45 Southwest Highways & Fields
Migration Fever
By Susan Decker
April is a birder’s favorite month in the southwest, a month when the winter birds are lingering before their trek northward to summer breeding grounds, while the summer residents are beginning to check into their favorite spots. There is a flurry of activity all around, the winter birds eating furiously to make themselves ready for a long flight, the summer birds ravenous from their exhausting trip to get here, and the local residents priming their mating calls and searching for the best nesting sites.
If you have never tried birding but like being in the outdoors, think about getting a decent pair of binoculars, at least an 8 x 30 but stronger if you can afford them, and check out the birds you see in your yard. Birding becomes addictive very quickly, but unlike many addictions this one is good for you. It gives you an excuse to get outside and walk around, and before you know it you’ve walked a mile and breathed in the fresh air and feel great. You will learn what times of day the birds tend to hang out in your vicinity and that makes you take notice of the other wildlife movements and the weather and the sunrise and suddenly you are part of nature again.
you’ve walked a mile and breathed in the fresh air and feel great. You will learn what times of day the birds tend to hang out in your vicinity and that makes you take notice of the other wildlife movements and the weather and the sunrise and suddenly you are part of nature again.
Birders are a friendly lot, and are eager to share their sightings and directions to hot spots. If you are in a park and see people with binoculars, approach them quietly and in a low voice ask them what they are looking at. They may be new to birding or may be experienced, but they will point out any birds in the area and maybe even help you identify the bird calls you can hear. In wooded areas learning the bird calls and songs is very useful. Some people like to listen to bird calls on CDs or phone apps, but the best way is to watch your local birds and take notice when they sing.