The art of birdwatching is much more than just for older people. Many travelers in America need to get through the Pandemic and birding may be the stress relief they need.
While living in the South Bronx, Ward became enamored with birds at a young age. The falcon ate a pigeon about 30 feet from me. It was National Geographic in high definition for me. The window I was looking out of was the window of a homeless shelter. Birds can bring me out of a dark place.
"Birds of North America" is a documentary series that promotes the virtues of bird watching. He says that we are fortunate to have a lot of different species. No matter where you are in the country, there are lots of jewels to be found.
While travel is paused for many people in America, there's no better time to see the birds outside. Birds are not discrimination, says Ward. Birds show up wherever there are resources for them.
Some of America's most knowledgeable birders have put together a list of seven of the best birdwatching spots.
Ward thinks the southern tip of Texas is the best place for birdwatching. 50 to 60 different species are usually seen by Ward on the east coast. He was able to see 94 species in three hours.
"Not only are you going to see a lot of breeding birds making their way back south," Ward says, "but you're going to see some species from Central America and Mexico that sometimes stray a little further north and wind up somewhere they aren't supposed to be." Everyone loses their minds in Texas.
The Lone Star State has a unique list of birds that cannot be found anywhere else in the country. The chachalaca and the green jay are noteworthy residents. The bird looks like a velociraptor and it screeches like a trumpet player.
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The founder of the Feminist Bird Club, Molly Adams, was surprised when she found out that Brooklyn's Prospect Park is one of the state's most ecological rich birdwatching spots.
New York's green spaces give a respite for over 200 species of migratory birds. During migration, you can see close to 100 species in a single day.
The birdwatching season lasts for a long time in autumn. There are a lot of birds. America's most populous city has a lot of different species. Adams said it really rejuvenated his passion for birdwatching.
There is a tour of Central Park in New York City.
Scout new ways to explore the planet's wildest places with our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.Toledo isn't high on most travelers' to-do lists, but the surrounding region is a great place for birders to visit. Every May, hundreds of warblers make their way from South America to the Great White North on Lake Erie's southern shores.
The birds are moving. They have to fatten up before crossing Lake Erie into Canada. Visitors can walk along a boardwalk to view the Elysium at the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. Ward says it's great to stop anywhere on the boardwalk and watch a war bird. You have a good seat no matter where you are because there are birds nearby.
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Thirty miles north of San Francisco, there is a fault line that splits the California coast in two. Rolling hills stretch to the east, ocean waves crash on unspoiled beaches to the west, and nearly 500 species of birds fly around the 70,000 acres of protected land. This area is a great place for birds to migrate along the Pacific Flyway. The snowy plover is an animal that skitters along the shoreline.
When the tide is right, large flocks of shorebirds can be seen at Bolinas Lagoon, which is located near a tidal estuary.
There are luxury spots in California.
North America's wading birds are an important part of Florida's wetlands. Kayakers and canoeists can watch egrets, ibis, and roseate spoonbills in the shallows of the Gulf Coast. If you're looking for ornithological entertainment, the biking and hiking trail at Shark Valley is an easy escape from South Florida's suburbs.
"Winter is an ideal time to visit, as it offers the highest diversity of birds and the best conditions for birdwatching," says Brian Rapoza, the Tropical Audubon Society's field trip leader. One of the highlights of the season is when the swallow-tailed kites come back to Florida from their wintering grounds in Central and South America.
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Tucson and the surrounding area have an abundance of species that can't be found anywhere else in the US. Will Russell, owner of the local bird tour company Wings, says that it's a popular place for people who keep national lists with the number of birds they've seen.
International fliers come to the region in July during the monsoon season. Russell says that instead of having six or seven different types of hummingbirds, there are sometimes twelve or 13.
Tucson's bird scene is amazing, but not the only thing. "Tucson is a place where a lot of bird people retire," said Macfarland. It has a strong community of birders. Birds can be seen at the Wetlands, at Mount Lemmon, and at the bird feeders in the canyon.
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You might want to skip Cape May during October's migration season if you feel uneasy because of the movie "The Birds". "So Many Birds" is the slogan of the local Audubon festival.
Birds get funneled to Cape May if they follow the Atlantic Coast at night. Birds are in a traffic jam. Ward says you can look at any point in the sky and 15-20 birds are trying to figure out the next leg in their journey.
The falcon is the bird that got him hooked in the South Bronx. He says that you have a lot of pandemonium. It's as if there's no wind when you watch a falcon fly over the horizon. It's doing things that please it.
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