[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

Birding Tips: On Cold Spring Mornings, Spend Some Time In The Sun

Almost any patch of woods on a crisp spring morning is bound to be bustling with songbirds, and it’s enticing to head straight into the woods to follow the songs. But before you head in, pause and look up. Because on a cold morning, most of the birds are bound to be at the sunlit edges of the woods. Why? Because that’s where the food is first thing in the morning. Insect activity wakes up where the day’s first rays of sun warm things up. And active insects attract our favorite insectivores—warblers, kinglets, vireos, and gnatcatchers.

Many birds depend on finding insects first thing in the morning to refuel after energetically demanding nights spent migrating hundreds of miles. Insects depend on the sun’s warmth to get them out of their lethargic state. Where there are bugs, there are birds. And that’s where you want to be.

So look for the first sunny spots early in the morning, often at habitat edges, where woods meet fields, ponds, or open space. Eastern edges face the rising sun, and so they’re best bets. Edges are also gathering places for species from multiple habitats, giving you a chance to spot birds that live in both woods and fields. If you’re in a shady spot, remember to look up and check the treetops—often they’ll be in the sun well before those warm rays reach you.

I hope birding is part of bushcrafting...