Last week, I talked about how fall migration is going to be here before we know it. Shorebirds are certainly starting to show up, and by mid-August we’ll be seeing our warbler friends return to us as they pass through on their southbound journey.

If you’re just getting started with your first year of birding, the timing of these arrivals and departures can feel like a lot to grasp. Not only are you dealing with IDing field marks, learning bird calls, and figuring out where to find the birds you’re looking for, but you've got to keep track of when they’ll be here too?

Yeah, it’s a lot.

For a new birder, keeping track of all this can be overwhelming. How are you supposed to know what birds are on their way, and what birds are about to depart? What’s common and expected to stick around? What nests here? So many questions!

This week’s post has some resources—and helpful eBird tips and tricks!—to help you get a sense of the birding seasons.

Photos by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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

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