Best Birdwatching

Those who enjoy watching and identifying songbirds, shorebirds and birds of prey know certain areas have more plentiful populations than others.

Bluebirds, for example, prefer to nest in enclosed spaces entered by way of a hole that is too small for larger songbirds, such as sparrows. Common is seeing bluebird nesting boxes affixed to a post, surrounded by lawn. The bluebird likes an expanse of open space. Other birds aren't comfortable without a bush nearby in which they can beat a quick retreat, blending in with dense leaves and branches.

All birds, though, are attracted to water for both bathing and drinking. Homeowners along Lake Erie can expect to see a variety of warblers, cedar waxwings, orioles and more. Cleveland suburbs along the lake are on the "flyway" or migration routes of many types of birds.

States conduct annual "bird counts" and the sites for such counts are likely to produce the greatest variety of birds. For example, marshy areas, wetlands, lakes, ponds and rivers attract birds such as eagles, kingfishers, heron and hawks, and of course geese and ducks.

The timing of a bird's migration is dictated by breeding and weather patterns. In snowy states, as feed sources such as seeds become less plentiful, birds head south in search of food. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, many shorebirds begin their fall migrations as early as July. Other birds, like Snowy Owls and Bohemian Waxwings, says USGS, don't fly south ‘til winter's extreme temperatures force the move or they are hungry. Backyard feeders help tide over many birds during winter months when natural food supplies are scarce.

Government bird experts say, from midsummer to winter, residents living in the northern part of the U.S. may see some migrants coming back by mid February. In Florida, Purple Martins may start showing up late in January. Other migratory birds could wait until late in June to head back north. Birds that travel furthest south to nest turn around and return to their winter range when nesting is complete, say those who track birds for the USGS. For more information, contact the U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center at npwrc@usgs.gov.

For a list of America's best birdwatching trails by state, visit http://www.audubon.org/bird_trails/backseat_birder.html. For example, California's Central Coast Birding Trail is a coastal region the spans four counties. Sites include Machesna Wilderness in San Luis Obispo, La Jolla Canyon in Ventura, Barka Slough in Santa Barbara, and Pinnacles National Monument in Monterey. Any season is a good season along this trail for catching migratory waterbirds as well as resident landbirds, the National Audubon Society says.

Any wildlife refuge provides prime birding. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Don Edwards refuge, 45 miles from the city at the south end of the Bay, covers about 30,000

acres. The mixed habitat of salt ponds, marshes, mudflats and seasonal wetlands provides a home to an array of birds, including the endangered California clapper rail. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge offers birdwatching and other activities. For more information, call (510) 792-0222 or visit http://desfbay.fws.gov/.

Birdwatchers interested in participating in local bird counts can contact their state's Department of Natural Resources' division of wildlife or their local office of the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife (www. fws.gov).