Nope. I’m not really sure what sparked me into birding.
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I guess it’s just because I love exploring God’s wonderful creation.
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I do everything on paper. I don’t have a phone because I can do everything I need to without it, so I will look at the paper trail and region maps to decide distance. While there is no way to add a specific marker for a certain species, you can make a note of it in the “Add Details” section next to each species. By heavily trafficked I mean visited by other birders frequently, and if this is the case I will only make a list if I do find certain species that I feel are at a level high enough to constitute a list. If I make a list, I take the time I need to count everything there.
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The exact same thing for me. Nobody I knew was interested, but the immense detail and intention in everything is what made me want to learn more. I know birds and plants best, but really everything catches my interest. It is quite amazing when you realize how and why everything exists and works together.
-He made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
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You got that right!
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Same with me, none of my family members were into Birding (or bugs). I have no idea what made me because a birder!
That’s neat!
I’m not really sure what got me into birds or nature at all. I’ve just always had an interest for it.
Me too!
That is a good idea to space it out.
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Thank you for explaining!
I do not really know either what started me into birding. At the time I did not know any birders but I was tired of not knowing the species that came to the bird feeder. I remember one time I was walking and I saw a Blue Jay and a Northern Cardinal near each other with some other birds and I became interested in what they were doing. I cannot explain my fascination of birds because it is so complex. My interest in nature predates a specific interest in birds. For me there is just so much complexity and unknown to explore. As I have begun paying attention I feel that I understand the world better and it is an interest that never stops teaching me.
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So cool thanks for sharing! I remember when I first started I got to see a flock of Cedar Waxwings. They really got me fired up.
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One of my goals is to get this thread up to 1,000 replies. Do you all think we can do that by January?
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eBird is, imo, really the best way to go for bird data. That is where the majority of birders post their data, therefore it’s much more complete, and it’s heavily quality-controlled. In general I find birds posted to iNat are duplicates or backups of what’s on eBird, and the ways you can visualize data on eBird are near limitless and far beyond iNat’s capabilities, especially when you see how they’ve used it for migration science and population trends. As a birder I rely 100% on eBird for scoping out birds in my area, checking migration timing, keeping track of my life/state/yard lists, and IDs (through AllAboutBirds, Merlin). As it looks like someone else linked already, they have eBird Essentials short courses to help you navigate the interface. I use the app to keep checklists when birding, it allows you to enter numbers tally style very quickly, plus it records your path, trip duration, location, etc. But you can always keep a paper list and enter it manually on the website as well, though it may be harder to keep track of how many miles you walked that way.
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I think so.
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I use my Rite in the Rain® (couldn’t resist adding the Trademark) pen and notebook. This is what a typical checklist looks like:
Banding codes, a tally chart, the date and time, and location are all recorded. “Camp Benson” stands for Camp Benson Road, the location.
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Yes, I joined the course. I already use Merlin to help with audio ids. I guess what I do not understand is how to navigate and access the data that everyone talks about! Hopefully the course will help.
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Yes the Ebird essentials course should help you very much. I myself took the course. It was very useful!
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I second the recommendation! Great course, and it’s free of charge!
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