Identify Birds: Take Pictures at Your Bird Feeder to Help
The number one complaint from new bird watchers is that they don’t really know what they are looking at. You may even be one that has enjoyed watching birds for years and have still not learned their names. It can be difficult to recognize and identify birds in your yard, especially if you have nothing to go by. You might want to use a spotting scope.
There are many tools you can use to help you learn about the native birds that visit your yard. Using pictures of bird feeders can be very helpful in assisting you. There are several ways to go about this task. You can use your own pictures of bird feeders or you can use those found in bird magazines or books.
Birds are most relaxed when they are feeding. They are as still as they probably will ever be during the day while eating.
This makes for a good opportunity for bird watchers to get a good look at different characteristics of the birds. One of the best things for you to do however simply keeps a camera near your watching spot. Each time you spot a bird at your feeder, take a quick picture of the bird.
Having different bird feeders will attract different types of birds for you to capture while they feed.
To get the best photo possible, consider making sure your viewing angle is the best possible.
You can do this by twisting your feeder to face the side when looking at it from your viewing area. When a bird perches to the side of your feeder, you will be able to get a great profile shot. This will allow you to view the head, neck, and breast of the bird, which will help you identify its type.
After getting your pictures developed, you can compare the birds from your yard to those in a bird watching book.
Bird watching books have detailed descriptions and pictures that will help you match your photos with the correct bird type. They are one of the most organized ways to find proper bird identification. They come in small pocket versions and large table editions.
You can find them in local bookstores or your neighborhood library. These books, along with your photos of bird feeders, will help you to become familiar with birds in your area. They will also have information on birds that might only pass through your area, so if you have a picture of bird feeders that contain a bird not native to your area, you will still be able to identify it.
As you can see, pictures of bird feeders are the perfect way to learn how to identify birds in your area. Choosing to use a digital camera is a great thing because you can immediately download the photo and compare it with your bird watching book. This will also allow you to keep the photo for future use or discard it if you like.
No matter what type of camera you have, after using pictures of bird feeders for identification purposes you can always frame them to use as art in your home.