Birding and bird watching

Watching Bird Wildlife Holidays, Birding Holidays, New Zealand, Antarctica, Scotland, Cambrian

What a fantastic opportunity to become a true ecotourist. Watching bird wildlife holidays will fit the ecotourism definition in several ways - by seeing the wildlife in it's natural environment and by adventure travels throughout the world.

Of course, to get the best out of this, you would really need to know that you have some interest in bird wildlife. It could become a pretty boring experience if you end up in the middle of nowhere with a group of enthusiastic ornothologists. But there are many levels of enthusiasm and many levels of interest amongst the enthusiasts. So, talk to some of the experts about watching bird wildlife holidays and keep an open mind.

responsible travel - the travelling naturalist

Bird breeding support programmes

News forum on bird breeding support

View breeding birds and bird nesting - add your support to the bird breeding support programmes throughout the world. This is an excellent starting point which will inspire you to become a true ecotourist. There are links to live webcams but don't forget that birds tend to nest in the spring relating to that country. If you travel across the equator, then the seasons will be opposite.

Tips for bird waching & bird spotting

Buy or borrow some binoculars for birds more than a few metres away.

Get a guidebook of the birds for the area you are going to which will help identify the birds you see. The book should have a diagram of the main parts of a bird – it helps to learn these as soon as you can. CD-ROMS are good for using at home, especially if they include bird songs-songs and bird-calls.

Wear dull green or brown clothes if you are going out - you need to look like grass or a bush! Dress to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Don’t forget to take something to eat and drink on your bird watching holiday.

At the chosen place can you see birds without staring into the sun? If it is by the sea, will the tide be OK for what you want to see?

If you have a dog, take it for a walk some other time - It will be bored by bird watching and might frighten the birds away.

Keep a diary of your bird watching. Note down what you have seen each day - remember to put the name of the place, date and time at the top of each page. If you are by the sea, note if the tide was in or out.

If you can’t work out what you are looking at, make notes and draw a diagram.
Note what sort of bird it is - duck, heron, small brown land bird? Compare it with something you know. Note down what it was doing. Use your notes to check on the internet or ask someone else to identify the bird.

The most important piece of advice I can give, is to book your bird watching wildlife holiday adventure through a specialist watching bird wildlife holidays agent like Heatherlea of Scotland.

Also, do insist on asking questions before booking to establish their knowledge of ecotourism activities and the sensitivities involved in watching bird wildlife.

Happy birding holidays in New Zealand, Antarctica, Scotland and Cambrian.