Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips.
Bird Watching Journals
Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went bird watching. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, every bird sighted and so on. The experiences you've forgotten are lost to time. If you had kept a bird watching journal, this wouldn't be the case.
There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank's Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your bird watching experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.
A good bird watching journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don't have to take up unnecessary space for other things. Second, it should have a case to protect it from rain, spills and so on. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:
1. Who you went birding with,
2. Where you stayed and if you enjoyed it,
3. Who you met and contact information for them,
4. The geographic and weather conditions, and
5. The birds you sighted and added to your life list.
At the end of the trip, you should be able to get the following from your journal:
1. Contact information for other bird watchers and people you met,
2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you travel to the location a second time.
3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and
4. Something to pass on to your children and grandchildren.
To get the most out of your bird watching journal, you should write in it during and immediately after birding. Every sighting brings new experiences even if you're just sitting in your backyard.
Bird watching is a great way to commune with nature. Make sure to preserve the experience.
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals for outdoor activities and traveling. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read articles and stories on travel and outdoor activities.
Back from our family's vacation to Costa Rica, I am... Read More
Knowing a few edible wild plants can make your next... Read More
So unknown is this treasure of Lake Jipe not many... Read More
A South Africa safari is the ideal wildlife trip to... Read More
The great state of Washington offers some of the best... Read More
This amazing drive through the White Mountains of New Hampshire... Read More
Everyone has a travel dream. For many it is hitting... Read More
Spring:Essential items when preparing for a walk-Compass-First aid kit -... Read More
There are many manufacturers of inflatable boats on the market... Read More
A saddle is a static object, but your horse is... Read More
Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was... Read More
Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This... Read More
WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise.... Read More
The Usamabara Mountains are very special mountains, often that tired... Read More
Simply sitting and watching birds is a popular hobby around... Read More
Camping is an excellent way to explore and experience the... Read More
Drive along one of South Africa's scenic strips and you... Read More
The Udzungwa Mountains National park was created primarily for the... Read More
When you look at a river, what do you see?... Read More
In The city of Arcadia California, right next door to... Read More
A Botswana safari is an excellent trip to undertake because... Read More
We think that Cape Town has some of the best... Read More
The Wandle offered wonderful trout fishing up to the latter... Read More
My river-rafting adventure started on a bicycle. The small daypack... Read More
Important information about camping stoves...What type of camping, hiking, or... Read More
The Wandle offered wonderful trout fishing up to the latter... Read More
Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa?... Read More
Welcome to Bragg Creek! Bragg Creek is located in the... Read More
The call of the wild can be seductive. The exquisite... Read More
The state of Goa on the West coast of India,... Read More
"Do you know about Wal-Mart camping?" We didn't know, but... Read More
When you look at a river, what do you see?... Read More
Stay warm or die. That's what it comes down to... Read More
Dude Ranches first gained popularity in the 1920s, in large... Read More
To get the most out of a wildebeest migration safari... Read More
Last week in Australia, one man's day at beach could... Read More
Rafting through the Grand Canyon is the experience of a... Read More
Directly south of Louisville, just off Interstate 65 and not... Read More
The last thing you want on an African safari is... Read More
Sharklife.co.za has been fighting an ongoing for the protection of... Read More
Ask about perfect wildlife destinations and a Tanzania safari will... Read More
Costa Rica is a small country - just 75 mi/120... Read More
Whale watching is a spellbinding, entertaining, and thought-provoking adventure trip.... Read More
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest and one of the deepest... Read More
Climbing the glaciers to the summit of Mount Chimborazo in... Read More
Tanzania's natural endowment as a wildlife safari destination is unrivalled.... Read More
Why should you use hiking poles is perhaps the first... Read More
WHAT TO FISH AND WHERE: Alaska offers some of the... Read More
SAFE WALKING TREKKING OUTDOORSIf you are contemplating a long distance... Read More
Boston is a great destination city for a vacation. There's... Read More
|