Birdwatching for Beginners (From a Real 4th Grader Who’s Obsessed)
Hi! I’m Ember, and I’m here to tell you one very important truth:
Birds are awesome.
Some kids are into Pokémon. Some kids are into slime.
I’m into avian biodiversity.
If you’ve ever seen a heron flap its giant wings or watched a nuthatch scoot down a tree headfirst and thought, “Whoa, how do I see more of this?”—this post is for you.
🐦 What You Need to Start Birdwatching
Spoiler alert: Not much.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Your eyes. (A+ for portability.)
- A notebook or bird log. You can draw them or write stuff down like color, size, sound.
- A field guide for your area. There are great kid ones like the Peterson First Guide to Birds of North America.
- Binoculars (optional). I didn’t get mine until this year. Totally not required, but fun!
- Patience. Seriously. Birds do not perform on demand.
🌳 Best Places to Go Birdwatching
Start where the birds already are:
- Your backyard – look near feeders, trees, or puddles.
- School playgrounds – robins and starlings love them.
- Nature preserves or wetland trails – like the Thurston Nature Center, which is the BEST (but I’m biased).
- Parks with water – ducks, herons, geese, and weird waders love water.
Go in the morning or just before sunset. Birds are most active during those times. (Also: bring a snack. For you, not the birds.)
🔊 Birdwatching = Birdlistening
Most birds are loud. In a cool way.
Even before you see them, you can hear them. Some tips:
- Cardinals go “cheer-cheer-cheer” (like a tiny red trumpet).
- Chickadees go “chicka-dee-dee-dee” (yep, they say their name!).
- Red-winged blackbirds go “konk-a-reee!” (like a squeaky screen door).
Apps like Merlin Bird ID (by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) can even help you identify birds by sound!
✏️ Ember’s Top 5 Beginner Birds (That You Might See Today!)
- American Robin – Red-orange belly. Runs around like it’s late for a meeting.
- Black-capped Chickadee – Tiny floof with a big voice.
- Northern Cardinal – Red as a firetruck. Makes your day 8% better every time you see one.
- Great Blue Heron – Basically a dinosaur. Long neck. Long legs. Pure drama.
- Red-tailed Hawk – Big. Screechy. Makes movie soundtracks cooler.
💚 One Last Thing
Birdwatching isn’t just a hobby—it’s a way to care about your neighborhood in a deeper way. Birds are part of what makes a place feel alive.
The more you notice them, the more you notice everything.
So whether you’re sketching a goose or tracking a mystery warbler, just know this:
You don’t have to go far to find something wildly beautiful.
✌️
Ember
(4th Grade Birder, Ghost Blogger, Heron Enthusiast)