Binoculars ready?

You don’t need binoculars or spotting scopes to know spring is coming; just listen to all the birds. For most species, this is the beginning of breeding season and the bulk of what we hear, in terms of birds singing in spring, is advertising and competition for mates. Of course, we just enjoy the singing for its own sake and tend to overlook the fact that all this singing is very serious business, indeed, for the birds. Still, what would spring be for us if not for the singing of birds?

As an avid birder, songs or no songs, I do tend to carry a binocular, this time of year, whenever I am outdoors, not just when I am on a birding trip. Like most birders, I tend to keep an annual list of species I have seen for the year and, although that list starts January 1, each year, the list doesn’t grow too quickly until the advent of spring; then it explodes with numbers. New species literally arrive each day when the birds are moving. Yes, for a birder or birdwatcher, spring is an exciting time of year. So, if you’ve been thinking about getting serious as a birdwatcher or birder, now is definitely the time to buy a birding binocular, a bird field guide (or use the excellent All About Birds website) and team up with other birders, if you can, to learn the basics and get in on all the fun. Grab that binocular and let's go birding!

About the pic: For me, trying to pick my favorite bird song in the spring is like asking me to pick my favorite chocolate. The House Finch, in the pic, is certainly right up near the top of my list, though. It's spring song is rich and bubbly and a sure sign of warmer days, ahead.