Best timing for Birdwatching

[All Blacks]

Hi all,

I have just started birdwatching and there are a few question I would like to ask. I did a search on the forum and could not find any thread that mentioned about it. Here goes, what is the best time to do birdwatching i.e early morning? late morning? early afternoon or late afternoon?

I will be visiting a reserve wetland in Singapore and the birds there are mostly heron, egret, terns, sand piper and kingfishers. Any information from experience birder would be a great help to me.

I will also be trying to cature some photographs for record as well. Therefore any tips on how to effectively take a good photograpy is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Regards
from Singapore

[KCFoggin]

I have had more success birding in the early morning and the later part of the afternoon. There seems to be a flurry of activity at those times.

[Larry Lade]

Welcome to BirdForum!

Generally speaking, early morning is the best time to observe birds. Most have spent the night time hours roosting (except for the nocturnal birds) and are eager to get out and feed at first light.

Sometimes, the "tides" are important when wanting to see shorebirds/waders, so in these instances you would want to read tide charts to see when optimum conditions were present.

[All Blacks]

Hi Larry and KC

Thanks for the input, so the best timing would be early morning and late afternoon and also to take into consideration the tide. So can I assume that a low tide will be most ideal?

Its very exciting that I will be taking my first virgin birdwatching trip soon. So valuable input like this will make my first trip more eventful.

Thanks and best regards

[Larry Lade]

Living in Missouri, USA, as I do I am not real familiar with the high tide/low tide thing, but I think that low tide exposes the feeding area for shorebirds/waders and the high tide will sometimes bring the birds closer to you for better viewing. I am certain some other birders more knowledgeable than I will offer you some advice on best viewing when it comes to the tides. Anyway, Good Birding!

[streatham]

Hi All Blacks

I think Larrys tide thing is about right - low-tide exposes more feeding area but disperses birds - high-tides will compress them until they have to move to roost somewhere. The best time as I have always been lead to understand it is 2hrs before and after high tide. You may have to get an idea of how your local area reacts to tides but this seems to be the general rule.

Regards Luke

[All Blacks]

Thanks Larry and Luke for the valuable information.

Hope to post some pics in the future.

Thanks and regards

[El kyap]

The timing and tides have been covered by earlier replies. This time of year is the start of migration so you should see much activity, I believe the population swells in the winter months. Do not forget to look out for the mangrove specialists and resident sunbirds.
You may also want to check with the local society if any group activity is being organised, more fun with local knowledge at hand, especially on a maiden voyage. The Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group is very active and organises regular trips both under the auspices of the society as well as privately.

Have fun.

[JeffMoh]

I personally find that most birds don't get active until well after dawn. This certainly seems to be true in California and Texas -- maybe that's because both states are pretty laid back or it may be because a lot of birds eat bugs and a lot of bugs don't get going until the sun reaches them. Then activity ceases around noon and doesn't start again for 3-4 hours.

There are always exceptions, though: My best view ever of an owl was of a Great Horned Owl that sat on a fence for 45 minutes from 1:00 p.m.

On the coast, I find the best time normally is an hour or so after high tide until almost low tide: As the sea goes out, it exposes all sorts of goodies which the birds rush in to eat.

[Hanno]

In the tropics, it pays to get out at the crack of dawn. Once it heats up, around 10:00, everything comes to a stand-still until late in the afternoon. Mornings have more activity in the forests but, as I found out last Sunday, late afternoons are better for heronries.

Haven't lived near the coast for ages but, when I did, I'd find a good spot a couple of hours before high tide, and then let the birds come to me.

[Stephen C]

on the species and time of year. Many birds forage early (as soon as they can) and late (their last chance) so these times are good.

One particular time that never fails - especially in the migration seasons - is just after heavy rainfall. Stand and watch them all appear.

Stephen Christopher
www.catalanbirdtours.com (from 12.1.06)

[drthomson]

A little more on tides (at least in california), for wetlands high tide is best, the higher the better at least for rails, sparrows, etc. Seems to flush them out where you can see them.

[Chris Oates]

Takes a lot of observation to work out where to be and at what time - I watch at a tidal estuary which is very complex.
The birds have divided it up - the Wigeon tolerate the Teal and will overlap but have the north/south territory, the Shellduck have the east, the Curlew the west - the Greater black-backed gulls are in the centre and refuse to mix with the lesser bodied Gulls like the Meds, Black-headed & Common - the mid sized waders Barwit, Redshank, Greenshank populate the isolated streams and the Plovers & Sandpipers have a patch well away from everyone.
After spending weeks working out who has rights to what it became quite easy to spot the rarities as the apparent mess resolved itself - birds are like us - they have buddies & like familiarity and understand order - the Long-billed dowitcher is always patrolling under the railway station, the Green-winged teal is always with the majority group and is first to leave the water to browse, the American wigeon is with the majority group and feeds in the same seaweed every day, the Med gulls like being in the centre of the Black-headed gang, the Glaucous like being between the Greater black-backed and the Herrings, the Ring-billed are between the Herrings and the Black-headed.
The Barwits are between the Wigeon and the Black-headed...gets monotonous - I only have to scan a small area to determine who is here as they are all so predictable - just takes time to learn their habits.

[dendroica_john]

Personally I think the best time for birding is whenever you have the time and urge to do it.

But generally morning and evening are best, especially morning. Birds are hungry after a night's sleep and actively look for their first meal of the day at that time. Birds are also more likely to be singing in the morning than later. Another good reason to get out early is that the late risers will not be out yet and you will frequently have the park to yourself.

Time of day matters less for waterfowling and shorebirding. And hawks and vultures are generally most active well after dawn since many of them have to wait for thermals to build.