Bird Journal

Do you ever struggle to remember the birds you've seen and when you saw them? If you’re like us you simply cannot rely on a photographic memory, because you don’t have one!

A great way to remember and track the many you birds you've seen is to keep a bird journal; it does not need to be complicated or costly!

A simple lined journal is all you need, though you can also generate your journal on a computer. Using a computer to generate your journal creates a neat, easy to reference, table with species, year, and, location columns. You may also want to track the weather conditions and the surrounding habitat. Filling out the species column with birds you know you're going to see is a great way to stay organized for quick entries. Take care to leave blank rows and columns for new sightings or rare birds that can be filled in as needed. Starting anew at the beginning of the year is an easy way to archive your sightings for easy reference. You can also use your field guide to journal, leaving shorthand notes beside the species you see. 

With your written journal you can also, if you’re artistically inclined, keep a pictorial journal with drawings or even photographs you've taken of different bird sightings. A journal is also a great way to track the number of birds you've seen. Now is the perfect time to start! The "Great Backyard Bird Count" will be taking place from Friday, February 15th to Monday, February 18th!

Together, with a good set of binoculars and a field guide, a pen and paper are a birder’s best friends!

Happy Birding!