How do you get started in bird watching? It can sometimes feel mystifying and overwhelming because there are so many books and so many birds displayed in them. This link, https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife-watching/birding-basics/, provides a guide to show you the way. It was contributed by Jessica Ruthenberg, Watchable Wildlife Biologist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Whether you just want to enrich your experience outdoors or enter the field in a serious way, this website will set you on the right path. You can even start in your own backyard by practicing sighting birds, identifying them, trying to match the songs to the birds, and perfecting the use of (not as easy as you may think). Who knows, you might spot the big bird himself, but you are more likely to do so in the fall after the ospreys have left. This picture was taken in Colonial Beach.
