The New Year is the perfect time to rededicate yourself to enjoying birding as a fulfilling and worthwhile hobby, and this list of twelve birding New Year’s resolutions can help you go from a casual bird watching novice to an experienced birding expert.
- Follow Good Birding Ethics: Always watch the birds in a safe way, both for them and for yourself. Protect birds’ habitats and enjoy the birds in a natural way that will ensure they are around for other birders to enjoy for generations.
- Increase Your Life List: Vow to add at least two new birds (or more!) to your life list every month. Don’t forget about migrating species, rare bird sightings and unusual backyard visitors.
- Offer Healthier Seed: Investigate different types of birdseed to discover which ones your backyard birds prefer and choose seed mixes that offer the best nutrition for the birds. You’ll soon find that offering a higher quality, wider variety of seed will attract even more birds to your feeders.
- Clean Feeders Regularly: Resolve to clean your feeders each time you fill them to help prevent mold and mildew. Clean feeders will also limit the spread of avian diseases so your birds are healthier and happier.
- Subscribe to a Birding Magazine: Choose one of the many magazines for birders so you can stay abreast of news in the birding world. Magazines also offer bird profiles, attracting tips, project ideas and more to help you enjoy this rewarding hobby.
- Join a Birding Organization: Adding your name to the membership roles of a national, regional or local birding organization will help promote bird conservation and wildlife awareness. Are you already a member of your local chapter? Consider other steps, such as adopting a wild bird, that will help conservation efforts.
- Go Birding on Vacation: Birds can be found everywhere, and if you take the time for a quick bird watching trip while on vacation you will be amazed at the different types of birds you can find.
- Add Water to Your Backyard: Not all birds will visit feeders or eat the same seeds, but they all need water. Attract birds with water by adding a bird bath, mister or fountain to your backyard, and consider a heated bird bath for colder climates so fresh water is available all year round.
- Offer Nesting Sites: Add a birdhouse to your backyard if you don’t have one already, or consider small changes to make your existing birdhouses safer and more attractive to nesting birds.
- Be Proud of Your State Bird: Is your state bird on your life list? Learn more about the bird species that represents your state so you know why it was chosen and you can provide an attractive place for it to visit.
- Connect With Birders: Become part of a flock of friends by vowing to connect with other birders through forums, blogs, websites, birding groups and other organizations.
- Visit About Birding and Wild Birds: Resolve to stay up on all the latest birding news, species profiles and birding tips by visiting About Birding and Wild Birds regularly. Subscribe to the newsletter, post in the forums and contact me with any questions or suggestions that can make the New Year a very enjoyable one for birding!
