“We just have to ask … what exactly are you looking at?”
A family of four had rolled up behind me in their SUV, windows down, looking curious. I couldn’t help but laugh because to most folks driving by, the flooded agricultural field I stood in front of probably looked like a whole lot of nothing.
“There are shorebirds out there!” I excitedly replied. “They love fields like this. And it’s spring migration right now, so we’re seeing a lot of cool birds come through. There’s a long-billed dowitcher out there!”
I’d like to think they were as excited as I was … but they nodded politely, waved, and slowly started driving away before I could even tell them about the dunlin, pectoral sandpipers, and greater and lesser yellowlegs out there too. Little did they know what this field was hiding!
A grainy, distant photo of the long-billed dowitcher in question, standing in a puddle in a flooded field. This bird was reported on Friday morning by a fellow birder and many people went to go take a look. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Have you seen a lot of cars pulled off onto the side of country roads lately? Have you wondered what they’re up to? If there’s a pond or wet, muddy field nearby, chances are they’re birding.
In previous weeks on our Entryway to Birding blog, I’ve probably made birding sound a lot like a walk in the woods with some binoculars. That’s not an inaccurate depiction by any means—but it’s also not a complete one.
Birding is a versatile and accessible hobby that can be done in more ways than one. If your intention is to look or listen for birds, then congratulations! You’re birding—even if you aren’t in the woods, even if you don’t have binoculars, even if you haven’t left your house.
Here’s a round-up of just a few of the many other ways you can bird:
Bird by ear
Because birds have unique songs and calls, you don’t always have to see them to identify them. This makes birding a great hobby for folks who are blind or visually impaired. It takes some practice and research to get comfortable with bird songs (especially once you move beyond the more common backyard birds) but it is a skill that pays off tenfold. Once you start to listen closely, a whole new auditory world will open up.
Birding by ear is a challenge for new and experienced birders alike, so remember to be patient with yourself. Start with the birds in your backyard or on your block. Download a free bird guide application, like the free Merlin ID app or Audubon app, and listen to the songs of some common backyard birds. American robins, black-capped chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, northern cardinals, house finches, goldfinches, and house sparrows will give you a good starting point if you’re brand new to backyard bird songs. Once you get comfortable recognizing the basics of some common birds, you’ll start to recognize when you hear songs or calls that are different—and that will lead you to new birds!
If birding by ear is something that you or someone you know is interested in learning more about, consider signing up for Madison Audubon’s Birding by Ear two-part class, offered in partnership with the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired. Check out this page for more information about the class and a registration link.
Bird by car
You don’t need to walk miles and miles to see birds in the middle of a nature preserve. There are plenty of ways that you can bird straight from your car (and easily maintain social distancing too!). This is a great option for folks who may not do well on their feet for long periods of time or who may be mobility impaired. You’ll ideally want to have some binoculars at the minimum for this type of birding, since you will be further away from the birds than if you were on a trail. You’ll be incredibly well-prepared if you have a spotting scope for those really far away birds, but it’s not always necessary.
I saw these pectoral sandpipers poking around another flooded ag field, right near the edge of the road. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
I’ve been doing a lot of road birding right now for two reasons: 1) it’s easier to keep physical distance between yourself and other birders when you’re in a car or can put a car’s space between you, and 2) there’s a lot of spring migrants that love spending time in Wisconsin’s wet and muddy agricultural fields.
Here are two suggestions where you might go if you’d like to go for a bird drive without leaving your car, one right in town and the other about a 20 min drive north:
If you don’t want to go far, swing into the parking lot near Ground Zero Coffee (near the Williamson St and Livingston intersection) and look north to the MG&E buildings to see if you can spot the resident peregrine falcons! Read more about their nest box here.
A yellow-headed blackbird perches on some reeds at the County Rd V pond. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
If you don’t mind a 20 min drive, head up to the Vienna Waterfowl Production Area at the intersection of Cty Rd V and Patton Rd to check out a big, marshy pond that’s been home to a lot of cool birds lately! Look for yellow-headed blackbirds in the reeds, the ever-entertaining Bonaparte’s gulls, several duck species, and the rare white-faced ibis that have been hanging around this week. (There’s no parking here, just pulling off on the side of the road. Patton Rd is much quieter than Co Rd V but both have wide shoulders.)
Bird at home
While it is fine to get out of your house (safely social distancing, of course!), this pandemic could also be a great time to start keeping a yard list of birds you’re seeing at home. With spring returning, you might find that you have new visitors arriving every day! I spend a few minutes each day birding from home—it helps me feel a little closer to my neighborhood birds. And while I’ll never know if they are “the same ones” from the day before, it certainly seems like there are some regulars! There is a house finch pair that I have seen collecting nest material, so I know they are living somewhere nearby. I’ve also noticed the mourning doves tend to have some favorite spots they return to in the evening.
Do you have bird feeders already? Then you are ahead of the game! If you don’t, check out Madison Audubon’s list of resources for how you can attract birds to your yard.
Do you live in an apartment complex or otherwise seemingly un-birdy area? You’ve got a fun challenge on your hands! I live in a second-story apartment building with no access to a yard, so I scour all the angles I can get from my apartment windows looking for birds. In an effort to not creep out any neighbors, I only use my binoculars when I can’t see anyone outside that might notice me. (Ducking out of sight when people appear is half the fun of my home birding sessions, to be honest.)
With it now being the season of open windows, I’ve started paying attention to what I can hear outside too. Every now and then, a unique call will lead me to the window. Just the other day, I heard (and then saw) a ruby-crowned kinglet out my window—a bird that I wasn’t expecting to see in my apartment complex parking lot. It was exciting!
A ruby-crowned kinglet on a branch. I did not take this photo through my apartment window, unfortunately. I only wish I was that talented. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Birding can be done in endless ways. This list is brief, but it hopefully has given you some ideas of how you might be able to go birding, even if you don’t have the time or ability to go hiking in the woods.
In the next few weeks, I’ll have posts coming up that will continue to unpack the boundless hobby that is birding. Like any hobby, the more time and effort you put into it, the more results (rather, birds) you may see. That flexibility is part of what I appreciate about this hobby—you can do it anytime, anywhere, with as much effort as you want.
If at the end of the day, you saw birds and they brought you some joy, then that’s a success!
See you next week!
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Written by Caitlyn Schuchhardt
Caitlyn is the Communications and Outreach Assistant at Madison Audubon. She’s crazy for birds because they changed her life. She’ll be back next Monday with some tips and tools for birders! Between now and then, she’d love to hear about the birds you’re seeing and hearing. Leave a comment below or email to drop her a line!
