The Northern Arizona Audubon Society hosted a birding 101 course on Friday, March 31 at the Camp Verde Community Library.
Presented by Rich Armstrong, the course covered the basics of birdwatching for beginners and included a virtual tour of the various bird species of the Verde Valley. Armstrong, a birdwatcher for nearly 30 years, leads many of the association’s excursions.
Armstrong intended his presentation to answer the question, “Why birds?” He argued that bird watching was fun, a form of exercise, a great retirement hobby, a great way to see nature, and could be easy or challenging, casual or serious.
Armstrong also compared birdwatching to his time in the military. Three seconds of confusion followed after hours and hours of boredom.
About 400 bird species can be seen in Yavapai County, of which about 100 are very rare, with an average of 250 bird species. Armstrong happens to point out that April is the best birding month in the valley.
Birdwatching gear starts with binoculars and a field guide, but these days most people use a birdwatching app instead of a physical guide. Available apps include He Sibley and Merlin, the latter developed by Cornell University, which can use songs to identify birds. Binoculars range in price from $50 to $2,500. A spotting scope is another useful tool for anyone serious about birdwatching. Armstrong revealed that he never goes to the mailbox without binoculars.
Armstrong joked that birds prefer free ones. Those interested in attracting birds can easily set up their yards with different types of feeders, including:
- Seed feeder that attracts cardinals, jays and finches
- Thistle feeder for goldfinches
- Sweat feeder for woodpeckers, wrens and warblers
- Millet feeder for dung, blackbirds and pigeons
- Sugar feeder for hummingbirds
- Ground feeder for quail
- water for all birds
You can use squirrel baffles on your feeders to keep pesky squirrels at bay. Armstrong explained how he once used a dollar store slinky to deter them, commenting that his backyard looked like a well-meaning store.
If you birdwatch in your backyard, keep a garden list. This includes birds that can be identified while in the yard. NAAS issues a “yard” certificate and his 50 bird nameplate to a member who identifies a bird species within 25 yards.
Armstrong advised novice birders to keep a list. He maintains a lifetime list of every bird he’s seen in his life, his list in Arizona, his list in Yavapai County, his list in Verde, his list in the Valley, and his list in the Yard. He also maintains special lists, such as the Sedona Wetlands list. Armstrong suggested using the Ebird app, which allows him to keep multiple birding lists all in one place.
The Verde Valley has many bird-watching sites. In Armstrong’s view, his three best birding spots in the Valley (meaning the highest number of species) are Sedona Wetlands, Bubbly Ponds, and Dead His Horse Ranch State Park. These average about 260 different bird species each. In addition to aquatic habitats and riparian areas such as the Verde River and Clear Creek, grasslands off Cornville Road, mountains such as Mingus, and canyons such as Oak Creek Canyon are also habitats for bird diversity.
“Don’t underestimate the desert,” said Armstrong, observing that it can be a good place to find birds. The advantage of birding in the desert is that you can spot birds at eye level.
To properly identify a bird, Armstrong advised birders to “look at the bird completely until you are tired of it.” Birds in flight look different than birds in flight, so posture is an additional cue for identification.
Armstrong shared images of bird species seen in different parts of the Verde Valley at different times of the year. Certain species may also change appearance at different times of the year and often have lighter plumage during the breeding season.
Many migratory birds, such as lazuli buntings and yellow warblers, will soon be in the valley. Armstrong says Camp He Creek is the best birdwatching spot in the Verde area, and he once spotted a spotted hawk owl at a clear He Creek He campground.
Lectures included a birdwatching walk the next day. NAAS hosts monthly meetings at the Sedona Public Library and conducts many field trips, all free of charge.
