Welcome to sparrow season! If you’ve been birding through the spring and summer, you’ve likely seen several species of sparrows already. Fall migration adds a few more sparrows to the mix, and October is the prime time to see some uncommon migrant sparrow species. It’s also when we’ll get an influx of our “winter” sparrows that will spend the next few months with us.

To the eyes of a new birder, sparrows can look frustratingly similar. Brown, small, streaky, and often elusive. Not only are they well-camouflaged and tough to spot, they often dive into the low, thick grass or brush before you can even get a glimpse. But patience and perseverance and some good ol’ slow birding can be your friend. This week’s Entryway to Birding blog brings you tips for sorting out sparrows, techniques for how to find them, a few recommendations of places to go.

One of the things I love most about birding is how it’s taken me to new places, to new destinations that I might not have visited before. I’ve veered off the beaten path in search of new birds and it’s opened my eyes to the breadth of Wisconsin’s public lands. From state natural areas to state wildlife areas to state parks and more, Wisconsin has endless opportunities to get outside. Many of these areas are open to in-season hunting, but also to birders, wildlife-seekers, and other adventurers looking for new natural areas to appreciate.

If you’re venturing out this fall, we encourage that you go prepared—fall is also when many hunting seasons begin and there are a few things you should consider to keep yourself and others safe this time of year. Birders and hunters can absolutely co-exist and share these spaces that we all love, but it requires that you be informed and prepared. That’s what this week’s Entryway to Birding blog is here for—we’re bringing you some safety tips on everything from what to wear, to the best time of day to venture out, to what to do if you encounter hunters in the field.

Alright, let’s dish. When you’re a new birder, it takes some time to get accustomed to the ins and outs of this very particular hobby. You’ve not only got a massive list of bird species to familiarize yourself with, but you’ve got the oddities of birding etiquette, the lingo, the eBirding procedures and more. It takes time and experience to mentally sift through all of that, and in the process, mistakes are made.

It’s a reality. New birders make mistakes. Experienced birders make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.

But if you need some proof and some reassurance, this week’s Entryway to Birding blog is for you. I’m laying it all out all out there—the silly, the ill-timed, the embarrassing—to remind you that no matter what mistakes you make in the field, you’ll be a better birder after you learn from them.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

Welcome back to the Entryway to Birding blog! I’ve recently been reflecting on how I bird—where I choose to go, the pace that I move at, what my intentions for birding are. Much of my birding during September has been focused on finding warblers and enjoying their presence before they continue south for the winter, and my warbler searching has resulted in some very slow birding sessions—not slow in bird activity, by any means! But “slow” as in, “No, I haven’t moved more than 15 feet from the spot you last saw me, and yes, it has been over an hour” type of slow.

At first this slow birding was just a product of the birds—I had found a warbler flock early one morning and they were busy feasting on bugs and weren’t going anywhere. They left me wishing I had brought a camp chair. After a mesmerizing “slow” hour of watching these birds, I realized that I need to slow down more often. I’ve been challenging myself to give “slow birding” a try, and this week’s Entryway to Birding blog will break down why you might want to switch up your pace too.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? You know how to count, so just … well … count them! But as I’m sure any birder—new or experienced—knows, counting birds can be deceptively hard. Not only might you encounter birds in large numbers that may feel overwhelming to parse, but the conditions that you’re viewing birds in are always changing.

With practice and the help of some useful estimation methods, counting birds gets easier in time. This week’s Entryway to Birding blog brings you some tips and advice for navigating some of those more challenging, less straightforward counting situations, so you can spend more time enjoying the birds and less time stressing about getting “exact” counts for your checklist.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt