Bird Watching Tips
Tip1
You need a field guide for your area. Take a bird book with
you.
Tip 2
You need a binocular to see the birds. The best birders have
powerful binoculars -- even though they can identify a
bird 100 yards away by its silhouette.
Tip 3
You need to know what to expect in your area.
Tip 4
You need to be able to find the birds. To do this, you should
learn about the habitat each species of bird prefers.
Tip 5
Join a group of other birders. Birders are very friendly
and helpful. They are always willing to share their knowledge.
We were all beginners once.
Bird
Watching Techniques
A bird-watcher and his or her binoculars are practically
a cliche. But that's true for a reason. There are few things
better suited for this hobby in which participants are
trying to get a close look at a subject that tends to be
elusive and hard to approach.
1. Binoculars come in a range of sizes, styles and levels
of quality. Because they are so important, it's best to purchase
the best pair you can reasonably afford. Binoculars well
suited for bird-watching generally start in a price around
Rs 10,000 and may range upward of Rs 45,000.
2. Each pair of binoculars has a number associated with it
-- such as 8x42 -- and the numbers should be marked clearly
on the binoculars themselves. The first number (8) represents
the degree of magnification offered by the binoculars, so
in this example, the binoculars would enlarge the image 8
times larger than that of the naked eye. The second number
(42) gives the diameter, in millimeters, of the objective
lens (the front lens) of the binocular. A higher second number
means that the lens lets in more light. More light means
that the image seen through the binoculars will be brighter
and more clear.
3. When using binoculars, avoid looking through the binoculars
as you "look around." Instead, spot the bird you
want to view using your naked eye, then carefully bring the
binoculars up to your eyes while keeping the bird in view
-- without moving your head or changing the direction you're
looking.
4. For the serious bird-watching enthusiast, another useful
tool is the scope. These specialized telescopes
are typically mounted on tripods and are more powerful than
binoculars.
They start at magnifications of 15 or 20, and some go much
higher.
5. Some scopes have zoom attachments that allow you to variably
decrease or increase magnification up to as much as 60x.
Other features include a separate focus knob and a tripod
and handle that allows tilting and panning for easy viewing
in all
directions.
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