The Bird Watching Before And After Photos
Songbirds like seed and many bird types like niger, millet and sunflower seeds. Peanut butter attracts a lot of birds like cardinals, woodpeckers and nuthatches, although they also like suet. Hummingbirds are attracted to red colors and feed on a mixture of sugar and water. Some people add a drop of red food coloring. Birdbaths are a place to see many birds, because not only do they use them for a drink, but enjoy splashing on hot days.
Birds breed at certain seasons and some migrate to nesting grounds. The majority of birds breed in the spring and summer so that the babies are ready for fall migration. They are harder to identify in the fall because some put on duller colors for the migration and some put on heavier feathering.
Birds are easily alarmed, so you need to move stealthily. Basic clues to look for and listen for when identifying a bird are: its habitat, plumage and color, behavior, silhouette and the songs or calls it makes. Also, looking at the beaks can give you a clue and watching what they are doing with it. Woodpeckers have rigid beaks for chipping wood, while hawks, eagles and owls have sharply hooked beaks for tearing up prey. Most backyard birds like cardinals, finches and sparrows have conical beaks while shorebirds have long, slender bills for digging in the sand and prying open shells. Of course, binoculars, cameras and something for taking notes is something you need. You may want to keep track of the time of day and activity you witnessed particular birds.