Browse Through the Traveler Content

It’s no secret that we birders tend to do things a little differently than “normal” travelers. Valentine’s Day weekend at the sewage treatment plant? Getting up at 4 a.m. every morning of your vacation? Perfectly acceptable behavior for the seasoned birder. But Saguaro National Park in August???

South Florida, including Everglades National Park, has seen a precipitous decline in nesting success among wading birds, according to a report by the South Florida Water Management District.

Hundreds of endangered Wood Storks are settling down for the nesting season at Paurotis Pond in Everglades National Park, and that means the pond and the surrounding area have been temporarily closed to visitors.

Kirby Adams ranged far afield in the national parks looking for birds in 2012, relating his experiences that took him all the way north, and a bit east, to Newfound in Canada. Let's take a look back at those columns.

It’s time to head north once again to wrap up our discussion of birding the national parks on the island of Newfoundland. Gros Morne is certainly the most famous of Newfoundland’s parks and a gem of the entire Parks Canada system, but the other corners of the island have parks with their own unique birding opportunities.

Hurricane Sandy's winds redirected seabirds all over the northeastern United States.

Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park can be difficult to reach, but for the determined birder, the effort is well worth it!

While most people think of the four seasons we all know so well, birders have a different calendar with more descriptive headings than “spring” and “winter.” And right now we are at the peak of hawk season.

Sooner or later, you’re going to need a spotting scope. I’ve tried a lot of scopes and found there are some great products at every price range. Clearly, you can’t expect a $250 scope to perform like a $2,500 scope, but if your expectations are realistic, you can find some excellent quality without robbing the piggy bank. Or, as a bird blogger said recently, robbing a real bank.

A camera holster from Spider Holster allows you to hang your camera on your hip when it's not immediately needed.

Finding the birds and getting some good glass (binoculars, scope, or camera) on them is only half the battle of birding. Once you see the birds, you then have to identify them. In other words, you need a field guide or six!

Birds don’t seem to recognize political borders. Some might call that uncivilized, but I find it endearing that a migrating bird doesn’t know – or care – if it’s about to land in Utah, Ohio, Mexico, or Canada. As long as the habitat is suitable and the time is right, the bird will land, and hopefully be spotted by an observant birder.