The Ultimate Guide to Successfully Using Your Bird Watching Kit for Beginners

You have just purchased or assembled your bird watching kit. But you may be feeling overwhelmed and wondering how to use each tool. Knowing how to effectively use each tool in your bird watching kit for beginners, is as important as having the kit. 

This comprehensive guide will take you through a step-by-step process for using each tool in a bird watching kit for beginners. Before we delve in, you need to understand and familiarize yourself with the essential items in your kit.

Our guide here will help you understand the basics of a bird watching kit for beginners. You need to know about each tool before learning how to use them.

Setting Up and Using Binoculars In A Bird Watching Kit For Beginners

You need to master your binoculars for a great experience at your bird watching adventure. But they require some practice to use effectively. Properly adjusting your binoculars ensures a satisfying viewing experience.

Adjusting Your Binoculars

1. Adjust your eyecups: Keep the eyecups twisted down if you wear glasses, otherwise, twist them up or extend them fully.
2. Set the right eye width: Hold your binoculars up to your eyes and adjust the central hinge by moving the barrels closer or further apart until you see a single circular field of view.
3. Adjust the diopter setting:
   • Close your right eye and look through the left eyepiece at a distant object
   • Adjust the central focusing wheel until the image is sharp
   • Now close your left eye and look through the right eyepiece
   • Without touching the central focusing wheel, adjust the diopter ring (usually on the right eyepiece) until the image is sharp

Well done! Your binoculars are now calibrated to your eyes.

Using Your Binoculars

1. Spot with your naked eyes first. Do not immediately raise your binoculars when you notice a bird. Instead, observe and note any nearby landmarks.
   
2. Keep your eyes on the bird while raising your binoculars to your face to not lose sight of it.
   
3. Focus quickly by using the central focusing wheel to sharpen the image once you’ve found the bird.
   
4. Track moving birds by keeping both eyes open while scanning. You can follow birds by moving your whole upper body smoothly rather than just your arms.

How To Maintain Steady Views With A Binoculars In A Bird Watching Kit For Beginners

1. Hold your binoculars with both hands. Your elbows should be tucked against your body for stability.
   
2. Rest your elbows on any solid surface (railing, tree, or car window) for a steady view.
   
3. Control your breathing. Take a breath, exhale halfway, then hold briefly while observing fine details.
   
4. If a solid or stable surface is difficult to come by, consider uding a tripod. Some binoculars have a tripod adapter. This prevents your hands from shaking during extended viewing.

How To Use A Field Guide In A Bird Watching Kit For Beginners

Field guides usually contain information on several bird species and can be overwhelming for a beginner. Here, you can unsderstand how1 to improve your birding experience with a field guide.

Understanding The Field Guide 

1. Get familiar with the guide’s organization or approach. Some guides are arranged taxonomically (by bird families), others organized by color or habitat. Know how your guide is written,
2. Read the introductory part which usually contains valuable information about how to use the guide’s special features.
3. Use the range maps. Always check if the identified bird is found in your region during the current season.

Using The Field Guide

1. Observe key characteristics: Observe certain features about the bird, taking note of its size, color patterns and behavior.
2. Check the range map: To identify and ensure if the bird you have spotted is usually found in that location.
3. Compare to similar species: Birds tend to lookalike. To ensure accuracy, compare the identified bird to other identified species.
4. Use quick-reference tabs: Some field guides have their information sectioned into categories (color, size) for quick search. 

Some Field Guide Features To Note

1. Comparison pages: Many guides include pages showing similar species side by side. Use these for tricky identifications.
   
2. Seasonal and immature plumages: Check these sections when birds don’t match the typical adult pictures.
   
3. Flight patterns: Some guides show distinctive flight silhouettes, which aid in identifying distant birds.

How To Use Bird Apps In A Bird Watching Kit For Beginners

Modern birding apps offer powerful features that complement traditional tools.

Identification Apps (like Merlin Bird ID)

1. Photo ID feature:
   
   • Take a clear photo of the bird
   • Upload to the app
   • Review the suggestions, paying attention to the confidence level
   • Always verify with your own observations
2. Sound ID:
   
   • Hold phone with microphone unobstructed
   • Start recording in a relatively quiet environment
   • Watch the real-time suggestions appear
   • Continue recording to gather more data
   • Save interesting recordings for later reference
3. ID by questions:
   
   • Select your location and date
   • Answer questions about size, colors, and behavior
   • Review the shortlist of possibilities
   • Compare images and sounds to make final determination

How To Keep A Birding Journal For Beginners

A journal is very essential in a bird watching kit for beginners. Below are ways to use your journal:

• Record important details, noting the date, time, location and weather.
• Describe key features by sketching or writing them down.
• Track seasonal appearances to learn more about migration patterns
• Use a checklist provided with the guide to track your observations

How To Combine All Tools In Your Bird Watching Kit For Beginners

Each item in your kit is not supposed to stand alone. Your bird watching experience will be more fun when you learn how to effectively combine the tools. Read on to know how.

The typical sequence of events for successful birding usually is: Hear > See > Binoculars > Guide/App > Journal

• When you hear an unfamiliar bird call:
  
  • Use your sound ID app to get all possibilities
  • Scan with binoculars to locate the bird
  • Observe key features
  • Confirm with the field guide or app
  • Note your observations
• When you see a new bird:
  
  • Get on it quickly with binoculars
  • Note 3-5 key features before it flies
  • Check your field guide while the image is fresh
  • If unsuccessful, take a photo if possible and use a photo ID later

Conclusion

It takes time and patience to master a bird watching kit for beginners, but it is rewarding in the end. 

I read somewhere that, “Your binoculars are an extension of your vision, your guides and apps are extensions of your knowledge, and your field notes are an extension of your memory. When used together effectively, these tools open up a world of discovery and connection with the birds around us.”

So grab your bird watching kit, head out and explore!