February 02 is World Wetlands Day and bird lovers everywhere are bound to be trudging dutifully along the marshes and lakes to photograph a bronzed jacana or purple heron. But the most rewarding kind of bird watching is not a one-day activity. Rather, it’s an irresistible habit that grows on you till life is full of cheeps and chirrups. And you don’t need to pile on the binoculars, guidebooks, and long lenses and tick off new species on a list. Here are a few tips for those who want to discover bird watching simply as a fount of joy.
First, don’t rush to far-off places. There are obviously far more birds in the wild and fewer in the city, but city birds are less shy and easier to spot, especially if the apartment complexes in your neighbourhood are well planted with trees and shrubs, or if your window or balcony looks out on trees. Birds gather in large numbers in the marshes or near a pond, and in a crowd they are not easily disturbed by humans. Birds are also attracted to fountains, leaky taps or other wet and cool places. They hang around public gardens, especially where picnickers are likely to drop crumbs. Any environment near you is suitable for bird watching.
Second, leave behind your camera, your binoculars and your guidebook at first and just look with your own two eyes. You are spotting birds for pleasure, after all, not gathering evidence.
Go on an occasional guided walk if you want to know how seasoned birders do their stuff. Otherwise, go alone or with a quiet companion.
Remember that you actually see birds not while walking but when you linger in one place. Suddenly the shrubs and branches come alive with twitters and rustles, or a lone bird is silently savaging a worm. So stop often to observe and you’ll soon know the best places to see a bird.
You are less likely to startle birds if you wear muted colours, remain quiet, and avoid abrupt movements. Silence your phone and, if you must eat, don’t rustle plastic and paper bags.
Be kind. Don’t frighten or chase birds, don’t shake or climb trees, and never touch nests or eggs. To attract birds to your own garden or balcony, set out clay bowls of water. Keep the surroundings clear so that cats cannot attack unseen. If one species of bird monopolises the water, put out several bowls and spread them about. Once you’re in the habit of spotting birds, you may want the pleasure of naming them. If so, take snapshots and identify the species leisurely at home. If not, just keep strolling about, hearing cheeps and chirrups wherever you go.
BIRD BOOKS
So much information is available online, but an old-fashioned printed guide in hand is best for roughly identifying a bird. Once you have a name you can find more information anywhere.
There are many excellent field guides in print and each bird lover swears by a different one. Some birders like to carry a book on their walks, flip through pages, and instantly confirm whether they’ve seen a Jerdon’s chloropsis or a golden-fronted chloropsis.
A much more rewarding way is to read many different books on birds of your region whenever you have time, discovering the habits, habitats, nests, mating calls, flight patterns, migratory seasons and other aspects of bird life.
A field guide is precious, but don’t treat it with kid gloves. Pencil in your own notes on what kind of tree you see a bird feeding on, or what time of day you regularly hear its call. Tuck in newspaper clippings about birds in your city.
Two classics for bird identification are Birds of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Shri Lanka by Bikram Grewal and, by far more comprehensive and definitive, The Book of Indian Birds by Salim Ali.
