An experienced environmental scientist, specialist, and inspector, Mike Stermitz serves as a construction manager with Arcadis. Aside from his professional duties, Mike Stermitz enjoys numerous outdoor hobbies, including bird-watching.
Bird watching requires patience and practice to enhance one’s knowledge about these creatures. Consider the following simple tips for more enjoyable bird-watching.
1. Listen carefully to identify songs and calls.
Strive to purposefully listen for the unique sound each type of bird makes, since doing so is one of the best ways to identify and distinguish between birds. Watch for the movements of the bird's bill as you hear the call to ensure the bird you are observing is the one producing the sound.
2. Let single calls lead you to the crowd.
Outside the mating season, it’s common for songbirds to merge with larger flocks of mixed species. Although the flock may be silent, there will typically be one or more birds creating sounds. Listen to where these calls are coming from to potentially be led to a larger group of birds.
3. Notice the surrounding habitat.
Every species of bird has adapted to live in a specific type of habitat. Notice the habitat you are in and learn which type of birds are most likely to be found there. For example, sparrows prefer thickets while meadowlarks favor large open fields.
