The Delightful Hobby of Bird Watching [ 51 



edges there are white-throated sparrows, field sparrows, wood 

 pee wees, scarlet tanagers, and some owls; in deeper woods, barred 

 owls, ovenbirds, hermit thrush, ruffed grouse. 



Swamps and marshes are the places for herons, bitterns and 

 rails, while near large ponds and lakes you may expect ducks, 

 fish hawks, and bald eagles. Seashore and mud flats are the setting 

 for sandpipers and avocets. 



This greatly shortened list of birds and their customary home 

 grounds suggests how you may "line up" the birds of your locality 

 before starting on a bird walk. You will have an idea of where 

 to look for certain types of birds, so that you can map out a plan 

 of action. 



The best time to go is early morning; soon after sunrise bird 

 activities slow down and do not resume until late afternoon. On 

 early-morning walks, avoid traveling east, as the low-lying sun 

 in your eyes makes it hard to see birds. Hawks, ducks, and water- 

 fowl are active throughout the day and you may often observe 

 them when other birds are quiet. 



There is no special season for bird watching. The great attrac- 

 tion of spring is the birds migrating north; summer offers nesting 

 birds and the appearance of the young; fall is the time for the 

 flocks to wing south; winter is almost best of all with the hardy 

 birds showing themselves boldly as they seek food among snowy 

 surroundings. 



An interested pair of eyes is the only essential equipment you 

 need for bird watching. But good field glasses or binoculars are 

 really valuable in identifying species and they greatly enhance 

 the pleasure of a trip for any child old enough to use them. 



You can get more out of a bird walk, also, if you bring along 

 a pocket guide of birds for occasional reference and also a note- 

 book for making brief entries about birds that you cannot identify 

 on the spot. Thus you can note size (comparing your bird to a 

 robin or other familiar species) ; you can mention whether the 

 tail is outstandingly long or short; you can list the bird's color 

 and any conspicuous markings; you can describe its actions (walk- 

 ing, hopping, up-and-down or zigzag flight, posture on tree trunk) , 

 and, of course, the kind of surroundings where you saw it. With 



