Midwest bird watching
  • Home
  • Birds
    • Backyard Birds >
      • American Goldfinch
      • American Robin
      • Barn Swallow
      • Baltimore Oriole
      • Black-Capped Chickadee
      • Blue Jay
      • Carolina Chickadee
      • Dark-Eyed Junco
      • Downy Woodpecker
      • Eastern Bluebird
      • Hairy Woodpecker
      • House Wren
      • Mourning Dove
      • Northern Cardinal
      • Red-Winged Blackbird
      • Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
      • Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
      • White-Breasted Nuthatch
    • Non-Feeder birds >
      • Waterfowl
      • Wading Birds, Shorebirds & Gamebirds
      • Raptors
      • Doves, Cuckoos, Nighthawks & Whip-poor-will
      • Warblers
      • Small Non-Warbler Perching Birds
      • Woodpeckers & Kin
      • Sparrows & Kin
      • Swallows, Hummingbirds & Swifts
      • Blackbirds
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Book Reviews
    • App Reviews
    • Free Downloads
    • Other Resources
  • Videos
  • Presentations
  • Photo gallery
  • Contact
  • Birding Locations
  • Checklist
  • Eliminate Predators
    • Cats
    • Others
  • Attracting Birds
    • Bird Feeders
    • Nesting Boxes
    • Plants
    • Food
    • Tools
    • Water Supply

Birding on a Budget

7/20/2013

 
In an ideal world we would all own top-of-the-line spotting scopes and we would have unlimited resources to go birding.  Sadly, we don’t have an ideal world; budgets can be tight and can seemingly hinder our ability to participate in our favorite activity.

All is not lost!  Birding can easily be done on a budget.  Opportunities to bird with little or no money surround you!

Start in your back yard and in your neighborhood especially during Spring migration.  You’d be surprised at the variety of species that will stop by your home to rest during their long journey.  Many of the birds may only be there for a couple of hours or days, so be sure to check frequently.  Make sure you supply fresh water daily to provide added incentive for the birds to stay a while.  We all love to go see the birds, but having a bird grace your yard with its presence is a special treat.  You’ve been chosen!

It might be difficult to believe, but parking lots are often wonderful birding opportunities.  I have found several lifers in grocery store parking lots.  Keep your eyes peeled every time you have errands to run and give yourself a few extra minutes to look around.  You never know what you’ll find!

Another local and inexpensive resource is the park system.  Many state, county and city parks have free bird watching programs.  For the low cost of admission, you’ll often have the benefit of expert birders and spotting scopes, not to mention superb habitat.

Finally, don’t forget your local Audubon society.  With nearby field trips, these birding enthusiasts will be happy to show you fantastic birding areas that are often overlooked from cemeteries to rock quarries.

One of the best things about birding is that it doesn’t have to be expensive.  Anyone, anywhere can go bird watching!


Comments are closed.

    Author

    Alex Forsythe

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2020
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.