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by Thailan Pham
Bird watching is one hobby you can
take at your own pace – spying on
backyard birds or walking through
Atlanta’s top birding sites. You may
encounter a brown thrasher, brown-headed
nuthatch or ruby-throated hummingbird.
It’s an activity your family can take
part in year-round. In winter, “the
deciduous trees have lost their leaves,
so it makes viewing easier,” says George
Diehl, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in
Alpharetta. “Spring is always a good
time because that’s when mating and
nesting take place, and there’s a lot of
activity.”
Starting points
Binoculars: You’ll need at
least one per family, but it might be
nice for children to have their own.
Bird book: A field guide will
be helpful for identifying and learning
more about the birds you see.
Camera: So you can start
keeping a record of the birds you track.
Notepad: In case you find a
bird you can’t identify, take notes so
you can go home to look it up.
Protective clothing: Bring
along extra socks and wear a hat to
shield from the sun.
Checklist of local birds:
Create a challenge by marking off birds
as you see them.
Adapted from:
www.birdwatchin.com
As you
advance, you might try looking for rare
or endangered birds.
But first start off with this list of
common Georgia birds:
- Cardinal
-
Bluejay
- Carolina chickadee
- Tufted titmouse
- Mourning dove
- Sparrow
- Red-bellied
- woodpecker
- American goldfinch
- House finch
- Eastern bluebird
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