Entryway to Birding

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The Many Ways to Bird

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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.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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Earth Day Birding

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Welcome back to the Entryway to Birding blog! After some colder temps last week, things are starting to trend warmer and it’s really feeling like spring. Spring peepers have been peeping, new blooms are coming up, and exciting birds are making some pit stops in Madison as they travel through during spring migration.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve started to lose track of time. Several weeks have gone by since COVID-19 sparked a complete upheaval of our daily routines. It’s hard to believe all the adjustments Wisconsinites have made in such a short amount of time (which simultaneously feels like an eternity)! Our social distancing efforts are paying off, though, and it’s important that we continue to hold our course and limit our contact with others as much as we can, for the benefit of everyone.

There’s an important day coming up, though, that I don’t want us to forget about in the midst of our strange reality. A day that is perhaps feeling more important to us that ever—Earth Day.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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So You Want to be a Birder

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This week’s post is written with new and aspiring birders in mind. Birding is a boundless hobby that can take you in so many directions! But it’s also one that can feel intimidating if you aren’t sure how to get started—especially with all our spring bird walks and field trips on hold. I’m not here to give you any expert advice, because I’m not an expert. Far from it. I’m a new birder myself. I went through this process not long ago and I’d love to share what I learned.

Read on for a few simple steps to get started with birding!

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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Bird Your World

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Welcome back to our Entryway to Birding blog! We are another week closer to spring and new birds are arriving in Madison by the day. Common loons are diving on Lake Monona. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are back drilling their holes. Golden-crowned kinglets are flitting fast about. Our daily schedules may be thrown to the wind, but the rhythm of the seasons is still a constant—and there is comfort in that.

Last week, I wrote about the joy, the comfort, the wonder of birds—and how watching them can help us feel more connected to the world around us. This week, I’m going to explore the places that connection can take you.

Because the truth is … birds are just the beginning.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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Look to the Birds

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Do you know that feeling you get when you look at the stars on a clear night? When you stand alone, in silence, with a whole universe twinkling above you? Such a vast array can make us feel small—minuscule, even—but connected to the world in a deeply intimate way.

Do you know that feeling? That deep sense of awe, of wonder, of connection that swells in your soul?

That’s how birding makes me feel.

Photo by Monica Hall