7 Steps for beginner Bird Watching!

If you will search for the guide for bird watching thousands of articles and journals will appear. They will give you a very long list of prerequisites that you need to have before starting bird watching. And only some of you will be able to retain your energy and motivation level the same as it was before reading the article. Stuff like professional cameras and binocular, a good bird guide, some knowledge about birds is required when you are supposed to be a professional bird watcher. But if you are a beginner who is just fascinated by birds and their activities you can become a first-level bird watcher without having any of those things all you need do is follow the simple steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Observe anything!

Do not pressurise yourself to observe and focus on birds only, on your very first day of bird watching. Never do that! Nature works in harmony, everything is interrelated here. You can start by observing anything that surrounds you, like plants, flowers, small insects, dogs, squirrels, winds movement, rainfall pattern, wild grasses, empty pots literally anything. Initially just love the process of observation do not be greedy for the results.

Step 2: No equipment for beginners.

Just watch it initially, do not hurry to capture everything you see. As it makes your subject of observation conscious moreover capturing them demands a lot of time. Not everyone can afford to sit all day with a camera to capture the best photograph. It may leave you exhausted. You need not prove your hobby to the world, first do it for urself.

Step 3: Have patience.

You need to be very very patient with bird watching, try to resist your temptation to go closer, just don't disturb them. Be quiet and let them do what they are doing. These tiny creatures are very fast and furious your one stupid mistake can deprive you of a beautiful sight. Assure them of their security, they will trust you and will get comfortable with you.

Step 4: Attract them.

There are many ways to attract birds you can feed them, give water to them, have plants. Such little steps will attract the birds and will develop trust between you and them. 

Step 5: Observation to the next level.

After following the above steps now you need to level up your observation skills. Start observing the bird minutely and it is not a one time process, you need to observe the same bird again and again for days so that you are able to identify its colour, size, tail shape, body shape, any unique features, activities, feeding habits, their interactions i.e. whether they live in pair or groups, their nature i.e. aggressive, calm or furious. Again you need not be very professional, but they need to be unique as it will help you in further steps.

Here are some of my observations:-

• Blue Rock Pigeons are the most irritating yet funniest bird. They will come back as many times you will hit them, they just don't have any self-respect and will never feel bad for your actions. They live near humans and are always in pairs, loves to eat bajra but can compromise with concrete also, don't spend much time in building a nest.
  

• Crows are very clever, raise their newborns with the utmost care, build a very strong nest, they have marvellous unity, never ever tease them they will definitely revenge it back until you lose. They value time and if you start feeding them they will be on time always.
• Mynas poke their nose a lot. their favourite place of poking in the nests of others. They will always be there to enquire about that. Their appearance resembles an agent. 
  
• Dove is like an ultra-beautiful version of pigeon. They are very calm with almost no activities, usually lives alone only seen in pair when raising newborns. Their nest are similar to pigeons yet somewhat stronger. Within a week the kids fly away and I have never seen a dove teaching them how to fly. They don't have family moments.
  
• Purple sunbird is a tiny bird with a bright and shiny purple coat who always feed on nectar. So if you have plants you can easily attract this beautiful bird.
  
• Redheaded bulbul is a very common bird who is seen in pair. They feed on insects and their nest is too small for their size.
• Spotted munia is an ultra-delicate bird who looks like a little eagle. They are very furious, builds a quite big nest with dry and wet grasses.
  
• And my favourite is the Wire-tailed swallow. They have a shiny coat with blue upperpart, white underpart and Chesnut hat which looks like a helmet. They are very fast flyers and can fly all day long, they enjoy it a lot and often fly in groups.
  

Step 6: Search for it.

Now you can search for the bird based on your observations. This may be the most irritating part as you don't have a professional guide for it. Sometimes you may find them, sometimes you may not. Don't get irritated here and search for it until you find. Here is a tip for you, Involve your friends and family into this hobby and search collectively, it will get much easier and interesting.

Step 7: Prepare a journal.

The reward comes in the form of a journal prepared. How beautiful it will be to have a collection of birds you have observed. It can be never-ending after all we have 1300 species of birds in India. Better prepare a digital as well as a handmade journal, both have their own advantages.

Additional tips:-

• Best Time - Start with sunrise and sunset, birds are most active at that time. 
• Best Place- Anywhere! Among plants, on the rooftop,  backyard garden, kitchen garden, balcony, parks wherever you want.

Isn't it easy? Anyone can do that, you will be involved in productive activities, more aware of your surroundings and phenomenon of nature. These steps are just for those who are beginners and have very limited time yet want to get closer to the nature. You will feel satisfied with these simple steps and you will have something than nothing, that too with zero material investment. Your hobby will accompany you where ever you will go and your journal will keep on enhancing.

Enjoy your bird watching!

SAMIKSHA