Bird Watching Walk

Take a walk and notice the birds that live in your neighborhood.

Background

How to look for birds

Birdwatching or birding is a hobby that can be enjoyed by young and old, in the suburbs and in the country, wherever birds can be found. Some people supplement birdwatching with feeding wild birds or planting a bird-friendly habitat to attract birds to their backyards. The wealth of information contained in most bird books can be daunting, and the easiest way to learn about your local birds is to watch them with someone who has some experience, or to go on trips to our local wildlife refuges. Getting started on this rewarding hobby is easy once you know some basic information.

It is best to be rather quiet when looking for many birds, who may be scared off by loud noises. The best time to look for birds is early in the morning as many birds are resting during the heat of the day. But there are several large and common birds that are active all day around Davis. Among these are scrub jays, yellow-billed magpies, and mockingbirds. These should be easy to spot and are approachable as they are used to people.

Approach a potential birdwatching area slowly and quietly. Do you see birds flying near the area? Use your ears as well as your eyes to detect birds. Do you hear birds calling? A woodpecker tapping on a tree? As you enter the area, you may wish to “call” to the birds by making “pshhh--pshhh--pshhh” noises with your mouth, sort of like shushing someone. You may be surprised by the birds that come out of trees to investigate this curious sound. Wait a bit to see if anyone shows up.

Binoculars are necessary for the serious birder, but they do take practice to learn how to focus them and find birds. Children need to practice with binoculars on inanimate objects first. Another very useful item is a bird identification book, there are several brands available. When a birder is trying to identify a bird, he flips to the pictures of the birds in the book. The pictures show identification marks of each bird. There are also hints about how the bird behaves or how it sounds, and a range map, which often helps to determine which bird you are watching.

Birders often like to keep a list of birds they have seen, called their “lifelist.” It can be sort of a competition to see who has seen the most birds. You may wish to use the checklist of some local birds listed below.

More About Birds...

• National Bird Day in the USA is January 5

• Birds have feathers, wings, lay eggs and are warm blooded.

• There are around 10000 different species of birds worldwide.

• The Ostrich is the largest bird in the world and lays the largest egg.

• Birds have hollow bones which help them fly.

• The chicken is the most common species of bird found in the world.

• Hummingbirds can fly backwards.

• The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest living bird in the world, with a length of just 5 cm (2 in).

How to make a bird-friendly garden

We can manage our home landscapes to provide favorable features for our local birds and beneficial insects. The following is a list of features that makes a garden friendly to birds:

1. Cover or shelter. Birds need places to rest, to escape from predators (housecats!) and to build nests. Birds like a garden with a variety of plants of different heights and structures, from tall, mature, trees to low, dense shrubs.

2. Food for birds. Many birds relish eating berries or seeds provided by landscape plants and this is an easy way to attract them without putting out feeders. If you do wish to install a birdfeeder, just remember that not all birds will come to a feeder, and that there may be a seasonality to the activity at your feeder.

Also remember these hints:

--Keep your birdseed and feeder fresh, clean and dry. Birds can get sick from bad food just as people can.

--To avoid unwanted guests such as rodents, you may need to put up special baffles around your feeder. Alternatively, you may put out only enough seed for one day so there are no leftovers at night to feed the rats.

--Test the type of birdseed you purchase to see how much is left uneaten. Cheaper seed may contain fillers such as wheat, milo, oats or red (white is ok) millet that are not eaten or that will attract undesirable birds. This will also mean more seeds sprouting under the feeder. Sunflower seeds are probably the most popular food, although their hulls may discourage plant growth under the feeder.

--If you feed birds, put feed out at different heights and locations. Some birds like to feed on the ground, some like to perch on the feeder. Provide some cover nearby that birds can escape to, but that won’t hide predators. Please DON’T FEED birds if you have a bird-catching cat.

--Treats for hummers: Red, tubular flowers tend to attract hummingbirds but they will also visit hummingbird feeders. If you choose to feed hummingbirds, use a solution of 4 parts water to one part white, granulated sugar. Boil the water first, dissolve sugar, and cool. Store in refrigerator. Use a feeder you can clean thoroughly every 4-5 days. Scrub with hot water and vinegar, rinse well. DO NOT use honey (it can sicken and kill the birds), red dye, and don’t spray the feeder with pesticides to kill visiting ants and wasps.

3. Water. Water will often attract many birds, especially in the dryer months. Butterflies and other insects will also take drinks from shallow puddles.

4. Space. In order to attract the greatest diversity of organisms, they need to have some “elbow room,” especially for birds who can be very territorial. Many birds also appreciate quiet space away from people-activities.