After years of yearning for a technology that can identify birds by their songs, birders are now awash in apps and services that promise to tell you what species you just heard. And in fact, the…
Beverly’s Birding Basics
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For a beginning birder, learning to use the Merlin Bird ID smartphone app is a bit like a child learning to ride a bike. There’s the fear of falling right before a delicious rush of adrenaline…
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Lessons in generosity: Birds benefit when we’re all welcoming on the trail
Smack in the middle of bustling Washington, D.C., near the highest elevation of the city’s Rock Creek Park, lies a clearing that’s proven to be a prime spot to see migratory birds. At dawn every spring morning, some of the…
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How is a warbler like an apple-glazed donut? Both are impossible to resist.
There’s a spot on the boardwalk next to the Town Hall in Duck, N.C., that everyone knows is famous for doughnuts. This morning dozens of customers wait in line for up to half an hour, and the fall menu boasts…
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You’ve started down the path to becoming a birder. What next?
Let’s say you started birding in the pandemic, bought binoculars, and now you’re hooked. You can identify the songbirds and woodpeckers in your neighborhood. So what happens next? I’ve been thinking a lot about that question while hiking…
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Beverly’s Basics: Four tips for getting the most from your birding binoculars
Heading Title Last of three parts So my friend gets interested in birding and tries out some binoculars. Then she comes to a complete standstill. “There’s something wrong with my eyes,” she says. “Binoculars just aren’t for me.” This scenario…
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Second of three parts Over time, birding binoculars will start to feel like a piece of your anatomy. They’ll be attached to your face for hours at a time for years to come. Whether or not you’re going to…
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First of three parts: Over three weeks, our posts will focus on the specifics of birding binoculars. Next installment: How to go about buying your first pair, followed by Beverly’s insights on how to use them effectively. If you’ve never…
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How to get started as a birder: Six suggestions from the experts
Somewhere in the inner workings of migratory birds, a signal goes off that tells them it’s time to head north. Is it just our imagination, or do birders get the same kind of inkling as the migration comes within reach?…