Bird Watching Journals ? Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences
Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips. Bird Watching Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went bird watching. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, every bird sighted and so on. The experiences you've forgotten are lost to time. If you had kept a bird watching journal, this wouldn't be the case. There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank's Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your bird watching experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass. A good bird watching journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don't have to take up unnecessary space for other things. Second, it should have a case to protect it from rain, spills and so on. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include: 1. Who you went birding with, 2. Where you stayed and if you enjoyed it, 3. Who you met and contact information for them, 4. The geographic and weather conditions, and 5. The birds you sighted and added to your life list. At the end of the trip, you should be able to get the following from your journal: 1. Contact information for other bird watchers and people you met, 2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you travel to the location a second time. 3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and 4. Something to pass on to your children and grandchildren. To get the most out of your bird watching journal, you should write in it during and immediately after birding. Every sighting brings new experiences even if you're just sitting in your backyard. Bird watching is a great way to commune with nature. Make sure to preserve the experience. Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals for outdoor activities and traveling. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read articles and stories on travel and outdoor activities.
Related News
Stay safe outdoors - Idaho Press-Tribune
Stay safe outdoorsIdaho Press-Tribune, ID -Nov 30, 2008Always allow for bad weather and for the possibility that you may be forced to spend a night outdoors unexpectedly. Guffy Bridge can be seen from the basalt ... |
Outdoors Report: Winds make fishing tough on Bay - Houston Chronicle
Outdoors Report: Winds make fishing tough on BayHouston Chronicle, United States -Nov 30, 2008By BINK GRIMES AND WILKENS WEATHER For the Chronicle Guide Mike Segall of Reel Threel Charters said fishing was tough due to low tides and strong northwest ... |
The Morning Skate: Bucks and Pucks, Rangers’ D and Obama Outdoors? - New York Times
Mississippi Outdoors: News & Notes - DeSoto Appeal
Mississippi Outdoors: News & NotesDeSoto Appeal, TN -Nov 30, 2008This program, developed by noted archer Ray Howell, is designed to expose troubled and underprivileged youth to archery, hunting and the great outdoors. ... |
Columbia Sportswear Company and Mountain Hardwear Invite Seattle ... - MarketWatch
Group managing outdoors tax to hold first meeting - Minnesota Public Radio
Skating into the outdoors - MaineToday.com
MaineToday.com |
Skating into the outdoorsMaineToday.com, ME -12 hours agoBean made its reputation by selling goods that help people enjoy the outdoors, and it wanted to create a "green retreat" downtown that could be enjoyed by ... |
Great Gifts for the Great Outdoors - Kitsap Sun
Great Gifts for the Great OutdoorsKitsap Sun, United States -4 hours agoBy Seabury Blair Jr. Assuming you got out of the stock market before it sunk faster than a Trident crash dive, you might find the following Christmas gift ... |
Outdoors Report: Dec. 2 - Houston Chronicle
Outdoors Report: Dec. 2Houston Chronicle, United States -2 hours agoBy BINK GRIMES and WILKINS WEATHER For the Chronicle Stiff northwest winds continued to push water out of the bay systems and congregate fish in deep ... |
ACTIVE OUTDOORS - Brattleboro Reformer
ACTIVE OUTDOORSBrattleboro Reformer, United States -47 minutes ago... NH While it's absolutely wonderful that people want to get outdoors at this beautiful time of year, the lack of common sense displayed in both of these ... |
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Hiking from Your Own Home
Picture this. You are stuck at home knee deep in household
chores. Your mind wanders from taking out the trash to hiking
on a scenic trail with heart pumping terrain. You are an avid
hiker and yearn to strap on your hiking gear and hit the trails.
Unfortunately, a hiking trail adventure is not in the cards for
you today, but you can find the next best thing by logging onto
your computer.
True North & Magnetic Declination - A Trick to Make it Stick
Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating your way through the wilds with map and compass.
A Review of Inflatable Boat Manufacturers
There are many manufacturers of inflatable boats on the market today. Included below is an overview of each of the key manufacturers.
A Review of Popular River Rafting Trips and Services
Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices and experts alike. River rafting tours provide all of the equipment, guidance, and instruction necessary. If the trip covers several days, the rafting company may provide camping accommodations as well. Trips are available for rafters of all skill levels, from beginners rafting for the first time, to skilled experts looking for the toughest rivers in the country.
Beach Vacation Photo Tips ? Make Your Vacation AND Photos Memorable
Most people, who go on a family beach vacation, take plenty of photographs. Once you're home and you view or print them out; are you ecstatic, bored, or disappointed? Be honest, now!
Your Horses Back May Not Be the Same Next Month
A saddle is a static object, but your horse is a living, dynamic creature. Even slight changes throughout the year in your horse's weight have a significant impact on the fit of the saddle. And, naturally, the saddle fit in turn significantly impacts your horse's experience.
Bunbury Western Australia
The first recorded mapping of what is now Koombana Bay and the eventual City of Bunbury, was in 1803 by the French explorers Nicolas Baudin and Louis de Freycinet, from their ships the Geographe and Casuarina. In 1831 there was a temporary English military settlement with the first settlers moving to the area named after Lieutenant Henry William St Pierre Bunbury in 1838. A growing port serviced the settlers and the subsequent local industries that developed.
A Fishy Road Trip in Cairns
The Cairns Fishing Adventure
A Great Australia Road Trip
Camping For Fun
Camping for fun is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and relax. But before going camping you will need to purchase camping equipment one of the better places to get the gear you need is at camping world.
Hawaii Snorkeling - An Underwater Paradise
Hawaii snorkeling is a fun activity available to almost any
skill level of swimmer, where you can discover a
breathtaking array of Hawaii's most exotic sea life a few
yards from shore. Colorful coral, lava flows, turtles and
more than 700 species of fish are found in the clear, high-
visibility waters warmed to an average temperature of 75-80
degrees Fahrenheit. Getting yourself outfitted is no
problem, as there are dozens if not hundreds of rental
facilities around, ranging in price from $10-20 day, and if
you're staying at a resort you can possibly score free
equipment available to their guests.
The Classy Way to Do WA
Western Australia ? South-West Coast driving holiday.
Great Australian Road Trips
Okay, so road trips in Western Australia might bring to mind punishing distances and dusty towns, and accidentally forgetting to fill up on petrol only to pass your remaining three days under the thin shade of a dead tree wondering if any car is likely to come your way. And no doubt this is readily available in a state the size of many small countries sticky-taped together, with frequent stretches of desert.
For those with different tastes, the classy (and petrol-station dotted) option is the gorgeous coast to the south of Perth, with the south-west pocket of Bunbury, Margaret River and Albany, stretching on east to Esperance and Cape Arid National Park.
Getting started ? from Perth downwards.
So have a bit of a wander around Perth ? check out Fremantle (where the Perth cappuccino elite head en masse on the weekend) and commune with the cute furry side of nature on a day-trip to Rottnest Island. Not the most attractive name for an island, but the quokkas (little kangaroo-rat things with a penchant for your peanut butter sandwiches) and the gorgeous beaches make this a brilliant side trip. Just make sure you bring your bicycle legs for the day, as there's hardly any motorised transportation. After that, it's onwards in a southerly direction.
Need a car for your road trip? Hire one at Car Rental Perth.
Wine, more wine, and then some nibbley things.
Right, so first you'll need to make a stop at Bunbury, if only for a day or so to have a traipse around, stretch the legs, and have a dabble at the water's edge to chance a meeting with a dolphin or two.
Then it's time to get serious and head on in to the Margaret River Region. Winos and gourmands will happily revel in many chance encounters with world-class restaurants (sometimes attached to wineries) which dot the countryside. Surfers may never want to come back in from the swell ? the surfing here is world-renowned.
Further along the coast, before you arrive in Albany for a frolic, you'll want to have some quality time with some very tall plants. This here is Tall Timber Country, and the karri forests will imbue you with a somber respect for all things leafy. Stop off at the Valley of the Giants to take the Treetop walk, or take on the Gloucestor Tree near Pemberton ? steps fixed around its trunk allow you to climb up 60 metres high.
A day-trip out from Albany will thrust you into the heart of another wine-growing region (it seems the one necessity of this road trip would be a designated driver) ? the Mount Barker, Porongurup National Park and Frankland area can get you over the driving limit in the most delightful way.
And finally, a short drive away is the lovely town of Esperance and its ridiculously blue ocean, situated at the western end of the Archipelago of Recherch. The archipelago has 110 coastal islands ? full of crafty old goats and colonies of seals ? which you can tramp about on at your leisure. Or there's always a rewarding trek to be had in surrounding national parks like Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid.
From Esperance you've got the option of returning to Perth via an inland route, maybe heading up to Kalgoorlie before heading back on the Great Eastern Highway, or really change your road trip's tempo, nip up north and turn right onto the Eyre Highway.
In that case you'd better steel yourself for a very long drive to Adelaide on a straight road which goes for thousands of kilometres through an unvarying landscape designed especially to send you insane. Or, perhaps returning to Perth to hop on a plane going that direction might be a more attractive option?
Need a car to get you started?
There's loads of websites that collect the specials of all the car rental companies to save you time looking around. Just do a google search for "car hire deals" or check out a website like http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au which often has some good Perth and Western Australia specials.
Take care on those roads and keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos!
The Wandle Trail - Map and Illustrated Guide
The Wandle offered wonderful trout fishing up to the latter part of the last century. The Wandle Trail was established by the Wandle Group in association with the Wandle Industrial Museum in September 1988, launched with a walk with over 200 participants, led by Colin Saunders. 'The Wandle Trail Map and Guide' was put together in 1996 by the Wandle Industrial Museum with the support and help of London Borough of Merton, and sponsorship from Brown and Root.
A Torrent of Influences ? Tourism in Goa
Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa? But Goa is much more. Ancient temples and old churches? Yes. Portuguese Colony? Carnival City? The original refuge of the hippies? Yes again! Beach Paradise, India's tourism capital? the list goes on.
The Best Backpacking Food
Maybe your favorite backpacking food is a freeze-dried turkey dinner. There really is no "best" backpacking food. There are reasons to bring certain foods, though. Here are ten foods, and the reasons you might want to consider them.
Should You Buy a Used Inflatable Boat?
There are two types of used inflatable boats for sale ? those that have never been patched before, and those that have been repaired. Repaired boats are worked upon by factory technicians using the same glue and same techniques used for a new boat, and hence are as good as new ones. All the boats are tested for 24 hours before being advertised for sale.
Take a Hiking Pole on Your Next Hike
It is the downhill ski racing competition of the winter
Olympics. You watch a ski racer zoom down the slope manoeuvring
through the ski gates. However, you notice that something is
missing. The skier has on skis, boots, and a giant slalom skin
tight racing suit. You realize what's missing when their arms
flail about causing them to lose their balance on a patch of
ice. They are missing their ski poles.
The Lumemo Trail - An African Wilderness Experience for the Practiced Hiker
The Udzungwa Mountains National park was created primarily for the protection of flora rather than fauna. The park was registered in 1992 and is the first of its kind in Tanzania. This park is a series of mountain rangers and interlocking valleys - ranging from the top of the Kilombero Valley at 300 meters above sea level to peaks of around 2,570 meters above sea level. Only experienced hikers can mange this difficult train. Making these mountains pristine and largely untouched by humans.
The Pyramids of Giza
The most famous Egyptian pyramids to be built are the Great Pyramids of Giza, located in the outskirts of present-day Cairo. There are over 100 Egyptian pyramids of various sizes, and over 50 more in neighboring Sudan. However, the three Great Pyramids of Giza earn their fame by being the largest of these.
Cheap Safari in Africa For $70 a Day - Heres How To Do It
You would think that a cheap safari in Africa for $70 a day would have to take place in some shady game reserve in Timbuktu that nobody visits. But not in this case.
Kerala Backwaters - Gently Down the Stream
The quaint little balcony was large enough to accommodate two cane chairs, a table and little else. To reach it we had to climb over the ledge of our bedroom window and since the projection had no protective railing we had to be careful not to trip or fall over into the water below. Yes, the compact little perch had been grafted onto the side of our houseboat which drifted down the Backwaters of Kerala, the vibrant, living, 1500 km network of canals, estuaries and lakes that serve as the highways, by-ways and lifeline of the people who live along its banks.
|