“06880” readers know Tracy Porosoff from her gorgeous photos, of all things Westport. She has a great eye for the beauty around us.
Today she shares something else: advice about birdwatching. Tracy writes:
Living in Westport, we are fortunate to have access to so many natural wonders, like our beautiful beaches.
However, an even closer treasure awaits outside everyone’s window, in their back yard: birdwatching.
This simple pastime can provide tremendous joy, relaxation, and a sense of satisfaction. You can:
- Hear the gentle tap, tap, tap of a red breasted woodpecker on a tree branch.
- Appreciate the vivid colors and patterns of a blue jay.
- Watch a white-breasted nuthatch hop backwards down a tree trunk.
- See a black-capped chickadee get close as you refill the birdseed.
- Admire the stately Northern cardinal posing in the grass.
- Listen to the beautiful song of the aptly named song swallow.
- Marvel as hollow-boned creatures perch on the tiniest branch.
Goldfinch (Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
Audubon says that being in nature, and birding in particular, improves mental health and cognitive function, making people happier.
To become a backyard birder you don’t need to go anywhere, buy any equipment or even break a sweat. You can lure birds to your yard by hanging a feeder filled with bird seed.
And to enhance your understanding of what you are seeing, some helpful technological aids can guide you. Here are a few:
The free Merlin app recognizes bird songs, to identify the birds you are hearing. It provides names, photos and additional sound recordings of each bird it identifies.
Here are some birds Merlin identified in just a couple of minutes outside:
Use Apple’s Visual Look Up tool on your iPhone or iPad to snap a photo of the bird you see. Then tap the Info button at the bottom of the screen to identify the bird.
The All About Birds website also provides lots of information about birds. Just type in a few descriptive words.
Install a Smart Bird Feeder that comes with a camera, microphone and even AI identification features.
Some additional resources:
Local bird-related organizations:
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Northern cardinal (Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
