Bird watching is a fantastic hobby suitable for individuals of all ages. In addition to enjoying the great outdoors and gaining an appreciation for nature, bird watching is a hobby that can be shared with friends and family. Many bird watchers find themselves healthier due to their time outside scanning the skies for that ultra-rare bird. If you are interested in beginning bird watching as a hobby, consider the following tips to get your started and on the right track.

1.) Get a book.

Most bird watchers are not experts on our fine feathered friends from the start. Instead of thinking, a bird is a bird is a bird, think again! Birds are a fabulous species that are as diverse as any other set of creatures on this earth. Furthermore, most birds are readily identified by their coloration, so choose a book that has many color pictures suitable for matching the bird in the sky with the correct one in the book. Bird books are available for all different types of bird watchers, from children to adults interested in learning more about birds that the color of their feathers. Also, consider choosing a book with information about bird tracks, since you will be able to determine what types of birds are in the area by the tracks they make.

2.) Listen to the music.

Even if you cannot see the bird, you will be able to identify the bird through its song. In order to be able to correctly identify birds by sound, consider investing in a CD of bird songs. These are readily available for every budget, just be sure to choose a CD that identifies the species of bird that is doing the singing. Consider involving the entire family in learning how to identify birds by their songs, as these CDs are excellent ways to keep the whole family entertained on long car trips.

3.) Join a club.

The old saying, “birds of a feather flock together” also applies to bird watchers. There are groups all over the country—and the world where bird watchers join to socialize and converse about the different birds they have seen. If you are a new bird watcher, these groups will be great in getting you into the hobby, since most bird watchers have already learned how to identify birds by both sight and sound. Furthermore, bird watching clubs have a great deal of fun by organizing unique activities that incorporate their favorite hobby.

4.) Bring the birds to your yard.

Bird lovers and bird watchers often strive to entice birds to their yards, especially during the harsh winter months when food and proper shelter may be hard to find. Start by outfitting your yard with a bird bath, bird houses, and bird feeders. Depending on your location in the world and the types of birds that are native to your area, you should work to provide the correct food and houses for those species. Also, you may want to consider investing in a heated bird bath, especially if you live in cold climates where winter’s wrath can freeze the water in the bath, preventing your feathered friends from enjoying the water. Also, consider planting specific flowers and plants in your yard that will draw birds to your home. In addition to bringing beauty to your yard, these bird friendly plants will invite your flying pals to your home.

However you decide to begin bird watching, do so immediately! Many individuals who experience stress-filled lives find that bird watching is the perfect activity to unwind and release the stresses and pressures of their work or home life.

About The Author

John Marcus specializes in Birds http://www.i-bird-bath.com.

contact@howtopcguru.com

Uganda is an equatorial country with an amazing diversity of Habitats. Truly a Kingdom of Birds, Uganda hosts over 1000 bird species, both Albertine Rift endemics as well as rarities with half of the species known on the African continent, and over 10% of those on record throughout the entire world. For a birding safari, Uganda is a perfect destination.

The country located in the Albertine region also lies on the Northern shores of Lake Victoria-the source of the White Nile, and the country is extremely fertile with parks, wildlife, lakes and rivers, Mountain ranges, parks and a cool attractive countryside.

Uganda enjoys a tropical climate with rainy seasons stretching from April-May and October-November, which is a favorable condition for bird existence since birds breed during the wet season. The wide variety of birds is found in both urban and rural areas of Uganda and the most popular birds are the Shoebill, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-fronted Antpecker, Green-breasted pitta, Black bee-eater, Purvell’s illadopsis, Karamoja Apalis, Nahans Francolin, African Green Broadbill and the Brown-chested plover. City and suburb species mainly include the African Hobby, the Bat Hawk, cooper sunbirds, white faced scops owl, freckled Nightjar and so many more species.

Other bird species include the orange weaver, Verreaux’s Eagle owls, pied kingfishers, Grey headed gull, black headed herons, Yellow bill Duck, swamp flycatcher, Vieillot’s black weavers, Hamerkop, Great blue Turaco and the Ross’s Turaco woodland kingfisher. Broad-billed roller, splendid starling, African fish eagle, Hadada ibis, shikra, Angola swallow, Grey-capped warbler, long crested eagle, palmnut and hooded vultures, Grey kestrel and so many more unmentioned species.

Uganda’s equatorial location, Transitional to the East African savannah and the western rainforests is combined with the altitude and great variety of terrain types provide an overwhelming array of opportunities for keen birders, making it Africa’s most complete bird watching destination.

The top birding spots in Uganda include: Bwindi impenetrable forest for Albertine rift endemics like the black bee-eater and African Green Broadbill, Murchison falls National Park for savannah specialists like the Shoebill, Abyssinian ground hornbill, and Red throated bee-eater, Kibale forest for the green breasted pitta, great blue Turaco. Queen Elizabeth National Park habits about 600 species like the African Mourning Dove, Temminck’s Courser. Mabamba Swamp for the Shoebill stork, Budongo forest for the white crested Turaco, shinning Blue Kingfisher, and Semliki National Park for white crested sunbird species. Rwenzori Mountains with various bird species, Lake Mburo for papyrus Gonelek and Bigodi wetland sanctuary for the Black billed Turaco, white spotted crake and many more colorful bird species.

A variety of unique habitats and lots of superb Birds make a visit to Uganda a must for every birder. This birding hotspot boosts of a bird list of over 1000 bird species, with some being EastAfrica’s rarest and most sought after birds, and the spectacular globally threatened species. Uganda harbours the greatest variety and concentration of Birds, Primates like chimpanzees and wildlife, lakes and rivers, snow-covered Mountain ranges, parks and landscape. A good infrastructure and a variety of interesting activities like Gorilla tracking, sport fishing and white water rafting make Uganda a worthwhile destination and enhance the birding experience.

For specifics contact Africa travel Emporium OR Uganda Safari Guide and Directory, – Birding Safaris to Uganda http://www.aboutuganda.com/birding.html

For a complete directory of free travel information on Uganda, and Hotels, campsites, Kampala Hotels in Uganda http://www.hotelsinuganda.com/kampala.html

Africa Hotels, Kenya , Tanzania & Rwanda http://www.hotel-nights.com

About The Author

Jackie Kisibo is a freelance author in Africa. Her articles can be found on http://www.hotelsinuganda.com/kampala.html and http://www.aboutuganda.com/operators.html.

Here are some other things you can do to help the worms and the birds who enjoy them:

• Do not use insecticides or slug pellets.
• Buy worms and place them in your garden or a patch of soil.
• Plant shrubs, trees or plants native to your area—this will increase the likelihood of worms.
• Grow annuals and perennials which will attract nectar-feeding insects.
• Leave log piles, decaying leaves and a little longer grass—all these provide excellent habitats for insects.
• Start a compost pile with your leftover fruit and vegetable scraps, teabags, coffee grounds, crushed egg shells, newspapers (torn up) etc. — This provides an excellent home for worms and doesn’t require a lot of space. Even in an apartment you can keep one on your porch—use an old potting plant or recycle bin, add some soil and a few earthworms (you can dig them up or have local kids do it or go to a pet store to grab a few to start your bin).

17th century musical instrument used to train canaries to sing (Serinette)

Ladies in France during the 17th and 18th centuries had many refined hobbies to keep them occupied. One such hobby was to entice and train their pet canaries and finches, songbirds or serins in French.  These women often used a Serinette to accomplish this task. The Serinette is a hand cranked musical device resembling a music box.

Typically these were made of walnut and had a crank mounted in the front. When the women cranked the handle air was pumped into bellows which supplied air to the pipes while simultaneously turning a wooden barrel with gears. Brass pins and staples were driven into the barrel where the music pieces were encoded. Hanging over the barrel was a bar carrying wooden keys connected to valves by vertical wooden rods. As the barrel turns, the pins and staples lift the keys, in turn opening the valves to let air into the pipes, which are located at the rear of the instrument. Tunes are selected by first lifting the bar carrying the keys, then shifting the barrel along its length. This brings a different set of pins and staples in line with the keys.

Most serinettes contain one rank of ten metal pipes at 2′ pitch and play eight different tunes. Each tune lasts about 20 seconds and is normally of quick tempo and contains considerable ornamentation. A paper label pasted inside the lid listed the tunes available; one of the most common was “La petite chasse.”

Serinette construction was remarkably consistent; instruments built a hundred years apart by different makers can bear a strong similarity. Many builders worked in and around Mirecourt in the Lorraine region of France. The sound of the serinette is similar to that of the piccolo.

Here is a sample of the serinette’s sound.

It is almost ready! As soon as it is complete…we will be sharing it! We hope to see you there…

Nerd Birders

It is still being updated but if you are super enthusiastic and want to be part of it RIGHT NOW, simply click on the link above and join! You can be part of the beginning of something special just for birders! Or we will announce when it is complete and you come over then!

Thanks for checking us out. Hope to see you soon!

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

They are mischievous little buggers. They like to look away or hide way up in the trees. I think they prefer not to have their photographs taken. You might recognize this woodpecker all the same. He resembles Woody Woodpecker or should I say, Woody Woodpecker was most likely likened after the Pileated Woodpecker. It is an attractive bird. It also happens to be the largest woodpecker in North America and certainly of the woodpeckers found around here.

Pileated Woodpeckers are about 16 to 19 inches tall. This is about the size of the larger crows. It is black mostly with white stripes on its face. The males have a bright red tuft of feathers on the top of their heads. It is distinguishable because it peaks up — in a crest. This is the only woodpecker to have that crest. Male Pileated Woodpeckers can also have a red mustache. The brilliant red on their heads and faces make for a wonderful contrast against their black and white colors.

The sound they make pecking into a tree is fascinating. It sounds much like an exaggeratedly loud door stopper when you pull it back and let it go. It is loud and easily recognizable. When you hear it—you almost feel sorry for the bird, cringing. It seems as if it MUST hurt but according to the experts it does not. Woodpeckers can pound their beaks into trees for hours without it hurting because they have a very thick skull and extra muscles to cushion the brain. They get the strength necessary to pound the trees by their strong neck muscles. They get the leverage by their special feet—they have two toes in the front and two in back, the extra toe in the back helps grip the tree bark. They also get leverage by the two tail feathers — they are longer and pointed.

Notice how they hold themselves up with those tail feathers? They are almost like extra legs. Would you have thought the feathers would be so strong? Strong enough to hold a bird up while he pecks like a jackhammer on a tree?

I picked up on this early on with the woodpeckers. These tail feathers are pointed and longer than the rest. They look stronger or thicker as well. They definitely had a purpose.

The Pileated Woodpecker is an important bird in the forests where they live. They peck for insects which are often harmful to the trees. They also create large holes in the trees which are often used by smaller birds for nests or squirrels for homes. Not only do native birds use the holes the Pileated Woodpecker creates—these holes attract new birds to the areas where the Pileated Woodpecker lives.

The Pileated Woodpecker is quite the ecological force. It can peck so hard and such a big hole into a tree that some smaller trees are often felled by them. Felled trees are also important parts of forests for creatures to feed within, live within, hide within and when it decomposes—it provides nutrients needed in the soil and forest floor. So, if you live in area where the Pileated Woodpecker is native and you have a forest with trees that have huge holes bored into them—you most likely will find this red-headed bird hanging about. Just listen for the unique jack-hammer sound of its pecking, it will be difficult to miss.

The Pileated Woodpecker has an extra long tongue–it stretches three times the length of its bill!! Their tongues also have little barbs on them to catch insects easier. The length of their tongue makes it easy for the Pileated Woodpecker to reach deep inside the holes they bore to grab insects or sap. This bird is suited for survival or so you would think. Unfortunately, many of the 200 species of woodpeckers are endangered, some are close to extinction. This is due to a loss of habitat. Luckily the Pileated Woodpecker is not close to being endangered yet. I hope it stays this way but population numbers for most all birds are coming back lower and lower each year.

So, while you may be irritated with the woodpeckers for pecking on your roof or making some racket—now you know they are important parts of the ecological balance. And they are fascinating creatures. So before you call the pest control or start making a giant sling shot—step outside, take a camera and a foldable chair and enjoy watching this splendid bird in action.

Did you know that a group of Pileated Woodpecker is referred to by many names?

The collective noun(s) for a woodpecker are below:

A cord of Woodpeckers
A descant of Woodpeckers
A descension of Woodpeckers
A drumming of Woodpeckers
A gatling of Woodpeckers
A crown of Pileated Woodpeckers

The house sparrow is a social bird and will often beg humans for food in urban areas. Although my house sparrows are a bit more modest than begging. They will stand tall for a portrait or two — anything for seeds.

During the spring the males will chase their potential mates in an flying pursuit. I guess it is all about the chase…

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

	#1 Northern Bobwhite a chubby, robin-sized bird that runs along the ground in groups and is found in grasslands mixed with shrubs or widely spaced trees throughout much of the Eastern United States.
	#2 Evening Grosbeak: a rotund, robin-sized bird found in the mountains of the western United States and Canada; the boreal forest of Canada and the northern edge of the United States east to Nova Scotia.
	#3 Northern Pintail: a Mallard-sized “puddle duck” with a slim body found in grassy uplands and untilled crop fields near shallow seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands in much of the Northern Hemisphere.
	#4 Greater Scaup: a black, gray, and white duck, smaller than a Mallard, found along lakes and large ponds in large open tundra complexes in Alaska and eastern Canada.
	#5 Boreal Chickadee: a small, active, grayish bird with a black chin, brown cap, and brownish sides found in spruce and fir forests in most of Alaska and Canada and the U.S. states adjacent to Canada.
	#6 Eastern Meadowlark: a robin-sized bird with a light brown back and brilliant yellow breast with a big, black “V”, found in grasslands and open savannas in eastern Canada south through the eastern United States.
	#7 Common Tern: a slender, medium-sized, black-capped, gray-and-white bird with thin, pointed bill, and a long, deeply forked tail, found near shore in oceans, lakes, and rivers in the Northern Hemisphere, wintering in the Southern Hemisphere.
	#8 Loggerhead Shrike: a robin-sized gray bird with black wings, white wing-patches, a black mask, and black tail, found in short grass with isolated trees or shrubs, especially pastureland in most of Mexico and the southern half of the United States.
	#9 Field Sparrow: a small brown songbird with a light rusty cap and a bright pink bill found in abandoned fields with scattered shrubs and trees in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and Canada.
	#10 Grasshopper Sparrow: a fairly nondescript, small brown bird with a short tail and a flat head often found hiding in larger patches of grassland, usually with few shrubs or trees, in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and adjacent portions of southern Canada.
	#11 Snow Bunting: a small, pale-brown-and-white bird usually found in winter by the ocean, lakes, and rivers shores, grassy fields or roadsides in North America, Alaska and northern Canada. Its breeding plumage is brilliant white and black.
	#12 Black-throated Sparrow: a very distinctive small, brown bird with a black throat and mask found in open areas with scattered shrubs and trees, including deserts and semi-desert grasslands in the intermountain region in the western United States, northern Mexico, and Baja California.
	#13 Lark Sparrow: a brown bird with distinctive markings on the head and tail, found in grassy habitats with scattered trees or shrubs, including sagebrush, park-like settings, and open deciduous savannas in interior southwestern Canada south to northern Mexico and from Illinois west to California.
	#14 Common Grackle: a dark bird longer than most blackbirds, slimmer than most crows, and very iridescent with long center-creased tail, found in a variety of open habitats with trees, including urban areas, parks, riparian areas, and a variety of woody wetlands in the United States and Canada.
	#15 American Bittern: a two-foot tall brown and tan striped wading bird found in freshwater wetlands with tall, emergent vegetation in most of the Canadian provinces and the northern half of the contiguous United States.
	#16 Rufous Hummingbird: a very small, almost all cinnamon-colored bird with a red throat, found wherever flowers are near, from dense forests to sunny gardens in southern Alaska to northern California and Mexico.
	#17 Whip-poor-will: a bird only active at night with mottled brown plumage, found in dry, open woodlands with little underbrush in most of the eastern United States, and parts of southeastern and south-central Canada, southwestern United States, Mexico, and into northern Central America.
	#18 Horned Lark: a small grayish brown bird with dramatic black, yellow, and white facial and breast pattern, and small, feathered “horns” on its head, found in open, barren habitats in Canada, the United States (including Alaska), and northern Mexico outside of heavily forested areas.
	#19 Little Blue Heron: a dark blue bird with a light blue bill that has a black tip in adults, found in a wide variety of shallow waters and wetlands, including fresh and saltwater in the southeastern United States, Bahamas, Cuba, and most of the coast of Mexico.
	#20 Ruffed Grouse: a round-bodied, mottled-brown, crow-sized bird found in aspen forests, but in parts of the United States, found in young, open, mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, also in Alaska, through most of Canada, and the northern United States.

Originally posted at the National Audubon Society.

What is the Great Backyard Bird Count?

The following is copied and pasted from the original site.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year’s numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.

Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

We need your help. Make sure the birds from your community are well represented in the count. It doesn’t matter whether you report the 5 species coming to your backyard feeder or the 75 species you see during a day’s outing to a wildlife refuge.

Your counts can help us answer many questions:

• How will this winter’s snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?

• Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?

• How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?

• How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?

• What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

• Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?

Scientists use the counts, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to give us an immense picture of our winter birds. Each year that these data are collected makes them more meaningful and allows scientists to investigate far reaching questions.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 13–16, 2009. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you’re likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number or each species you see on this checklist.

3. When you’re finished, enter your results through our web page. You’ll see a button marked “Enter Your Checklists!” on the website home page beginning on the first day of the count (February 13, 2009). It will remain active until the deadline for data submission on March 1, 2009.

You can also take photographs and videos and submit them into the Photo Contest.

What great fun for everyone… of all ages. Definitely, join in the fun!