Watching birds is a lovely hobby, to learn about our native and migrating feathered friends. As long as done responsibly, it’s a wonderful way to stay in touch with nature, and appreciate and protect the habitats of garden and other birds.
Read our posts on how to create safe havens for birds (feeding, nest-boxes, protecting from cats) and preventing bird strike. Don’t play birdsong near birds, it can confuse and attract predators.
Be a Birder is a treasure! The moment you open this book, you’ll fall in love with the 50 birds featured, each with gorgeous black-and-white illustrations and information on their habitat, behaviour and movements.
Birds featured include:
- Goldfinches
- Tawny Owls
- Kingfishers
- Arctic Terns
- Peregrine Falcons
I absolutely love birds. They make me tick. It’s no exaggeration to say that I wake up and go to sleep, thinking about birds. All of my conversations get redirected back to birds somehow.
When someone asks me what it is I love about birds, my first answer is that they can fly. I still find myself staring at their wings and thinking ‘How can you do that?’
Born in Sudan and raised in Scotland, Hamza Yassin is a Scottish wildlife cameraman and skilled ornithologist. He has appeared on many wildlife TV shows (he also won Strictly Come Dancing!)
Where to Buy Good Birdwatching Binoculars
It’s important not to disturb birds, when watching them. So a good pair of binoculars is key. Most people can’t afford hundreds of pounds to buy ones. RSPB Puffin Binoculars are designed for children (only cost around £30) and are small and lightweight, so pretty good for most adults too.
Not many people want to lug around heavy binoculars. They are easy to hold still, and offer a wide field of view and sharp image quality. They also include a case and wrist strap, and are sold with a 1-year warranty.
Matt Sewell’s Spotting and Jotting Guide
Spotting and Jotting Guide is one of the many wonderful birding books by pop artist and ornithologist Matt Sewell. Small enough to keep in your pocket, birds are replicated in stunning watercolours, with fun and knowledgeable descriptions of your favourite feathered friends:
- Greenfinches
- Goldcrests
- Blackcaps
- Collared Doves
A Field Diary for Watching Birds
The Slow Birding Journal is a beautifully designed field diary, for anyone who loves to watch birds. Unlike most journals that are just ‘lists of birds’, this one advocates ‘slow birding’ that focuses on the joy of watching birds at your own pace, rather than ‘ticking birds you spot’ off your list.
Filled with detailed sections for daily use, the journal includes:
- Space to record dates, locations and species of sightings
- Targeted prompts & questions to incorporate into birding
- Advice and guidance on what to look for and pay attention to
- Illustrations of many birds, plus blank pages for drawings
The best birding is where you are right now: in your backyard, your local parks, or on your favourite day hikes. This journal will lead you to a deeper understanding of the birds you see each day.
Joan Strassman is an evolutionary biologist who has watched birds (slowly) all her life. An award-winning teach of animal behaviour in Houston and St Louis, she has written 200 scientific articles on ecology.
The Joy of Watching and Knowing Birds
How to Look at a Bird is a beautifully illustrated guide for beginner birdwatchers, by acclaimed naturalist and artist Clare Walker Leslie.
Using her signature nature journal illustrations, she shows readers the key clues to look for – from the shape of the beak or talons to distinctive feather colours, flight patterns and behaviour traits.
Find simple prompts to encourage readers to ask how the bird is moving or eating and what season is it?
