Maine Outdoor Journal

Q: How do I get started birding?

A: Well, just go out and look around. It's pretty simple. Birds are everywhere – including your backyard. All you need is a feeder and time. Birds are like college students. They will come for free food and not be in any hurry to leave.

But sometimes it's nice to get out and see new habitats. Derek Lovitch, owner of Freeport Wild Bird Supply and a birding guide, has some pretty good tips for beginners.

The first is to get a reasonable pair of binoculars. What's reasonable is "the best pair of binoculars you are willing to afford." What's best is not the pair with the most power – "absolutely most overrated feature."

Get something handy and mobile. You want to be able to take them out quickly. Pay attention to field of view (to see more at one time), brightness (that allows you to see more color, clarity and detail) and depth of field (how much is in focus at any one time).

Next, get a field guide. Derek recommends "Sibley's Birding Basics" (http://www.sibleyguides.com/basics.htm) for almost everyone. He says it's very instructional but maybe beyond beginner. It's inexpensive and small.

But its main value is that it helps you learn how to look at birds. It uses text descriptions, sketches and outlines, not photos – "Don't buy books with photos." Photos tend to show what a particular bird looks like at one given moment at one point in time in one spot. Other birds in that species may look different on any given day. You need to understand what a bird generally looks like.

But don't go overboard using it. "Once you find a bird, don't dive into a field guide." Derek says we need to "spend less time identifying, more time watching."

That seems to be the hardest part because people want the quick return. They see a bird and want to know exactly what it is. Derek coaches birders to be watchers. "Look at the whole bird and everything about it."

Then pull out your notepad – an essential piece of birding gear. "Taking notes is the absolutely best way to learn about birds."

"When encountering a bird you don't know, write down everything you see," Derek says. "The more you detail, the more a field guide will help." Later. Look up the bird after you know a lot about what you are seeing.

Veteran sports reporters, especially ones who cover cold, rainy football games, will recommend you use a pencil instead of a pen. Ink will run and stop flowing. Of course, if you only go birding on warm summer days ... But you know how few of those we can count on in Maine.

Talk to other birders. Derek says some people only watch alone, and some only watch in groups. Neither is wrong. But he recommends beginners do a little of both. Make it a social activity and learn from other people.

Last, check out Derek's blog, Field Notes (http://maineoutdoorjournal.com/fieldnotes) for his reports and photos from the field.

Send questions to Carl Natale at: cvn@mainetoday.com