Backyard Birding: Getting Started

Birding is big—and getting bigger. As topsy-turvy as this year has been, its events have shaken up enough routines to cause people to notice new things in the world, and that includes the birds flying around their homes.

Maybe the boom in new birders is simply tied to the fact that many of us are safe at home and looking out the windows at times when we’d normally be stuck in traffic commuting. Or maybe, even during quarantine, people have found that they want to get outside and, for social distancing reasons, have discovered new places to go. Birding fills that bill nicely.

Of course, it could be that in a digitally-engaged-always-on-Zoom world, people are finally waking up to what birders have always known: Birding is fun, and you’re guaranteed to see some amazing things. As a hobby, birding gets a lot right.

• There’s a very low cost to get started.
• There’s a low learning curve.
• It works great for small groups.
• It works just as well for individuals.
• It takes you outside and away from screens.
• Birders are introduced to more about the world around them.
• It’s a hobby that you can participate in year-round.

This is why we partnered with award-winning author and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela for a whole new Bird Watching Basics series to help folks get started with birding.

Stan Tekiela’s Birding for Beginners

There are 7 books in the series that are available for preorder now. Each one is based on a different region of the United States, allowing readers the chance to focus quickly on whatever they see. So you’ll be able to find specific books for California, the Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, South, and the Southwest. Each book focuses on what you are most likely to see and provides field markings on each photo to help you easily identify the birds in your backyard.

These books for beginning birders also have information on birdseed and other bird foods. Not all birds eat the same kinds of foods, and you’ll be amazed at how the mix of birds in your yard changes once certain foods, feeders, bird houses, etc., are put into use. The guides also have information on bird nests and trees, as well as a few words on the habits and migration patterns of some of the birds in each region.

So check out Stan Tekiela’s Birding for Beginners series and pre-order your regional guide today. Also, check out the publisher’s blog over at Adventure Publications for more detailed information about the series and to enter the great giveaway going on right now. There’s still plenty of time to enter!

Stay safe and get outside!