[lvn600]

List up to 10 things you did that helped to further your interest in birding. Give a brief explanation for each if desired.-(examples-1-started taking more interest in LBJ's for the challenge. 2-started studying field guides. 3- started to take trips to see new birds 4-started taking notes--etc.

[Evanji Axu]

1. Made bird jewelry
2. Took up bird feeding again
3. Joined this forum
4. Started bringing bins on walks
5. Put out more kinds of bird food
6. Received Duncraft catalog
7. Got a small backpack for holding birding equipment
8. Went on birding trips
9. Looked into roost boxes
10. Finished this list

[danehower]

1 - Bird carving - got into it about 4 years ago and it is a really fun hobby during the winter months . I assume it is alot like drawing birds in that it really "burns in " the visual aspect of a certain bird and helps with I.D.ing I think

2 - gardening - I am learning about the plants that specific birds like to eat and forage from . And trying to target certain birds that will not come to the feeder with the plants they like, i.e Amelancheir arborea , native Vibernums ect.

3 - photography - brother loaned me a cannon D20 .

4 - as far as vacations , it is almost always bird oriented

5- of course reading bird books

6 - and of course the old birdforum !

7 - I am running out of thoughts

8 - oh yeah .. getting in a conoe - a good way to get to see some birds

9 - drinking beer - always gets me thinking about birds .lol

10 - I want to learn how to draw , but I am brutal ! It is like a stick figure with a beak. lol

[lvn600]

10 - I want to learn how to draw , but I am brutal ! It is like a stick figure with a beak. lol

I draw some times too.-Usually I'll do just a part of the bird. It helps reinforce field marks in my mind. I don't think anyone would know that it was supposed to be a drawing if they looked at it.

[Chris Oates]

1. Bought decent bins
2. Put up bird boxes
3. Put up more feeders
4. Made my own suet mix
5. Bought scope
6. Bought bird sounds CD
7. Bought Hamlyn bird guide
8. Spent loads on good footwear & clothing so I can go out in ANY weather and be completely comfortable.
9. Joined RSPB, Nat Trust etc for walks, car parking, events etc.
10. Birdforum, making birding a core part of my lifestyle that gives me a reason to get out of the house regardless of the weather, not smoke so much, walk as much as I can.

[jc001]

sorry....changed my mind...it all got a bit too life story ish and drawn out cos i couldnt sleep.

forget sleep....im off birding instead.

[JRE]

Bought a field guide.
Bought bins.
Bought birdseed.
Bought peanuts.
Bought birdfeeders.
Placed birdfood in birdfeeders.
Hung up birdfeeders.

[Vectis Birder]

Founds lots of good websites, including this one; I read books; I now take photos when I can and I do a bit of sketching, too. I go out and about whenever I can and try and see something different everytime

[Keith Dickinson]

1. Got my ass out into the field as much as possible
2. got better bins
3. got a scope..and traded up and up
4. got lots of field guides...and studied them
5. hung around better birders...and listened to 'em

[MKinHK]

Mved with my paents to a town I didn't knw anybody - there was nowt else to do except go birding - and S Devon is a wonderful area!

[BobCesme]

Bought good field guides
Bought good scope and bins
Take loads of photo's(digiscoped)
Listen to the Birdforum wizards(you know who you are)
Gave up work.
Moved to Turkey(slightly more species here than Leeds area ???)

[jada dulo]

There's a heck of a lot of buying going on.... we've all improved our debit card usage as well!!!

[brianfm]

1 Started by feeding and watching birds in the garden. It was watching Blue and Great Tits on strings of nuts that first got me fascinated.
2 Joined the RSPB
3 Started buying books on birds and natural history. Now can't get enough and can't move for them.
4 Bought a good pair of quality bins. Used a cheapy pair for years!
5 Started visiting reserves and and other birding areas in the UK
6 Bought a telescope and saw what I had been missing!
7 Started to travel abroad including Europe, Africa, South America so far.
8 Got myself some good CDs of Bird Song/Calls. Gradually getting better with these.
9 Joined Birdforum. Learnt a bit from it I think.;-)
10 Bought more and more books and watched more and more birds!!!

[cayoncreekman]

The key for me has been to get to know everything I can about Nature from mushrooms to lichens to insects to birds etc. We go for nature hikes and not so much 'birding'. There's always something interesting or different whether it's a spider web or a wildflower or a moth. We can come home and might not have seen an interesting bird but still be excited about some little tidbit of nature newly discovered. This gets us out more and the more one is out, the more birds or fascinating bird behavior one will see. Most of our friends are more 'naturalists' than birders and if we're on a butterfly hike or fossil hunting trip, wildflower study, etc. everyone is usually just as keen on the birds or some other diversion of Nature we come across.

[dendroica_john]

Here are my ten:

1. Bought good pairs of binoculars.
2. Bought the Sibley Guide and Sibley's Birding Basics.
3. Read Kingbird Highway by Kenn Kaufman.
4. Read some books by Pete Dunne.
5. Read Spring in Washington by Louis Halle.
6. Learned how to get to DC's parks by public transportation.
7. Found a local patch: the National Arboretum.
8. Attended field trips with the DC Audubon Society.
9. Joined MDOsprey and other email lists.
10. Started a birding blog.

[Dave B Smith]

Got my wife interested in Birding.
Joined Birdforum.
Bought a Scope
Joined a local birding group.
Planning birding / other interest trips.
Started a Life List and Year List.
Subscribed to two birding mags.

[Penny Clarke]

1 - 10

Got rid of my Non-Birding boyfriend!!!!! Much more time

[Sue Wright]

1. Bird feeding got me hooked
2. Bought much better pair of bins
3. Started studying Birds instead of just watching them
4. Bought fieldscope, a real eye-opener
5. Broadening variety to Raptors, Sea Birds, Waders and all!!
6. Bought CD's of song
7. Bought dvd's as sounds as well as sights help learn much faster
8. Photography helps learn about them even more
9. Teaching our youngsters and now theirs
10. Joined BBC then Bird Forum. Now love anything that moves and things that don't ie. Trees, Fungi and so forth. Am totally hooked and it takes far longer when out walking now as can't stop being on the lookout. Have a great Birding OH as well.

Sue

[Helenelizabeth2]

Originally Posted by lvn600

List up to 10 things you did that helped to further your interest in birding. Give a brief explanation for each if desired.-(examples-1-started taking more interest in LBJ's for the challenge. 2-started studying field guides. 3- started to take trips to see new birds 4-started taking notes--etc.

1. Bought some decent bins.
2. Bought a lot of books - every one has a different story to tell and sometimes if I couldn't id the bird with one book I could by the time I'd read 5.
3. Watched my son's British Birds DVD a lot. Seeing the birds moving is a huge help to id-ing them.
4. Joined the local Bird Club and went out on walks.
5. Went on some guided trips - good for learning id and picking up some fieldcraft.
6. Spent as much as time as possible out looking at birds. Sometimes the same birds over and over. Trying to really get to know what they look like and what they do.
7. Found a birding teenager who couldn't drive and offered him lifts in exchange for help. This has been a great deal for me cos he's good company, too.
8. Eavesdropped constantly in hides. Picked up a lot of birds this way!
9. Acquired a local patch. Great for learning more about the habits of different birds. Had no idea some warblers were so territorial.
10. Bought a scope. Got hooked on seawatching.

I thought 10 would be hard but actually I can still think of more. Of course, the net result of all this 'furthering your interest' is that you end up a hopeless addict, spending all your money on optics and all your time out, neglecting your family. Maybe we shouldn't be promoting this(LOL)!

Helen

[buckskin hawk]

1. Bought several guide books and a book recommended to me on this forum "Hawks in Flight"
2. Combined other hobbie and birding--I bird while I ride and care for my horses. The bins and field guide fit nicely into my saddle bags.
3. Be deliberate by setting up times and goals so I will make time for birding. I would let other things crowd out the fun if I don't make it a definite appointment.
4. Went birding with other birders--
5. Got up earlier in the morning to see more birds.
6. Go Camping. Laying in a tent you can hear the birds and if you hear something unusual, you can get up and check it out.
7. Research local birds before I travel.
8. Keep a list and share my list with others.
9. Keep the TV and radio off in the house so that I can hear what is outside while doing housework.
10. Scan every body of water, telephone line and fence line as we are driving-- Hopefully someone else is doing the driving but if not take the time to pull off the road and get a longer look.

[Touty]

I'll just add one.... I stayed at Bird Observatories in UK - a good way to see birds and not see many other people. Skokholm, Dungeness, Sandwich Bay, Bradwell and Spurn.

[Steven Astley]

in no particular order
1. bought a new pair of bins - old ones were useless
2. got a car - so i was able to travel
3. joined birdforum. don't think i could live without the internet these days.
4. rejoined rspb
5. got a scope - able to id more things
6. subscribed to birdwatching and received collins guide for free - easier to id birds
7. scrubbed my old bike - so i can travel around locally
8. met sav - a great birding companion plus he's got superior hearing abilities
9. registered on birdtrack - adds substance to my sightings
10. got a camera - improves fieldcraft and gives a fresh perspective on things