WALK ETIQUETTE

Forest walks can be difficult for birdwatching. A forest bird walk will often be limited to a narrow trail through the woods which you either cannot step off (like a trail along a cliff face or creek) or would not want to (like a trail with lots of poison ivy visible everywhere). If there are several people on the walk, you might get stuck in the middle or back of the "line." In these situations, it can be very difficult to get a clear vantage point for viewing a bird someone has spotted. Add to this the fact that forest birds like to hide in thick scrub brush or high up in the tree canopy, and you may not actually set your eyes very many birds. So how do e-Bird reports for forest walks generate as many species as other walks? Many of the birds you might "encounter" on a forest walk are birds you will hear instead of see.

For beginning birders, ID-ing birds they can see can sometimes be daunting--trying to identify a bird by its call can be doubly so!  One good way to approach such a walk is to research in advance.  Check out the species lists on eBird or ask experienced birders what kind of birds you might expect in the area at this time of year. Then pick a species or two which you would like to add to your list and track down recordings of those birds' calls. There are plenty of online places to listen to such recordings: All About Birds,  eBird, Nature Songs, and (probably the best) the Macaulay Library. Memorize the songs of the one or two birds you have picked so you can listen for and pick out those songs on the trail. Imagine your fun when you can tell the group you have identified a bird like the Swainson's warbler just by hearing  its  call!