groups as well as the Black crowned Night Herons. It is best to see these near dusk and dawn.

Bird Watching

Bird watching as a hobby has long been contested by the birders, saying that the two are not in any way the same. While birdwatchers do such as part of an activity during recreation, birders are into it with intense dedication.

The Birders
May it be in the UK or in the United States, birders say that what they are doing is far from just a pastime or a relaxation thing. For them, they do such to study not only the species of birds but also their patterns. They don’t base their analogies on mere observation and they invest on the latest optical equipments to strengthen their claims.

Instead of going where the birdwatchers usually go, the birders are always on the lookout for new and unexplored sites, hoping to find more information. They would even allot a budget for travel, however far it will take them, just to expand their knowledge and to discern a lot more about the subject that they are most interested about, birds.

Binocular

For a person who loves observing the birds, a scope would be very beneficial especially if you’ve already mastered the use of binoculars and is now ready to take the activity to another level.

The Binoculars
This is the first gadget that is actually being invested upon by the bird watchers and the birders. They look closely into the product to determine what could best work for them. This becomes more of their best friend as time goes by. This actually serves the purpose of seeing the birds more clearly.

The accessories for such also become varied through time. The comfort of the user is considered with the weight, eye cups, different lenses and corresponding elements that could make the work easier for its user.

Spotting Scopes
For the birders, it is important to be at the right place at the right time. They are always on the lookout for something new. They want to add on to what they already knew. And the most important thing is that they want to strengthen their claims and prove their observations as gearing towards the scientific explanation.

Bird Watching Gifts

Bird watching is a great hobby.  You get to meet people get close to nature and know the difference between each species. If you know someone who is into this, you could surprise them on their birthday by buying them a bird watching gift.

What do bird watching enthusiasts want as gifts? To answer that, you have to know what they bring a long every time they had out into the woods.

Probably the most affordable and easiest to get is a hat. This will prevent their hair from blocking the eyes at the same time prevent them from getting sun burn in the face.

The next item could be a pair of cargo pants that has a lot of pockets so they can put snacks and other items on their sides.

A bird watching vest is another cool item to get because it has more pockets than the cargo pants. They can put their mobile phone on one pocket, snacks, water, map, and insect repellant and more on the others making it within arm’s length instead of taking this out of the back pack.