Birding

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A Beginner’s Guide to eBird Mobile

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Welcome back to the Entryway to Birding blog! In last week’s entry, we explored some of the many reasons that a new birder might benefit from joining eBird, a citizen science platform for recording bird sightings and observations.

This week, I’m going to show you just how easy, fast, and rewarding submitting an eBird checklist can be using the eBird Mobile app. For those of you who prefer to stick to the desktop version, I’ll have some website-specific resources to share with you too.

Let’s get started by looking at eBird Mobile, designed to be used on your smartphone.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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From New Birder to eBirder: 7 Reasons Why You Should be on eBird

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If you’ve been following the Entryway to Birding blog, you’ve likely caught me waxing poetic about the wonders of eBird, a citizen science platform for recording bird observations. When I was first introduced to birding, all the wonders and curiosities of the bird-world unfurled before me. But getting introduced to eBird? That’s what gave me the tools and confidence to explore that new and exciting world, and my birding hasn’t been the same since.

This week’s blog is for all of you who might be curious about eBird and all of its potential. eBird has a wealth of resources to offer you, and you likely have more than you expect to offer it in return.

Read on for 7 reasons why you should get started eBirding today!

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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Goodbye Spring Migration, Hello Breeding Season!

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Each and every season brings something special for birders. This past March, April, and May was a flurry of excitement as migrating birds made their way through Wisconsin. As we’ve rounded the corner into June, things have started to settle down. Many of our migrating visitors have continued to move northward to their breeding grounds, while those who call Wisconsin home have started to nest.

As a new birder, it’s been fascinating to watch this shift. I have found that while I am seeing fewer species than I was just a few weeks ago, the behaviors of the birds are changing. I’m seeing them do things that I’ve never seen before, and it’s brought a whole new level of wonder and appreciation for birds and all they do.

So how should a new birder navigate this changing of the season? This week’s Entryway to Birding blog takes a look at the challenges and opportunities that June, July, and August will bring—and how this season can give your birding skills an edge!

Photo by Brandyn Kerscher

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Learning from #BlackBirdersWeek

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Have you been following #BlackBirdersWeek? The events of the week have come to an end, but the discussion that this movement prompted is far from over. This week on the Entryway to Birding blog series, I’m setting aside time to reflect on what I’ve learned as I’ve followed the week’s events.

Read on for some highlights from #BlackBirdersWeek that you should be sure to check out, and for some reflection on the important actions that the birding community needs to take to ensure that everyone can enjoy birds—safely and without fear.

Photo from @BlackAFinSTEM

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A Beginner's Guide to Finding Birds

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This week’s Entryway to Birding post is for those of you who are feeling pretty comfortable with your backyard bird IDs and are itching to see a new species! Maybe you’re eager to test out your ID skills, or maybe you want to venture to a new destination in search of a little more variety than the backyard can hold.

Where do you start looking? How do you know where to go? What might you expect to find at this time of year?

On one hand, the answer to these questions is as simple as getting outside and seeing what you find! On the other, it gets a little more complicated as issues of habitat, range, and migration patterns come into play. Getting a sense of what you might see, where you might see it, and when you might see it can feel like a big challenge to a new birder who is still learning the ropes.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt