Due to the great variety of habitats in such a small piece of land, the Netherlands is probably one of the best countries in Western Europe to watch birds. From wetlands, rivers, coastal sites, flat agricultural land and forests, you are likely to observe a large number of bird species in a very short time.
Although the country is good for birding all year round, we consider the winter a very good season to birdwatch there. You could probably get more species during the migration periods in spring or autumn, however, winter works just fine and can offer you ... Ler mais
In order to start birdwatching, you are not required to have much equipment. In fact, the most important for a beginner is a good vision (or other alternative senses) and a willingness to go outside and explore.
More than thinking of spending money on the first equipment you come across, you should consider spending time outside first.
Nonetheless, there are two or three things you should take into account for your start. They are a pair of binoculars, a field guide, a journal and a field notebook (check our previous articles about each subject on each link).
Vulgarly, ... Ler mais
Like in any other field, in Birdwatching you will realise that there are also new words, vocabulary and sometimes even almost like a different dialogue. Among many, “birder” and “birdwatcher” are the far most used and known. Yet, there is another one that is becoming rather common nowadays, which is “twitcher”.
The term “twitching” is British and it essentially means the pursuit of a rare bird previously located in a specific area. For the same definition, in North America, the common term is “chasing”.
So, a “twitcher” is a person with a more active approach to birdwatching, wasting no time ... Ler mais