Finding an ear for birding

Bird watching or birding or is an increasingly popular hobby that often requires listening before looking, especially for beginners, experts say.

“If you are looking for a certain bird, it’s good to go on websites that have those sounds and get familiar with its particular song,” park Ranger Mark Taylor said. “Then when you listen for it in the wild, you can pick it out and start moving toward the sound to locate the source in the trees.”

Take along a good pair of birding binoculars or a camera with a long lens — at least a 200 mm — to search from a distance and get the best view, he adds.

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“If you can afford it, a 500 or 600 mm lens generally is what you need to really bring a bird close up,” Taylor said.

Taylor, who works at Edgar Evins State Park in Silver Point, Tenn., said his interest in birds began as a child.

Armed with a book on birds, he and his father gazed out the picture window of their home searching to identify different species.

When he was older, they looked for a variety of birds while dove hunting.

“My interest in birding grew over time. It has been a lifetime pursuit, but more serious these past eight years,” Taylor said.

He rattles off names like Red-eyed Vireo, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Carolina wren, Kentucky Warbler and Cedar Waxwing, with ease as he describes the species most often seen in Middle Tennessee.

Although birding is a year-around hobby, early to late spring — when Mother Nature’s feathered friends migrate — is the best time for birding since plumage is a peak color and the birds are active.

“Once you get in toward the middle of summer, most all birds have either started nesting or are almost done nesting. They get harder to see at that time,” Taylor explains. “But you will see a lot of juvenile birds roaming around.”

By mid to late September birds will be on the move again, migrating south.

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Regardless of the season, birding is best done early in the morning — the earlier the better.

“I’ve noticed around the park here … it’s usually 5 or 5:30 in the morning during the springtime when you get your best views and you can hear a lot of birds then too,” he said.

Finding specific birds depends upon what species the birder is looking for in the wild. Every species has a favorite habitat, he said.

“Some are canopy birds. You only find them at the very top of the trees,” Taylor explained. “Others are mid-story or those that like scrubs or brush. Prairie species like the grass lands.”

One of the best areas to find birds is on the forest edge — an open field bordered by a large group of trees.

“If you sit next to that forest edge you get a lot of diverse species because you get all the habitat zones,” Taylor said.

Radnor State Natural Area, located just south of Nashville, is considered one of the state’s premier birding sites, according to the Tennessee Ornithlogical Society. The 85-acre lake there is home of a large variety of birds, including ducks and game birds such as the turkey.

The society is an independent, non-profit organization devoted to the studying and conservation of birds. Members also consider it an educational and scientific organization.

Taylor said beginners may find it helpful to go with an experienced birder who can point out bird habitats and identify the different bird songs.

“There are a lot of experienced birders out there you can learn from,” he said. “It’s always good to go out with someone with an experienced eye and ear.”

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