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Step 1
Contact your local birding association or Audubon Society for a list of local birding spots to select from.
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Step 2
Hop online to Birding.com and follow their links to great birding hot spots across the nation. Discover the best places to find birds like loons, eiders and bald eagles.
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Step 3
Figure out what kind of birds you would like to see and study their preferred habitat and climate. Also learn their migratory patterns and the regions where they have been found. Select birds that are native to your region if you do not want to travel far. If you choose penguins, for example, you may have to do a bit more traveling.
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Step 4
Locate areas around you that seem amenable to the kinds of birds you would like to see. If you do see birds, be sure to take plenty of notes. Record the weather, date and time of day, environmental surroundings and as many details about the birds as you can discern.
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Step 5
Note the equipment you are using and what equipment may seem better suited to that birding spot. Your great birding spot may be on the edge of a cliff or near a particular tree in a rainy forest. Each setting may require different supplies.
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Step 6
Note the birding spot you have found if it is not already on a birder's list. Write down how you got to that location especially if you had to walk by foot for a mile or two. Identify any natural landmarks that will help other birder's find that spot. River, lakes, streams, rock formations and unique tree alignments are some examples. Lastly, don't forget to jot down the difficulty of the terrain.
