What to wear when watching? (1 Viewer)

[Alastair Rae]

The average birder here in Europe's offshore islands tends to wear drab clothing for birding. Actual army-style camouflage is rare but browns and dull greens are common. A mobile twitching mob usually resembles a shabby guerilla army.

Carson from Vancouver wrote in another thread:

Dingy-coloured clothing for bird-watching? Oh, you Brits! You are SO conservative! A friend of mine ran a marathon over there; reported back that he'd never seen such a drab set of clothing for running! Come ON; the birds don't care! I've worn grays and browns, or yellows and reds, out birding for 44 years! Red is great in April; the hummingbirds come right to me! No--that's a fable, guys; it's a cop-out. A pure white coat on a dark gray day might be too much, but, basically, wear whatever you want to! The birds do! I've had SO much experience wearing every conceivable color and non-color: uh-uh; guess again if you think THEY think you're a bush!

So, do people think that the colour of your clothing makes any difference to the birdwatching experience?

 

[Charles Harper]

I pay no attention to the colour of my clothing and have noticed no difference in my birding success therefrom.

 

[Michael Frankis]

I've got a blue jacket - always found it hard to get good views of passerines wearing it, so I stopped using it. Much better with the kakhi jacket I've got now, or barbour green.

Michael

 

[Grousemore]

So, do people think that the colour of your clothing makes any difference to the birdwatching experience?[/size]

How does anybody make an objective judgement one way or the other?
You don't know what you might have seen if you weren't wearing the orange anorak and similarly,you may still have seen the same birds without the extensive Camo.
I work on the assumption that most advice is to wear drab,so why tempt fate.

 

[fiacha]

When I'm out and about I like to blend in as much as possible. I do believe that it makes a difference. I enjoy being part of the the environment, and that often means wearing camo or at least clothes matched to the surroundings.

For me, the less impact I make on the wildlife (be it covered in fur, feathers or yellow goretex!) the more I enjoy the experience.

Each to their own.

Fiacha

 

[mountain man]

Someone once told me that a bird is far more likely smell you than see you...or was that a snake...?

Anyway, since I stopped using deodorant out birding I've not dipped for ages...although I'm not that popular with the girls anymore...

I also always try and stand so that the wind can't blow my foul odour towards a bird.

Dull clothes of any description are great.

One thing that is guaranteed to scare off any bird is bloody "pishing"... its CRAP!! All I ever manage to attract are Goldcrests, Long T.Tits (but not Northern ones!) and lots of strange looks from other people.

I did get the Paignton Dusky Warbler to come about 3 ft from me on Monday by "chacking" at it. But even so close I still couldn't get a decent photo of it.

 

[fiacha]

and another thing. What's peoples opinions on bright metal tripod legs. I know that you will get glare off of the scope/bio lens, but for some reason the flash of sunlight from tripods drives me mad.

maybe i'm just getting grumpier with age.
Fiacha

 

[GR Triever]

Don't know about camo for birding, but I do tend towards it (or at least earth-tones) for the other wildlife when I'm in the field. Although raccoon, beaver, and some other critters will get close as long as you're fairly still... which after all, is the key to all of it, IMHO.

GR

 

[mountain man]

and another thing. What's peoples opinions on bright metal tripod legs. I know that you will get glare off of the scope/bio lens, but for some reason the flash of sunlight from tripods drives me mad.

maybe i'm just getting grumpier with age.
Fiacha

You'd hate me!

I have a silver tripod, silver scope and sometimes even where a sexy little silvery jacket. I also often have a silver camcorder around my neck.

My girlfriend Sarah also has a silver scope & tripod!

If I go birding with one particular guy he even has a silver Mondeo!!!

 

[mountain man]

...Ive also got a silver mobile phone...

 

[mountain man]

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH

I've even got 2 silver ear rings and my glasses (which I admittedly never wear) are silver rimmed....

I think I have a silver fetish...

 

[mountain man]

You aint going to believe this...
but I swear its true...

I'm currently wearing silver trainers AND I've just realised that the retractable pencil I've used for birding since I was 14 is also ...

SILVER

p.s. sorry if I've spoilt this thread a bit, I'm mainly thinking out loud!

 

[Edward woodwood]

don't have any silver streaks put in Tom!

for what it's worth, I've birded many places, many environments and have worn all sorts, bright, dark, red, green, white, u name it, including just shorts in the jungle.......not really noticed much difference, but NOISE! that does seem to scare birds more than anything.....

I bird abroad in two Ralph Lauren button down long sleeve shirts bought on Patphong road in 96 for £2.50. One's browny check based and the others greeny check based and they are mighty fine.....u can be cool and be a birder!!!

 

[Michael Frankis]

Someone once told me that a bird is far more likely smell you than see you...or was that a snake...?

Hi Tom,

Most birds don't have a sense of smell - just petrels, new world vultures and perhaps one or two others. And snakes detect people by the earthquakes our feet create clomping along. But most mammals can pick scents up exceedingly well compared to us.

Birds have got very sharp hearing, so as with trying to see snakes, walking very softly is a big help

Michael

 

[mountain man]

I was only kidding Michael. But thanks anyway.

 

[Edward woodwood]

Watcha Michael and the Silver Surfer (should that be birder?)

u have identified a dilemma with tropical birding:
walking gently and quietly and see birds
or
walk a bit more noisily and scare off any snakes

not a problem in many places but you wouldn't want to get 'good views' of a 'fer-de-lance' or 'Bushmaster' :eek!: For this reason Wellies are extremely important in say Amazonian Peru etc....a life saver in fact! o