Under the heading
Bird Identification- equipment the value of a notebook
when identifying birds was already
discussed. A notebook becomes even more important when
watching birds. As you will see, when clicking on the links on
the right, there are numerous things to look for when trying to
study the behaviour of birds. It is therefore very
important to note and write down every detail that you see in a notebook. This data
can then be analysed at a later stage.
This
might sound like a lot of hard work and I suppose it does mean some
dedication. You will have to check "your" bird nests at
regular intervals and read a little bit more to understand what you
are seeing. But at the end of the day you will have learnt a lot and
be able to contribute your knowledge to either the projects of the
Avian Demography Unit or by publishing it in you bird club's
newsletter- creating the possibility that your data be included in
publications such as Roberts Birds of Southern Africa.
But
note if you do not want to go this more formal way of bird watching
there is nothing wrong to just enjoy watching the antics of birds for fun!
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