Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Getting started with bird watching

During this pandemic one of the safest forms of recreation is birding. It’s an activity you can do away from crowds in the woods, or if you have space, in your backyard.

If it’s not an activity you’re familiar with, we have you covered.
Recently, Explorer contributor Molly Ormsbee produced a video on the topic that you can find on our website. In the video, birder and photographer Larry Master provides tips about bird houses, feed, and other information to get you started.

“Hearing the sounds of the birds and seeing them is a great, great therapy. It’s just endless entertainment if you’re interested in nature,” says Master.

Readers of the Explorer and naturalists in the Adirondacks should be familiar with Master. He’s on the Explorer’s board of directors and his wildlife photos have been featured in the magazine for years.

One of the great things about Master, who for many years served as chief zoologist for The Nature Conservancy and NatureServe, is he’s always interested in sharing his knowledge. Last fall, he took the Explorer staff on a trip to view hundreds of snow geese near Lake Champlain. It was an amazing spectacle, especially when the birds were spooked by a passing helicopter and lifted into flight.

This video is another example of him sharing his knowledge, so I encourage you to check it out. You’re likely to learn something new and perhaps pick up a new hobby.

Click here to watch: https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/the_video_room/how-to-get-started-in-backyard-birding

For more ways to get started with bird watching, check out NYS DEC’s “I Bird NY” Challenges.

Editor’s note: This column first appeared in Adirondack Explorer’s weekly “Backcountry Journal” newsletter. Sign up here: https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/newsletters

Related Stories


Mike Lynch is a staff writer and photographer for the nonprofit Adirondack Explorer, the regional bimonthly news magazine with a focus on outdoor recreation and environmental issues. Mike’s favorite outdoor activities include paddling, hiking, fishing and backcountry skiing. In 2011, he paddled the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail from Old Forge to Fort Kent, Maine. From 2007 until 2014, Mike worked as an outdoors writer and photographer for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise in Saranac Lake. Mike welcomes story ideas and can be reached at mike@adirondackexplorer.org.




One Response

  1. I like how you said that hearing birds is a great form of therapy. I have been looking into getting a bird house. My original plan was just to make my house feel more alive but hearing those birds could help with my mental health too.

Wait! Before you go:

Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox