Bicycle birding

Heading out on the bike, today, for a fall birding trip rather than a bike trip where I do some birdwatching. Even though I carry binoculars on both types of trips, there is a difference. Biking trips where I also do some informal birding are norm for me in the summer; the focus is on aerobics and biking. On an actual birding trip, though, the object is to see birds, first, get some fresh air and exercise, second.

When doing some serious bicycle birding, I bike slowly when in a good area, sometimes with just enough speed to keep the bike upright (the low gearing of a mountain bike is perfect for this) and I will quite often just park the bike and proceed on foot if the birds are there. The beauty of the bike is that it allows me to move on to the next birding hot spot, quickly and quietly, without a lot of time spent walking through marginal areas. How do I know the location of these birding hot spots? It’s simply a matter of experience and familiarity with the trail, but that’s part of the fun when on a new bike trail and it’s the reason I always carry binoculars whenever I ride a bike. In time, you come to know which areas hold good numbers of birds and which don’t. The good news is that most bike trails parallel streams and rivers and that makes for some excellent potential birding. Just be sure to stop well to the side of the trail or even off the trail when you stop to keep the trail open for bikers traveling at a good clip.

As for the binoculars, I tend to carry compact binoculars to save weight when riding, but full size birding binoculars can also be used for bike birding, especially if you carry the birding binocular in a handle bar pack. I use my handlebar packs, though, to carry my digital cameras and, rarely, a field guide (I know my birds, but carry a guide if you do not) and that leaves little room for a full size binocular.

If you have access to a bike trail, close by, as I do and can leave the car in the garage, so much the better. Grab that bike and those binoculars and see what you can find.