By Dallin Saurey

REXBURG, Idaho—It’s not a popular sport so I am often asked what got me into bird watching.

I started during my internship in Oklahoma at the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. A couple from Tulsa were visiting with some wildlife biologists and stayed at my bunk house. I was bored and they invited me to go owl watching for some Barred Owls.

We drove around calling for barred owls, using audio from the All About Birds website. Eventually, we saw a Barred Owl in a tree, eating a mouse. Somehow, seeing the blood on his talon and beak impressed me. I was hooked! It made me realize this bird was important to people.

I decided to memorize birds for the birding festival tours at the refuge. I got hooked on bird watching from learning about their songs and from going bird watching to practice spotting common species.

To identify birds, you look at their different beak sizes, tail shapes, head sizes, and foot shapes. Sometimes the best way to identify birds is by comparing their size to a bird you know. For example, saying this bird is robin-shaped but a little bit bigger, means it could be the Hairy Woodpecker. If it is a little smaller it could be a Cedar Wax Wing, House Sparrow, Chickadee, or a Marsh Wren.

Finding the best times to watch birds depends on what kind of bird you want to see. For example, early mornings are best to see songbirds. The afternoons are the best times to go see raptors, which are hawks, accipiters, falcons, vultures, owls, and eagles.

The binoculars best for bird watching are 10 x 42 or 10 x 25 magnification. Make sure you get the best field guidebook. I prefer field guides with pictures, and others prefer field guides with paintings of birds. A learning field guide can help you find difficult birds to identify. Mine favorite is the Stokes Field Guide.

It was rewarding to teach bird watching at the college of Eastern Idaho, because I was able to help those students develop their skills in bird watching. Being able to take my own students bird watching and see them practice those skills was a privilege. I also taught at a school district, helping teachers to get more credits for their continued education certificate. I remember my first class was very special. They asked me lots of questions, and a couple of teachers really wanted to see an owl. We went to Warm Slough Wildlife Management Area. When I spotted a Great Horned Owl, three teachers wanted a closer look, so they chased the owl for a mile to get some pictures. They were not deterred by the millions of mosquitos attacking us.

Give bird watching a chance. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy bird watching. Learn about the different kinds of birds you have around you and their jobs in their eco system. Find your own reason to enjoy them.