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Birds are so much fun to study and photograph. That’s why I started a birding journal or scrapbook. In addition to identifying returning migratory birds, I can also add photos of my wintering avian friends. I love watching and recording the transition from their winter coats to their spring and summer dresses!
A bird journal will help you keep track of when your spring visitors arrive. That way, he’ll know when to add a favorite food to his bird feeders. This is how I will try to attract bluebirds to nest in one of my birdhouses this year. I made note of their arrival last year and recorded it in my bird journal, so this year I know exactly when to offer them their favorite treat: mealworms.
I bought my inexpensive blank journal at the local craft store. They can also be found at discount and office supply stores. It’s a 6″ x 6″ mini scrapbook, and the smaller size is perfect for taking with me on hikes, vacations, or just anywhere I go. There are many pages where I can add photos and record the date, time of day, temperature and weather conditions, number of birds seen and where. It is customizable because there is a place for a picture and a title on the cover, which can be accessed from the inside of the front of the book. It’s also a refillable book, allowing me to purchase and add more pages as I need them.
Don’t worry if you don’t always have a camera on hand. Many times I don’t. In that case, I just write as much detail as I can about the bird’s color, size, identity (if I know it), and field markings like wing patches, leg and bill color, etc. I also note whether the feathered visitor was foraging on the ground, perched in a tree, eating at bird feeders, seen in the park, or seen while flying over a field, etc.
Because I love feathers and all their colors, I collect them and add them to the pages of my mini scrapbook. I find out which bird dropped them by consulting my field guide. The guide helps me learn a lot more about the birds that I have seen. I can also record an interesting fact or unusual behavior that I have learned in my journal/scrapbook.
My other favorite ‘bird thing’ is nests. They come in all sizes and consist of different materials, depending on the bird that built them. So if I come across an old nest, I take a picture and describe the materials that were used. It’s a lot of fun when I can see and identify the birds that occupy a nest.
If it is possible to see what the eggs or chicks look like without disturbing the nest or its inhabitants, I take note of what I see in as much detail as possible. Taking a quick photo is ideal, but only if it doesn’t cause stress to the baby birds or the adults caring for them.
Your personal observations can be an important source of information for anyone lucky enough to open their bird journal at some point. It is a sad fact that in the last 40 years, some of our wonderful songbirds have declined by as much as 60%. Your scrapbook will be a legacy for future generations who may never get the chance to see these birds in person.
Birds surround us daily. His songs are often the background music of our days, although sometimes we are too busy to really listen to them. But if you take a little time out of your busy schedule to make room for wild birds, it will completely change your perspective!