This week we’re talking birds and birders. Not the competitive kind, simply the everyday practice of tuning into the natural world around us. Birds are amazing!
Try giving the bird on that branch more than a passing glance, or listen to the morning chorus and learn a few of the singers by name.
Here are a few of our favorite tools to help deepen your birding practice.
THE APP: MERLIN BIRD ID
Merlin Bird ID is the one. Its Sound ID feature listens to birdsong in real time and highlights who’s singing around you. It’s so fun. Just remember to close Sound ID when you’re done, or it will drain your battery :)
THE ACTIVITY: BUILD A BLUEBIRD BOX
Audubon has a free bluebird nest box design you can build at home. Our dear friend Sheila has a bluebird box in her backyard (home to a mama bird and her babies) and shared some tips and tricks with us about how to keep predators away. Hear her story below!
THE BOOK: WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A BIRD
David Allen Sibley's, "What It's Like To Be A Bird" is a delightful collection of research-based bird science and stories in a large format with nice bird portraits. Focused on behavior more than other identification guides, and offered in a young reader option, too!
THE MOVIE: LISTERS
Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching (2025) is free to watch on Youtube! Two brothers with almost no birding experience attempt a Big Year (a race to see as many bird species as possible in one calendar year) living out of a 2010 Kia Sedona minivan. Funny, lighthearted, celebrating and exploring the wild world of birders from an outsider’s point of view.
THE FIT: WHAT TO WEAR BIRDING
Pockets are key for birders. The aptly named Falcon Vest from Jungmaven has many, in soft, durable 10oz hemp twill. Pair it with Hikerkind’s 8 (Deep) Pocket Pants and you’ve eliminated the need for a bag. This Patagonia wide-brimmed hat, a field journal and some easy Gardenheir clogs (not all terrain, but great for birding lite).
When it comes to binoculars, we're eyeing Nocs Provisions. Here's a snippet from their bio... "Nocs are a tool to be present in the moment and to see the deep interconnectedness of all living things on this earth. It’s time that we return to nature as our source of truth."
THE SPOT: FINDING IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS
