Beginning birdwatching

Be still, and they will come

For the past few weeks, the mornings have had a different sound. Birdsong, absent for many months, has now returned at dawn. Robins are making the early morning wake-up call. Male cardinals, resplendent in their red coats, have found their voice and are staking out their territory. Those living near wetlands have heard the unmistakable call of the red-winged blackbird. There is also more movement as the early migrants come through, or as over-wintering residents hearken the call of the north. Early arrivals include the tenacious goldencrowned kinglets. These little birds—it would take 16 of them, feathers and all, to make up a quarter-pounder—are on their way to their breeding grounds in the northern boreal forests, travelling thousands of kilometres. Birdwatching is a fascinating hobby, and is second only to gardening in popularity. It is also very easy to get started, says outdoor educator Cheryl Chapman. “You just need to be able to quiet yourself and be still and watch, and the birds will come to you,” she says. “If you wanted to get more serious, a pair of binoculars are helpful because they allow you to see the birds up close. A good bird book, too. Or there’s an app called Merlin, which is free to download, and it will help you identify birds in your area, or anywhere in the world for that matter. But really, just a willingness to sit still for a few moments and let the birds do their thing, and you can get started with that.” There’s no need to travel far either. Start by simply looking out of your window, or going in the garden, or by being more observant during a walk around the neighbourhood.

Cheryl Chapman worked as an outdoor education specialist with the Toronto District School Board, and now runs the NatureHood program through the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (PEPtBO). This program is funded by Nature Canada and is designed to engage residents with nature in their neighbourhood by encouraging people to come out into the natural world and explore. She also runs the GET OUT! Kids’ Club, which provides a selection of activities for the whole family in their local green spaces as a way to remain connected with nature even through the pandemic. She has had a strong interest in nature since childhood. “My mum always had us outside and was always keen to point out little things in nature, and my aunt gave me a bird book when I was probably seven or eight and that got me seriously looking at birds with the idea of identifying them, and realizing that they’re fascinating as a species and are an endless source of entertainment.” She says that there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people who have become involved in birdwatching over the past year. “I think that people have been slowed down by the pandemic and are able to take a little more time to look out their windows and see what’s out there and realizing these birds are kind of interesting and wanting to know more, for sure.”

Early spring is an excellent time for birdwatching, as the tree foliage has not yet filled out, making it easier to see the birds. Also, the spring migration brings many birds into this area, with over 300 species coming through. “The birds have been arriving for a few weeks already. The sandhill cranes have arrived, with great excitement among birders in the area. Red-winged blackbirds are here. The early migratory birds have arrived, and we expect to get more as the weather warms and the days get longer,” says Chapman. “Some of the birds that were here for the winter are leaving—the little juncos and redpolls will be heading further north as the new birds are coming in. We can expect to see some killdeers in the next few days, and I’m seeing more robins out there now. The little birds, the warblers, will take more time, and we may soon be seeing the swallows return in early April.” Areas like the Millennium Trail, local parks and even cemeteries are great places to see birds. People can make their gardens more attractive to birds by putting out a source of food or water, growing plants or shrubs that will provide shelter, constructing nest boxes or nesting platforms—and by keeping cats indoors. “They are a big killer of birds,” adds Chapman.

Recent studies have shown that watching birds is a great stress reliever, and there’s even been a study that has found the happiness people get from birdwatching is equivalent to the joy of getting a 10 per cent pay increase. “The sounds of nature reduce stress levels. Just by being out in nature, you have to be still, which means you have to calm yourself and just relax in order to see birds. So right there is the health benefit, both physical and mental. It’s good for you to be birding,” says Chapman. She adds that one way to become more proficient in bird watching is to pick one bird and get to know it really well, and then compare other birds to that. From there, another bird can be chosen to keep the interest going. She says that quite often the first indication that there are birds nearby is from the sounds they make, whether it’s their song or the sound of their wings, so being still and listening is an ideal way to begin, and that other keys to identifying birds are their size, shape, colour, habits and the habitats they live in. Good resources are All About Birds (allaboutbirds.org) from The Cornell Lab, which has extensive information about bird species across the Americas, as well as eBird (ebird.org), which follows birds across the world and allows for contributions by citizen scientists. Closer to home, the library has an outdoor kit available for families that includes birdwatching activities, and the PEPtBO website, peptbo.ca, has a wealth of information including details of the upcoming online spring birding festival. There is also a link to family resources for NatureHood and GET OUT! Kids’ Club.