The Rock

With Bird Watching becoming an increasingly popular past time by young and old alike - we asked local bird expert Mike Stentiford to write a few words on how someone would get started.

Blue Tit feeding family in a Nest Box.

Beginners Guide to Birdwatching

Anyone can take an interest in wild birds, they are, after all, frequently seen either in town, local parks, along the seashore, in the countryside or, more especially, in our own gardens.

It's often important to remember that while some birds are resident - with us throughout the entire year - others will only be seen either during the summer months or in the wintertime.

Ideal examples are:

Resident - Robin, Blue Tit, Magpie and House Sparrow
Summer - Swallow - Cuckoo - Puffin - Whitethroat
Winter - Grey Heron - Brent Goose - Redshank - Fieldfare

So, apart from some initial enthusiasm, how does a beginner go about the business of birdwatching?

The two essential ingredients are likely to be a good bird identification book and a pair of binoculars.

A wide range of excellent bird books are now available although something small and handy - kept in the pocket or car glove compartment - will probably prove far more useful than something large and heavy.

Have a good look in any of the local book shops where the choice is likely to be huge.

Binoculars come in a variety of shape, size and price. The latter is entirely down to what you can afford although over the past decade or so prices certainly seemed to have tumbled. As with most items, however, what you pay is what you get!

The ideal recommended size for birdwatching are 8 X 40 - 8 is the number of times the picture is magnified and the 40 refers to the diameter of the object-lens in millimetres. 

Armed with all these useful items plus a notebook and pen - for any field notes - you're now ready to explore all those little corners of the Island where birds tend to loiter.

RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch

One final important factor is not to wear any loud coloured clothing - it's surprising how birds react to brightly coloured hats and jackets and I'd hate it if all of our local birds took flight to Guernsey because of too many brightly coloured Jersey birdwatchers.

Above all, enjoy to the full all those natural little beauties that we're so fortunate to have with us - armed with all the above, I'm sure you will!

Happy birdwatching - Mike Stentiford