About 60 million people in the United States are birders.
Rusty blackbird WHAT WE'VE SPOTTED
* Eurasian wigeon, Bayonne
* Northern goshawk, Cape May Point
* Rusty blackbird, Sandy Hook
* Black-headed gull, Forsythe (Brigantine) National Wildlife Refuge
* Sandhill crane, Cape May
* Harlequin duck, Barnegat Light State Park
About 60 million people in the United States are birders. Most of these folks watch the birds at their backyard feeders, while others find this the most serious and satisfying thing they do. For many, like this writer, birding is the great escape -- you spend a day out in the field, looking and listening for our feathered friends, and leave all of life's realities behind.
Another good reason to consider taking up this hobby? New Jersey is one of the best birding states in the country.
Among the benefits of this wonderful avocation is that it gets you outside, where you can fit in some exercise and visit some wonderful places and habitats. Many serious birders travel all over North America in search of birds to tally. The North American list is more than 900 species and, if you go beyond it, the world list is more than 10,000 species.
Other benefits include making lots of like-minded new friends, visiting places that the average tourist would never experience and, for most, becoming an avid conservationist and protecting the birds and habitat you have grown to love.
For many, keeping lists is a passion. There is the life list, of all the birds you have seen anywhere; plus a North America list; a state list; a backyard list; a list for your favorite birding patch (hot spot); or a list for any place you want. The thrill is to add a new bird to those lists.
Some of the best places for birding in the Garden State are Sandy Hook; Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, in Galloway, one of America's best national wildlife refuges; and Cape May, considered one of the great migration hotspots in the world. There are many other locations in New Jersey to explore, too. Consider joining an organization such as New Jersey Audubon (njaudubon.org), which organizes field trips for folks interested in birding all over the state and is one of the state's prominent conservation groups.
Get started by buying a bird feeder or two for your yard, or outside your window, where you will attract great birds such as the black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, blue jay, white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed junco and northern cardinal. If you go to Forsythe NWR, just north of Atlantic City, you can see birds including the northern harrier, tundra swan, great egret, snow geese, great blue heron and, perhaps, a bald eagle, our national symbol.
These experiences should get you hooked. Join the myriad folks going out into the field every opportunity we can get to see our avian friends -- up close and personal -- and loving every minute of it.
This column is compiled and written by Pete Bacinski, longtime New Jersey birder and retired NJ Audubon All Things Birds program director. Questions or comments should be directed to him by emailing petebacinski@comcast.net.