Having proved extremely good at dabbling with various things (e.g. saxophone/archery/stargazing) without getting anywhere due to a lack of time, energy and discipline, I am put off "proper" birding by the following preconceptions:
(Given all I've ever seen in my garden are pigeons, starlings and robins)
- In order to see birds of interest you might need to be up and doing early dawn or dusk and not the middle of the day
- Similarly, best off driving a couple of hours away to find a location where get most bang for buck
- Feeling a tad uncomfortable, in local places where nobody stands about, standing about while loads of dogwalkers etc go past
I'm not against trying, just want to be realistic about it. Manage beginner expectations, as it were. Am I way off base with this?
Andrew
Chances are if you're getting Pigeons, Starlings and Robins in your garden you're also getting other birds too (Blackbirds for one, maybe Dunnock, Sparrowhawk will be around somewhere, gulls will probably be around overhead no matter where you are). Once you stop and "really" look you'll be amazed by what is around. I'm in a very urban area with no gardens as such, and just a handful of trees visible from my window and have seen around 50 species from there - granted quite a few of them have flown over (including Osprey, White Tailed Eagle, Cormorant, Waxwings, Peregrine, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin) and on my walk to/from work through mostly urban areas I've managed 70+ species (including Long Eared Owl, Crossbill, Nuthatch, Shelduck, Whooper Swan, Tawny Owl & White Tailed Eagle). Within the city of Dundee I've managed more than 150 species (including Red Backed Shrike, Ruff, Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Jack Snipe, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Rough Legged Buzzard, Taiga Bean Goose, Water Rail, Woodcock).
You don't have to get up and out early (though it can help as there is less disturbance) and you don't even need to head for hotspots. Work with what you have nearby - parks, any water - ponds, rivers, streams etc, and also graveyards, beaches, fields, wasteground. If you want to see particular less common species you may have to travel to see them but you might also find them closer to home somewhere where no-one is really looking (birders can be creatures of habit and flock to particular sites - lockdown etc has limited my travel but I've probably done more birding as a result and the results have surprised me).
It is easy to feel rather self-conscious standing somewhere with a pair of binoculars - be aware of your surroundings - don't point them towards anywhere where your behaviour can look suspicious (houses, anywhere there are children in your direct line of view etc), however you do (relatively) soon get used to it. Head for places where the proportion of people to birds is low and get used to standing around just looking, with/without binoculars up to your face. Use common sense and you'll be fine. I tend to keep my binoculars in my bag when I'm wandering down a street for example but once into a park etc, out they come.
You don't give any idea as to where you are, to be able to assess what you might realistically expect to see/hear without too much effort or give you ideas where to look. There may be local bird clubs/groups etc who can give you advice for local birding, or people posting on here/social media who can advise you (possibly even 'mentor' you?). If you can, learn songs/calls of some of the more common birds you might encounter - that can make a huge difference to what you see (YouTube videos can be a big help - as you get the necessary 'impression' of the bird without having to see/hear it yourself first). The Merlin app (by Cornell Lab) is worth downloading - it can be used in a variety of ways to ID the birds you run into (you need to download a 'pack' for your area to get up & running with it) but there is a lot of info included and it is free.
One last thing, - articles, books etc by David Lindo (The Urban Birder) can give you an idea of how to get started in seemingly less promising areas and his catchphrase of "Look up" is very apt (especially if you hear gulls, crows making a lot of noise, or see local pigeon flocks take to the air en masse - it usually means there's a bird of prey around). Any reasonably decent UK bird book is worth flicking through when you're bored, it is amazing how much info you absorb without really trying - you'll see a bird when you're out and remember that you saw it in your book so you can ID it later, even if you've forgotten the name at the time. Experience takes time to accrue but birding is worth putting in the effort for a number of reasons. It can be done almost anywhere, with or without optics.
Don't expect miracles the first few times you're out - yes, you'll run into the same common birds in the same places more often than not, but the more you look (& listen) the more you will see. Good luck. Enjoy.
