* Run up charges on your credit card accounts
* Open new credit accounts or cellular phone service using your name
* Open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on it
* Create counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account
* Buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name
* Get identification such as a driver’s license issued with their picture in your name
* Call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your account. The impostor then runs up charges on your account. Because the bills are being sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there’s a problem.

Problems that result, such as unpaid bills, are reported on your credit report.

Identity thieves steal your personal information to commit fraud. They can damage your credit status and cost you time and money restoring your good name. To reduce your risk of becoming a victim, follow the tips below:

Tips for Preventing Identity Loss

* Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write it on your checks. Only give out your SSN when absolutely necessary.
* Protect your PIN. Never write a PIN on a credit/debit card or on a slip of paper kept in your wallet.
* Watch out for “shoulder surfers”. Use your free hand to shield the keypad when using pay phones and ATMs.
* Collect mail promptly. Ask the post office to put your mail on hold when you are away from home for more than a day or two.
* Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
* Keep your receipts. Ask for carbons and incorrect charge slips as well. Promptly compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
* Tear up or shred unwanted receipts, credit offers, account statements, expired cards, etc., to prevent dumpster divers getting your personal information.
* Store personal information in a safe place at home and at work. Don’t leave it lying around.
* Don’t respond to unsolicited requests for personal information in the mail, over the phone or online.
* Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
* Check your credit report once a year. Check it more frequently if you suspect someone has gotten access to your account information.

If you suspect or become a victim of identity theft, follow these steps:

* Report it to your financial institution. Call the phone number on your account statement or on the back of your credit or debit card.
* Report the fraud to your local police. Keep a copy of the police report, which will make it easier to prove your case to creditors and retailers.
* Contact the credit-reporting bureaus and ask them to flag your account with a fraud alert, whch asks merchants not to grant new credit without your approval.

But becoming a vegetarian, for me and for many others, is the easiest thing in the world. So in this post we’ll look at some suggestions and tips for becoming a vegetarian without too much difficulty, and some reasons you might consider it.

Why Become Vegetarian?

Again, let me state that vegetarianism isn’t for everyone. If you are fanatically devoted to meat (and I was at one time, so I understand), you might not be interested. If you already eat healthy, or you’re not interested in your health, you might not be interested.

But there are some reasons, for the rest of us, to consider it:

1. Cut the fat. While meat provides a lot of protein, it also provides a ton of fat — especially saturated fat. Which means that by cutting out meat, you’ll be cutting out a lot of bad fat, and replacing it with things that are probably not only lower in fat, but that contain some good fats. This greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, and in fact numerous studies have shown that vegetarians tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, as well as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other diseases.

2. Less food poisoning. Food poisoning gets millions of people each year — and many of them from meat, which is a good breeding ground for harmful bacteria, especially if not stored, prepared or cooked exactly right. Cut out meat and you lower your risk of food poisoning (especially if you also cut out eggs and dairy, but that’s optional).

3. Reduce the suffering. You probably don’t want to hear about the horrific treatment of animals that are raised for food, even before they are slaughtered for our benefit. But suffice it to say, there are great amounts of suffering involved, and by cutting out meat, you are reducing your involvement in that.

4. Help the environment. There are actually numerous ways that the meat industry harms the environment, from a waste of our resources (animals raised for food eat enough grain to feed the world), to a waste of fuel, to the pollution caused by their waste matter, and much more.

5. Help your weight loss. It’s possible to be vegetarian and eat very unhealthy foods, including Coke and fries and fried stuff and pizza and chips. But it’s much more difficult. Studies repeatedly show that vegetarians are slimmer and are less likely to be obese than meat eaters. If you’re trying to lose weight, being a vegetarian can be a good part of your program.

6. Get more nutrition. In general (though not necessarily), vegetarians replace meat with more nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and so on. If you do that, you will be getting more of the nutrients your body needs, giving you better health, less illness, and more energy.

20 Tips for Becoming a Vegetarian

So, if you’d like to become a vegetarian, without too much trouble, here are my suggestions:

1. Have good reasons. If you just want to become vegetarian for kicks, you probably won’t stick with it for long — not because it’s hard, but because any lifestyle change or habit change requires a little bit of motivation. You need to first think about why you want to become vegetarian, and really believe in it. The rest is easy.

2. Read up. Before starting anything new, I tend to read as much as possible about whatever it is that I’ll be doing. I suggest you do so with vegetarianism. Check out a couple of good books from the library (or better yet, borrow from vegetarian friends). And there are tons and tons of good sites on the Internet. One of my favorites is GoVeg.com.

3. Find good recipes. You don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new cookbooks, although that’s certainly an option. But again, there are many great recipes online. Try GoVeg.com … another favorite of mine is Post Punk Kitchen (also see their forums). In fact, it can all be a little overwhelming … but don’t worry, you don’t need to decide on anything. Just look through the recipes, take note of a few that look really good, and decide to try a few of them. You have the rest of your life to test out other recipes!

4. Try one recipe a week. My suggestion is just to try one new vegetarian recipe a week. If you like it, add it to your collection of staple recipes that you eat on a regular basis. If the recipe isn’t that great, try another next week. Soon, you’ll have a good list of 5-10 great recipes that you love to cook and eat. And really, whether you’re vegetarian or meat eater, that’s probably all you really eat on a regular basis anyway (for dinner, at least). Most people only have 7-10 recipes that they cook regularly. Once you have that many vegetarian recipes, you are good to go.

5. Substitutions. Also try your regular recipes that you love, but instead of using meat, use a meatless substitute. So if you love to eat spaghetti or chili, for example, substitute a ground-beef alternative from Bocca or Morning Star and just cook it the way you normally would. There are alternatives for just about any kind of meat, and some of them are quite good. You can go on eating what you normally eat, but meatless.

6. Start with red meat. I suggest a gradual transition into vegetarianism … although you can do it all at once, I’ve found that for many people, a gradual transition works better. There’s no need to give up all meat at once. Try a few new recipes, maybe eat one vegetarian meal for the first week, two for the second, and so on. If you do this, start with red meat, as it is typically the least healthy.

7. Then the other meats. After a couple of weeks of going without red meat, try cutting out pork for a couple of weeks. Then cut out chicken, the seafood. With this two-week approach (and you can even make it 3 weeks or a month for each stage if you want to go more slowly), you’ll hardly notice the difference. I’ve found that I don’t crave meats anymore, although I did for about a week.

8. Consider dairy & eggs. Vegetarians vary widely on this, so there’s no mandate to give up dairy or eggs if you’re giving up meat. Do what feels right for you. But if you go meatless for awhile, and want to try to go a little further (in terms of health, the environment, and helping animal suffering), consider these foods. For one thing, they are often high in saturated fat, especially compared to soy alternatives. It was easy for me to give up eggs, as I’ve never been a huge fan, but transitioning to soy milk took a few days to get used to … although I can’t stand the taste of milk now.

9. Think about your staples. A useful exercise is to make a list of foods you regularly eat, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. Not meals, but ingredients. And then think about vegetarian alternatives, and make a new list. For example, instead of eating chicken in a stir-fry dish, you might try tofu. With a new list of staples, you should have no trouble stocking your fridge and pantry.

10. All in one go. Some people prefer to give up meat all at once. While this takes a little more determination than the gradual solution I advocate, it’s not that hard, really. Just prepare yourself by taking some of the steps above (finding recipes, substitutes, a new list of staples, and reading as much as possible), and then give it a shot. It should only take a few days to get used to it, and then you’ll have very little trouble after that. The only issues you’ll have to work out, once you’re used to going without meat, are things like eating out, eating at others’ houses, and other similar issues. Read on for more on these.

11. Adequate protein. One myth about vegetarianism is that you don’t get enough protein. Actually, meat eaters usually take in way more protein than they need. Protein requirements for the average adult are lower than people think. If you eat a varied diet (not just junk food, for example) that includes vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, soy protein and the like, you will be fine. It would hard to create an eating plan where you’re getting inadequate protein (the junk food example would be one). Another myth is that you need to eat different types of protein within a single meal (or even a single day) to get complete protein from plants … actually, as long as you eat varied proteins (such as those listed above) over a few days, you’ll be fine. And soy protein is a complete protein, just like meat.

12. Junk food. Again, you can be a vegetarian and be very unhealthy, if you eat junk food. Being a vegetarian is not a license to eat junk food (although you can probably indulge yourself a little more often now that you’re not eating meat). Try to stick with fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, soy protein, low-fat dairy and other nutritious foods for the most part.

13. Ethnic food. One of the great things about becoming a vegetarian is that it often spurs people to try new and interesting ethnic foods (or reminds them of foods they love but don’t eat much). Great vegetarian dishes can be found all over the world, from Italian pasta to many Indian dishes to spicy Thai food to Chinese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Mexican, South American and more. It can be interesting to do a series of theme weeks, trying vegetarian dishes from a certain country for one week, and then moving around the world and sampling other great ethnic foods.

14. Tell friends & family. If you’re really going to become a vegetarian, you’ll have to talk to the people you know and love about it. You’ll still be dining with them, at restaurants, at their homes, at social gatherings, at work, and so it’ll be better for everyone involved if they know what you’re doing (they might prepare a vegetarian dish for you, or you might bring one for them to try), and if they know the reasons why. Some people might have a hard time with it. Just try to explain it to them, without getting defensive or argumentative, and ask them to be understanding (and maybe to give some of your food a try). Don’t try to force vegetarianism on anyone, or sound preachy, but do give them more information if they’re interested.

15. Have fun. Most of all, don’t make becoming a vegetarian be a restrictive, grueling ordeal. If you feel like you’re depriving yourself, you won’t last long. But if you feel like you’re doing something good, and trying out some great-tasting food, you’ll stick with it for much longer (for life, I hope). Have a great time along the way.

16. Plan ahead. Often what gets in the way of new vegetarians is that they go somewhere, and don’t think of what they might have to eat. Going to a party or a dinner can be much better if you prepare a great dish and bring it along (let the host know about it first). An errands trip doesn’t have to result in you going to McDonalds, starving, if you pack a lunch or bring some snacks.

17. Cook ahead. Another problem is when we don’t have any vegetarian food ready to eat, and so we resort to whatever is easiest (if we don’t feel like eating or are too hungry to wait). Instead, you could cook a big pot of vegetarian chili or soup or something, and have it in the fridge for when you’re hungry and don’t have time to cook.

18. Vegetarian snacks. I love to eat fruits and cut-up veggies, but there are lots of other great snacks you can eat. Roasted (or raw) almonds, hummus and pitas or veggies, blue corn chips and salsa, low-fat granola, berries with soy yogurt, whole-grain cereals, Kashi crackers … dozens and dozens of snacks, actually, if you take a look around. Have plenty on hand, at home, at work, and on the road.

19. Vegetarian restaurants. There’s only one vegetarian restaurant on Guam, and unfortunately it’s closed on nights and weekends (it’s a Seventh-Day Adventist joint, open for lunch on weekdays, and it’s great). But you might live in an area with dozens of great vegetarian restaurants. Give them a try! You might discover some wonderful food, and thank your lucky stars you decided to give vegetarianism a try. Otherwise, most restaurants will have some vegetarian options, or can cook you a vegetarian dish on request.

20. Vegetarian convenience foods. In your supermarket’s frozen section, you’ll probably find a lot of vegetarian foods that can be microwaved. You might give some of these a try (I love the Amy’s brand). Beware that, like most convenience foods, these are more expensive than home-cooked stuff, and most likely not as healthy. But you can find some fairly healthy foods there too. At any rate, it’s always good to have a couple of convenience foods in the freezer, just in case.

*** Written by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits ***

Click here for fabulous salad recipes!

Over the years, eBay has introduced all sorts of different auction types, in an effort to give people more options when they buy and sell their things on eBay.

For every seller who doesn’t like the idea that their item might sell for a far lower price than they intend, there’s another who wants to shift hundreds of the same item quickly. eBay tries to cater to all tastes. This email gives you an overview of the different kinds of auctions and their advantages for you.

Normal Auctions.

These are the bread-and-butter of eBay, the auctions everyone knows: buyers bid, others outbid them, they bid again, and the winner gets the item. Simple.

Reserve Auctions.

Reserve auctions are for sellers who don’t want their items to sell for less than a certain price – a concept you’ll know about if you’re familiar with real auctions. They work just like normal auctions on eBay, except that the buyer will be told if their bid does not meet the reserve price you set, and they’ll need to bid again if they want the item. If no-one is willing to meet your price, then the auction is cancelled, and you keep the item.

Fixed Price (‘Buy it Now’) Auctions.

Buy it Now auctions can work in one of two ways. You can add a Buy it Now button to a normal auction, meaning that buyers can choose either to bid normally or to simply pay the asking price and avoid the whole bidding process. Some sellers, though, now cut out the auction process altogether and simply list all their items at fixed price. This lets you avoid all the complications of the auction format and simply list your items for how much you want them to sell for.

Recently, eBay added a twist to fixed price auctions: the ‘best offer’. This means that buyers can contact you to negotiate a price, which could be a good way to get sell some extra stock at a small discount. The only downside to reserve and fixed price auctions is that you pay a small extra fee to use these formats. In general, it is more worth using reserve auctions for higher-priced items and fixed price auctions for lower-priced ones – but remember that you can combine the two formats.

Multiple Item (‘Dutch’) Auctions.

These are auctions where you can sell more than one of a certain item. Dutch auctions can be done by bidding. Buyers bid a price and say how many items they want, and then everyone pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the winning bidders. If you have trouble getting your head around that, then don’t worry – everyone else does too! These auctions are very rare.

What is more common is when a seller has a lot of one item, and lists it using a combination of two auction types: a multiple-item fixed price auction. This just means that you can just say how many of the item you they have, and offer them at a fixed price per unit. Buyers can enter how many they want and then just click Buy it Now to get them.

Now that you know about the different types of auctions, you should make sure that the items you plan to sell don’t violate eBay’s listing policies. The next email will let you know what’s allowed and what is a big no-no.

Housebreaking your puppy

Housebreaking is the most important thing your puppy must learn. Common sense should tell you why.  Aside from the maintenance of your household hygiene, trained dogs are happy dogs. As creatures of habit, it’s in their nature to keep schedules as pack animals.

The ideal age to begin house breaking them is 8 to 12 weeks old.

Crate Help
Dog trainers suggest using a crate in housebreaking your puppy. A crate is like a cage, with see-through bars and a locking door. Its size should accommodate the dogs’ size for it to move around in. It should be used like a dog’s bedroom. It is advised to not confine your puppy in his crate for more than two hours at a time. The wonder behind using a crate in housebreaking your puppy is that dogs are not into eliminating by their sleeping areas. However, it might get forced to relieve itself if you cruelly lock him in somewhere for longer than he can hold it in. So, never use a crate to punish your dog, it will backfire. Generally, pups that are three-month old must eliminate every 3 hours, so you should lead him to a special outdoor comfort room more often.

Make Your Puppy Learn Routines
Another tip is to leave the house through one door only. This door should be the one that you want your dog to scratch to warn you about his being called by the nature. Taking your pup out at around the same times every day will be very beneficial for the both of you. This will help in establishing a routine, and will make him learn to hold it in until you become available to take him out.

Look For Clues
If your un-housebroken dog is accustomed to roaming freely around the house, search for signs that show you he needs to do it. Be really observant enough of his behavior, i.e., heavy sniffing, circling an area, staring at the door with an intense look on his face, etc. If you catch him WHILE doing it, stop him and say “No” using your deep, stern tone (don’t forget to use a deep, gruff voice when stating commands). Then, take him outside and let him finish what he is doing. Lastly, pat him on his head while saying “Good (his name)!” It is a must to make your dog get used to being praised whenever he does anything that makes you proud. Giving him food as a reward when he does his business in the appropriate spot can help, too.

Patience is a Big Virtue
Like any training endeavor, housebreaking requires a lot of patience. If you definitely despise cleaning your dog’s waste off your Persian carpets on an hourly basis and having your whole house smell like a public bathroom, you want the housebreaking to be successful in a wink of an eye, if not sooner.

Common Sense Makes a Lot of Sense
The use of common sense will aid you big time in dealing with your puppy’s housebreaking endeavor. Logical thinking should inform you to not give your dog water before bedtime if his tendency is to pee often at night time. Catering to his schedule first will prove to be very helpful in making it gradually change into yours. Aside from patience and common sense, consistency is also one of the important factors of this dog training activity. If you suddenly forget about the routines yourself, don’t blame if your dog if he starts committing accidents more often. If you would like succeed in this housebreaking feat or just about in any other training drills, don’t treat it as a game. Allot enough time and commitment on your part.

Obedience training for your dog

Most obedience training in dogs is used to create a groundwork from which the dog and his master will learn how to effectively correspond to each other. Moreover, obedience training is also employed by dog owners whose dogs are behaving badly. It is one way of incorporating discipline in the dog’s behavior. This kind of training makes him realize that certain behaviors are not allowed and that he should not act that way.

When obedience training is incorporated into a dog’s behavior, the dog, in turn, will be able to respond properly with the right behavior that is expected of him to manifest. Consequently, many dog owners are wondering whether it would be better if a professional should handle their dog’s obedience training. In most cases, it can be much easier to have a professional trainer or an obedience school to teach the proper way to follow a command. However, if the dog owner feels he can do just the same, then, there is no special condition for that matter.

Whether the obedience training is done at home, by a professional trainer, or in an obedience school, there are things that must be considered when incorporating this kind of training.

Here is a list of the things that should be taken into account.

1. Fun
Obedience training does not necessarily mean that strict rules should be imposed. This is because the dog is not aware of the reasons why he should be trained. Therefore, for him to respond to the commands, the training must be done in such a way that the dog sees the activity as something that is fun. The dog will be able to respond positively if he sees that whenever he follows what he is asked to do, he gets rewards or praises, and that is having fun for
them.

2. Consistency
During the course of obedience training, it is really important to have
consistency in the training. For example, if a dog was allowed to sit on the rug the other day and when the dog tried to sit on the rug today, he was scolded. Things like this should not be taken for granted. It is extremely important to teach the dog what he should and should not do and stick to it. Confusion will only make the matters worst.

3. Obedience training instructor/trainer
When people choose to enroll their dogs in an obedience class, it is important to analyze the trainer before the owner leaves his dog. The character and personality of the trainer is extremely important. They should be professional enough to know how to handle the dog’s behavior and how to train them properly.

4. Referrals
It is best not to try new and unfamiliar obedience training schools. This could be really risky both for you and for your dog. It would be better if dog owners ask for some referrals from their veterinarians, dog breeders, or other people who can give their honest opinions.

5. Charges
Not all obedience training schools are created equal. They vary depending on the kind of services that they offer. Therefore, it is best to consider the amount of charges that they provide and the dog owners should know how to analyze if the prices are worth it.

6. Methods used in the training
It is highly recommended that dog owners should contemplate first on the kind of methods being used in the training. This is because some obedience training schools do not use the appropriate method in training the dog. In this manner, dog owners do not get the results they expected. Obedience training can be very useful in fulfilling most of the dog’s essential needs. It gives them something to direct their skills and actions thereby making them reliable and happy pets.

Most people just don’t know this, but one of the reasons why dogs behave inappropriately is because they don’t have the right direction to guide their actions. They are confused on how to respond appropriately with the environmental and social variables that they encounter. With obedience training, your dog will be on the way to a happier and more enjoyable environment.

People of all ages enjoy seeking out the birds of their region, watching them in their natural habitat, and enjoying the songs they have to offer. Birds can be fascinating creatures with much to offer those who care to study their lives. Birding can be done anywhere. You can find all kinds of species in your local park, any forest, and even in your own backyard!

To distinguish among the 900+ species of birds found in the U.S., birders must quickly process a great deal of information on color patterns, call notes, and even the shapes of bills. They have to know what to key in on when they see a strange bird, noting its overall shape, how it moves through a bush or tree, and the shape of its wings.

To the beginning bird watcher, this might seem like an unbelievable task that they might never be able to achieve. Trying to identify even common species can be extremely frustrating, and many people give up before they ever actually begin.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?

One of the best parts about bird watching is that you don’t need much in the way of tools to do it effectively. You should just start with a good pair of binoculars, a field guide, a notebook, and a camera. Let’s look at each component individually.

Binoculars
You need binoculars to better see the birds. You will soon discover an ironic fact. The best birders have the best binoculars — even though they can identify a bird 100 yards away by its silhouette. Newcomers with a cheap binocular see a fuzzy ball of feathers and don’t have a clue which bird it is. There is an unbelievable difference between a $59 binocular and a $900 binocular.

Binoculars are a birder’s eyes on the world, and they can greatly affect the quality of a bird outing. Good binoculars make for good birding, while bad binoculars can lead to missed birds and severe headaches induced by blurred images, double vision, and eye strain. Binoculars come in many different shapes and forms and carry such descriptions as “roof prism,” “close focus,” 9 “armor coated,” etc. At the outset, you don’t need to spend too much time deciphering this arcane lexicon. If you really get hooked on bird watching, you can learn more about binoculars later and trade in for a better pair. A decent pair of binoculars will run you around $60 depending on where you live.

There are a few simple rules to consider and questions to ask when purchasing your first pair of binoculars.

1. Make sure the power (or magnification) is at least 7-power. The power is the first number given in the numerical notation that describes binoculars. For example, a “7 X 35″ pair of “glasses” will make objects appear as if they are seven times as close as they actually are. Seven-power binoculars are about the minimum needed to see birds well. Binoculars 10-power or stronger can be difficult for some birders to hold steady.

2. Make sure that the second number (“35″ for a “7 X 35″ pair of glasses) is at least five times as large as the power (e.g., “7 X 35,” “8 X 40,” etc.). This second number describes the diameter, in millimeters, of the large lens that faces the object of interest – the “objective” lens. The larger this lens is, the greater the amount of light the binoculars gather and thus the easier it will be to see characteristics in dim light or on a dull-colored bird.

3. Are the binoculars too heavy for you to carry and use for at least two hours straight? Don’t end up with a hunchback because your binoculars act like a yoke.

4. Can you flex the barrels of the binoculars fairly easily? To test to see if they are too flexible, spread the barrels out as far as possible and then hold onto only one of the barrels. Does the free barrel slip or fall from the spread position? It shouldn’t.

5. When held a foot away, do the large objective lenses reflect a bluish or purplish tinge? If they do, the lenses are color-coated. This coating reduces internal glare in the binoculars and increases the amount of light that actually comes to your eyes. Check lenses to make sure the coatings are free of any blotches or scrapes.

6. Can you bring the barrels of the binoculars close enough together so that the image you see merges into a single, clear image within a single, perfect circle? If the image isn’t singular or clear, the binoculars may be out of alignment or the eyepieces may not come close enough together to accommodate your eyes. These two problems may lead to eye strain and severe headaches.

7. Do you wear prescription eyeglasses? If you do, your binoculars should have rubber eye cups that fold back. This allows you to put your eyeglasses up closer to the eyepieces of your binoculars and gives you a much larger field of view.

8. Do the binoculars produce a clear image of an object only 20 feet away? Some binoculars do not focus on objects this close, so you may miss the sparrow or warbler that skulks in a nearby bush.

9. Look at a sign with large lettering. Do the letters close to the edge of the field of view appear as precise and well-formed as the letters in the center of the field of view? Image distortion towards the edge of binoculars is common in bad binoculars – like looking through a fish-eye lens. Look for a pair that has minimal distortion

10. When you focus on a license plate or small sign two blocks away, are the letters and numbers clear? If they’re not, choose a different pair!

A general list of “don’ts” to consider when buying binoculars:
• Don’t buy compact or pocket-sized binoculars (typically 8 x 21, or 10 x 21) as your primary pair for birding. The size and weight are attractive, but no matter how good the optics, compacts provide a lower quality image than mid- or full-size binoculars. Another drawback is that most compacts have a narrow field of view, which makes it very difficult to locate and follow birds.
• Don’t buy zoom binoculars. Expert birders report them as being inferior.
• Don’t seek advice on buying optics from non-birders. Hikers, hunters, and boaters have different needs than birders. Looking at birds is not the same as looking at other wildlife. Pocket binoculars are fine for looking across a savannah at an elephant or a cheetah, but they are not suitable for birding. Marine binoculars provide a sharp, bright image, but are too big and heavy to carry around all day.
• Don’t buy binoculars until you have tried them. Make sure they feel comfortable in your hands. Look through them and be sure you get a clear, unobstructed view. Different models suit different people, and each instrument varies. If ordering by mail or online, make sure that you can exchange them.

One thing about binoculars – you don’t always have to have the best specs for bird watching. Any binoculars are better than none at all. The thing to remember is that you need to have something to magnify the birds you will be looking for. If you are serious about bird watching, take heed of the tips for buying binoculars given above. They will be well worth the money!

Field Guides

What is a field guide? A field guide is a little book that’s packed with information about birds. It’s the next best thing to an expert birder by your side. It describes and shows pictures of the birds, and it tells you which details of each bird to look for. A field guide can tell you what kinds of birds might be in your particular area and give some excellent tips on what to look for in your bird watching. If you don’t have a field guide, you won’t have a clue about what kinds of birds you will be seeing, so this is essential to have. A field guide will generally cost you around $20.

A field guide contains pictures of birds and tips for identifying them. The best book for new birders is the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds or the Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds. When you become familiar with the birds in your area, you will probably want the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. For young birders, we recommend Peterson First Guide: Birds. It describes 188 common and conspicuous birds and it won’t overwhelm you with too many choices.

When purchasing your first guide, it is best to start with one that displays paintings of birds rather than photographs. Paintings allow artists to include all distinguishing features (called “field marks”) that help to identify a bird in each illustration. Often, photographs do not show all these marks due to lighting or positioning of the bird. Photographic guides can be a valuable companion reference, however, especially when studying the details of a bird’s shape.

If you want to become an avid outdoor birder, you’ll want a guide that is easy to carry and flip through quickly. If you are more of a backyard birder, watching local species on your feeders and birdbath, portability is not as important.

There are five essential levels of classification by which all birds are grouped. When we refer to birds of the same “species,” for example a group of 15 blue jays, we are using the most specific level of classification. Similar species are grouped into a “genus,” then different genera (plural of genus) are grouped into a “family,” different families are grouped into an “order” of birds, and finally all orders are grouped into just one “class.” This is the class “Aves,” which in Latin refers to all birds. As you may guess, species in the same genus are more closely related to one another – and look more alike – than species in different genera. Likewise, families grouped in a single order are more similar to one another than families grouped in different orders.

Most field guides covering North America contain about 800-900 species, grouped into over 300 genera, grouped into 74 different families, grouped into just 20 different orders (guides limited to eastern or western North America have about half as many species). The most convenient and logical classification level for the beginning birder to focus on is the family. There are simply too many genera and species out there for a novice to grasp easily, and identification to a particular order is too broad to be challenging. More importantly, by learning the general shape, size, and appearance of the different families of birds, you will develop the powers of observation that
characterize a good birder.

When you first get your field guide, spend time looking at its organization and the way it groups families of birds. Divide your guide into four sections using tags or sticky notes. The first quarter will contain the families of large water birds, the second quarter the large land birds (ending with the woodpeckers), and the last two quarters will contain the small land birds (all in the order “Passeriformes,” commonly called the “passerines” or “perching birds”). Continue to look for common species that you already know and use these as a guide for learning the common characteristics of other species in the family.

Your Notebook

This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. We recommend something smaller than the standard 8 x 11 variety. Carry something that is easy to handle and can be kept on your person without being too intrusive. What do you want to jot down in your notebook? Birds you have seen, where you saw them, what they looked like, what they sounded like, etc. When you record these observations right when you see (and/or hear) them, you will be able to better reflect on your experience later on.

Your Camera

While this is not necessarily considered an essential piece of equipment for bird watching, we think it should be. If you happen across a particularly beautiful species of bird and want to capture it for later study, you could rely on your mind, or you could just snap a picture. Most of the world is going digital these days. With your digital camera, get one that has the maximum pixels selected for the best pictures. Be sure you have a zoom lens so you can get “up close and personal” with your fine
feathered friends. And, by all means, turn off the flash! Nothing can scare away a bird quicker than a flash of light from your camera!

If you have pictures of the birds you see, you can also do more in-depth analysis of the birds once you get home. With pictures, you can delve more deeply into your field guide and document the exact birds you came across in your expedition. And think of the photo album you can create!

Anything Else?

Most experienced bird watchers highly suggest a hat – one that covers your head from the sun and make you less conspicuous. Any old hat will do. Birding is not a fashion contest. But the hat should shade your eyes and not interfere with using your binoculars. A birding vest may be useful, too. You can put your binoculars, your field guide, your pen and notebook, and perhaps some insect repellent in the pockets. Hang the vest near the door, and you’ll be ready to grab it and have everything you need for bird watching at a moment’s notice.

One last note, when birding, you should wear neutral colored clothing, not white. The last thing you want is to scare away normally skittish creatures with brightly colored clothing that calls attention to the fact that you are there watching them!

You’ve got the equipment….now let’s go find some birds!

Bird Watching For Beginners – Part Two

Where to find birds:

The beautiful part about birding is that it can truly be done anywhere! You can go to your local park and find some great specimens.  If you’re  traveling, you’ll find a new appreciation of the songs of birds and what you can find.

You can even watch birds in your own back yard! We’ll have more later on in this book about back yard birding. You need to know what to expect in your area. Checklists of birds in your area will tell you this. Many State and National parks near you have checklists of the birds seen in the park. There are many websites that have checklists for every state and province in the United States and Canada as well as every country in the world! You can find other great sites for birding on the internet.

Learn about the habitat each species of bird prefers. Do they like to spend their time at the top of a tree or on the ground or on a lake? You should learn the songs of the birds in your yard. Later, learn the songs of other birds in your area of the country. To find a bird, you will often hear it first.

You may want to join a group of other birders. Birders are very friendly and helpful. They are always willing to share their knowledge. We were all beginners once. Start by calling the local Audubon Society, the local Nature Center or Parks Commission, or the local Bird Club. If all else fails, go to the park with your binocular. Someone is sure to strike up a conversation and they might lead you to a whole new group of birding buddies.

Try a birding trip or tour. Local bird trips are sometimes advertised in the newspapers. These are often led by park rangers or a local Audubon member. To find out about local 24 trips you should also call your local Rare Bird Alert phone number. After reciting the list of rare birds seen in the area, they often mention upcoming field trips. The trips may last a morning or most of the day. These trips are usually free of charge.

You might also want to join a professional guide on a tour. Tour guides charge for their services but they are worth every penny. Birding tours can take you all over the world.

Birds don’t always hang out in classy places; sewage dumps are a favorite. But you needn’t start there. Stroll along the beach, in a meadow, by a  brook, or on a trail. You’ll find birds on the way. One suggestion: avoid dense woods where birds remain hidden. Open areas with trees or hedges are better. Don’t forget the zoo. It probably has a pond with ducks and other waterfowl, and they are used to having people around.

Plan a vacation that includes birding. Wherever you go, check out the birding hot spots beforehand and build them into your trip. The bimonthly magazine Bird Watcher’s Digest lists vacation spots that cater to birders, and its articles by amateur birders convey the delights of this hobby.

Birds aren’t always out on a branch in full view; if it was that easy, this wouldn’t be a sport! Species can be found at many eye levels, from on the ground to in small shrubs, and from on tree trunks to atop skyscrapers. Once you know what birds live in your area and when, read about what type of habitat they prefer for feeding, breeding and rearing young. Having birdfeeders, birdhouses and birdbaths in your yard certainly makes it easier to see birds.

There are certain times of day when birds are more active than others, depending on the species. The best time to see most birds is usually earlier in the morning; the evening is less productive unless you are looking for nocturnal species, such as owls. Also pay attention to the season. Spring and fall migrations are a great time to spot birds that fly long distances and stopover in your neck of the woods for a rest.

Now that you’re outfitted with the equipment and the general knowledge, how can you identify the birds you see?

Bird Watching For Beginners – Part Three

Identifying Birds:

There are hundreds of different birds out there. You probably won’t be able to identify every single bird you see. However, armed with some basic information, you can probably narrow down the list and find that you might have a species worth studying.

What should you look for when identifying birds?

Becoming an expert on visual identification takes time and patience. Some groups of birds are much easier to definitively identify than others. The first thing to remember is: don’t make bird identification hard on yourself. There are two general rules to keep in mind during your first few months of bird watching:

1) Eliminate as many species as possible from consideration before you ever attempt to identify anything.
2) The bird is most likely a species that commonly occurs in your area, not some strange exotic that blew in from a thousand miles away.

One of the easiest ways to exclude birds is to go through your field guide and put an “X” next to those that do not typically occur in your geographic area. Put these aside for the time being. By doing this, you drastically reduce the number of birds you have to worry about identifying from the 900 birds in your guide to the 300 or so birds that are regularly seen in your location!

By the way, don’t worry about marking up your field guide. A field guide personally adjusted to meet your needs is the best friend you can have when alone in the field. Just make sure to use a pencil or permanent ink so that the words won’t smear if you leave the book in the rain or drop it in the mud occasionally.

Another way to eliminate choices is to consider the time of year the bird might occur in your area. The range maps included with field guides display this type of information. Some beginners might even find it beneficial to place colored dots next to birds in their field guides. For example, put a red dot next to birds that are year round residents, put a blue dot next to birds that are only winter visitors, put a green dot next to birds that are summer visitors, and put a black dot next to birds that only pass through during migration.

CLUES TO IDENTIFICATION

The way that some birds skulk about, you’d think that they were afraid of showing off their pretty colors and didn’t want anyone to identify them. And this is the case, no doubt, as they must somehow evade predators from both above and below. Often, their quick movements allow us only a glimpse. Still, you will be able to identify even the most secretive bird using the key clues to identification described here.

There are five basic clues you can look and listen for that will allow you to solve the bird identification puzzle:

1) the bird’s silhouette
2) its plumage and coloration
3) its behavior
4) its habitat preferences
5) its voice.

This may seem like a formidable amount of information to gather, but in truth you often need only one or two of these clues to identify a bird. Sometimes, the key to identification is as easy as knowing which clue to look for first when you see an unusual bird. As your birding abilities increase, you will be able to pinpoint the important clues with greater ease and certainty.

Silhouette – Shape and Size

As you become familiar with your field guide, you will be able to quickly categorize most birds into families using silhouette alone (remember, each family has a diagnostic shape and size). This will immediately put you at an advantage compared to the average observer because by placing the bird you see into a particular family, you have already narrowed down the possible birds you could be seeing from the 900 in your field guide to only about 15 or so birds – the 15 birds within the family you have identified.

As mentioned earlier, you can then further eliminate any species in the family that do not occur in your region during that season. You can do this even in the worst of lighting conditions when birds are back lit, in low light, or in shadow. It doesn’t matter. The overall shape is unchanged. Many birds are even identifiable to species by outline alone.

Of course, it will not be easy to accomplish this feat at first. You must learn to note carefully all the details of a bird’s shape. Is the bird large or small, short-legged or long legged, crested or not crested, plump or slim and sleek, short-tailed or long-tailed? Note every detail in your field notebook.

The shape of a bird’s bill is also an extremely helpful clue that is obvious from a silhouette. Cardinals, finches, and sparrows have short conical bills. Woodpeckers have chisel-shaped bills for working dead wood. Hawks, eagles, and falcons, on the other hand, have sharp, hooked bills that make quick work of meat. Shorebirds have slender bills of all lengths for probing at different depths into the sand. The beak is a telltale sign. It indicates whether the bird cracks seeds (short, thick beak), drills for grubs (long, pointed beak), picks stuff off leaves (short, thin beak), and so forth.

Your bird guide can help you identify beak shapes. Size is also an important field mark and field guides do list the size of birds next to pictures. However, if you don’t have some type of scale in mind, these numbers are of little use. The “ruler” many birders use in the field is a mental association of three familiar birds with three general size classes.

For example, a house sparrow is 5-6 inches in size, a northern mockingbird is 9-11 inches in size, and an American crow is 17-21 inches in size. Now, using phrases like “larger than a crow” or “smaller than a sparrow,” you have an immediate impression of the approximate size of any bird. You also have an immediate frame of reference for your field guide if you associate each of these three species with 5, 10, and 20-inch size classes.

Plumage

Plumage characteristics are what really draw a lot of people into bird watching – they like seeing those beautiful colors. The distinguishing plumage clues that identify different species are known as “field marks.” These include such things as breast spots, wing bars (thin lines along the wings), eye rings (circles around the eyes), eyebrows (lines over the eyes), eye lines (lines through the eyes) and many others.

Some field marks are best seen when a bird is in flight. A flying northern harrier can be identified from nearly a mile away with good binoculars because the bird has a bright white patch on its rump. Some families of birds can be broken into even smaller groups based on one or two simple field marks. For example, warblers are fairly evenly divided between those that have wing bars and those that do not. So if you see a warbler-like bird, look quickly to see if it has wing bars. Sparrows, on the other hand, can be separated into two smaller groups based on whether or not the breast is streaked. Look for other broad distinctions for other families.

Behavior

A bird’s behavior – how it flies, forages, or generally comports itself – is one of the best clues to its identity. Hawks have a “serious” demeanor, crows and jays are “gregarious,” and cuckoos are… well, not really. Woodpeckers climb up the sides of tree trunks searching for grubs like a lineman scaling a telephone pole. Flycatchers, on the other hand, wouldn’t climb a tree trunk if their lives depended on it. They spend most of their time sitting upright on an exposed perch. When they see a bug cruising into range they quickly dart from their perch, snag the meal, and then return to the same perch or another one nearby. Finches spend a lot of their time on the ground in search of fallen seeds, as do mockingbirds, catbirds, and brown thrashers. Some wading birds, such as snowy egrets and reddish egrets, are very active foragers and chase their prey around in shallow waters. Other wading birds, such as great blue herons, are less impetuous and hunt slowly with great patience and stealth.

Even the way a bird props its tail gives some clues as to which species or family it might be. Wrens characteristically hold their tails in a cocked position and often bounce from side to side. Spotted sandpipers and Louisiana water thrushes bounce their tails and rumps rapidly up and down as if doing a stylish dance step. Some thrushes and flycatchers, on the other hand, move their tails frequently but slowly, with a wave-like motion.

You can even identify some birds just by the way that they fly. Most finches and woodpeckers move through the air with an undulating flight pattern, flapping their wings for short bursts and then tucking them under for a short rest. One group of raptors, the buteos or soaring hawks, circle the sky suspended on outstretched wings. Most falcons, another group of raptors, fly with strong wing beats and rarely hover. Yet another group, the accipiters or bird hawks, usually fly in a straight line with alternating periods of flapping and floating.

Habitat

Even if a range map shows that a bird occurs in your neck of the woods, this doesn’t mean the bird will be common wherever you go. Birds segregate themselves according to habitat type and are sometimes quite picky in selecting an area as home. Wading birds and ducks, for example, prefer watery habitats rather than dry upland areas. Pine warblers and brown-headed nuthatches associate primarily with pinewoods and are less common in areas containing large numbers of oaks, hickories, and other deciduous trees. Beginning bird watchers must usually spend many hours in the field before they are able to associate different species with different habitat types. You should develop a key to habitats you frequent and keep notes of where you see different species. Make the habitat key simple at first, using terms like salt and freshwater marsh, pinelands, deciduous forest, beach, urban area, farm and pastureland, etc. Then elaborate on this key as you learn to distinguish among different habitat types.

You can put abbreviations such as “SM” (for salt water marsh), “PW” (for pinewoods), and “FP” (for farm and pasture) next to the pictures of birds in your field guide after you have some feel for where the birds occur. Most field guides actually provide this information in the written description but this abbreviated system may help you remember the habitats where each bird occurs.

Voice

Birds have unique songs and calls and voice is often all that’s needed to identify many of the birds you encounter. If each species didn’t have a distinctive call or song, there would be a lot of confusion out there when birds tried to communicate. Just as you can tell that the person on the other end of the phone is Uncle Bob and not Aunt Edith, so too can you learn to distinguish the different voices of birds. Listening to recordings helps considerably when you are trying to learn bird vocalizations. Many are currently available on tape and CD. You can also find them online. However, no matter how many recordings you listen to, there is no substitute for going out into the field. There’s something about the association of voice and bird that helps to fix both in memory. Plus, bird vocalizations are complex and no set of recordings can hope to encompass all the variety and geographic variations that can be experienced firsthand out in nature.

Keep all of these aspects in your notebook, recording the bird’s features as you watch it. Watch it as long as you can. Write down your description while it’s fresh. Then, look in your field guide for further identification. In general, you should try to keep the following points in mind when trying to identify the birds you see.

Begin by focusing on those groups that are both common and distinctive, and then, when you see an unknown species take a visual inventory of its unique characteristics. How large is it? What is the shape of the body? Does it walk, hop, waddle or wade? Notice the shape of its beak. Is it long, narrow, stalky, flat or hooked? Is there a crest on the head? Does the tail extend beyond the body? Is the tip round, square, forked or fan shaped?

Take a careful inventory of the colors of the bird. In particular look at the head, wings, and tail. In flight, the color of the rear edge of the wing, or speculum, is one of the key identifiers for waterfowl. When the bird moves, take note of its behavior. This is often as distinctive as its physical appearance. How does it hold its tail? Is it found on the ground, perched in trees, or soaring high above? When perched, does it hold its body upright or horizontal? Does it use its tail as a brace as in woodpeckers? If it climbs along the trunk, does it tend to climb up the tree or down?

If it lives in and around the water notice how it swims. Does it merely tip its bill into the water leaving its tail above the surface, or does it dive completely underwater? When it takes off, does it jump straight into the air or does it require a long runway to become airborne? If it wades, take note of how long its legs are. Does it slowly stalk like a heron or rapidly run along the shoreline probing with its beak? Does it bob up and down like a dipper or teeter like a spotted sandpiper?

When airborne, does it have a constant rhythm or does it undulate like a woodpecker? Does it generally fly in a straight line or perform aerial acrobatics like a swallow? How fast does it beat its wings? Is it alone or in a flock?

Also taking note of the habitat and season may help identify a bird, or at least help distinguish between two similar species. Birds are generally migratory, appearing in large flocks on open water in the fall and spring. Knowing their habitat and annual cycles can often form the last key element in identification.

If it was feeding, determine if its food was nectar, fruit, insects, seeds, or other creatures.

A few other things to consider when identifying birds:
• It’s what you notice first, but color is unreliable. A bird’s color changes dramatically in different light conditions. So don’t rely on color alone when you try to identify the bird in a guide.
• Check the range. You may think you’ve identified the bird, but make sure it should be there. Beginning birders make amazing finds–sometimes the only example of a species to be seen in that region. Your birding guide should give ranges for different species.
Make sure your bird belongs.
• Don’t try to locate a bird only by sound. They’re ventriloquists. And don’t scan the trees with your binoculars. Instead, watch for movement, and then aim your binoculars. Fast. Even if you’ve got one of those pesky, flitting warbler species, keep trying. You’ll get it.
• If you just can’t spot it, forget it. Remember this rule: Any bird you didn’t see was a robin. Don’t forget to pay special attention to the song of the bird. This could be a main component in identifying the bird you have seen.

Bird Watching For Beginners – Part Four

BIRD WATCHING WITH YOUR EARS

A bird’s song can be beautiful music or a screeching annoyance. Its tune can help you identify what kind of bird it is and where to look for it in your field guide. All you need is to tune in to their songs. Each species makes sounds that are unique, and you can identify the birds by those sounds just as easily as you can by their shape or color.

Indeed, there are advantages to birding by ear. You can do it in the dark (a useful skill for identifying owls when you’re camping). The barred owl, for example, sounds completely different from any other sound you hear at night. A bird hidden in dense summer foliage will often sing out its identity for all who have ears to hear. And although you can see with your eyes only in the direction you happen to be facing, you can hear in all directions at once, so you can identify a bird by its song even when it’s behind your back.

We humans live in a different sensory world from most creatures of earth. Your dog, for example experiences the world mainly through his nose, while our sense of smell is puny by comparison. It’s difficult even to imagine the sensory impressions taken in by bats or beetles, frogs or fish.

On the other hand, birds’ strongest senses are sight and hearing, and they have evolved ways to communicate and to recognize their own species by using signals based on those two senses. Because we are also creatures of sight and sound, we can tap right into all the fascinating distinctions of color and shape that birds embody, and just as naturally we can appreciate the sounds that are so important in their lives.

As you begin to recognize bird songs, you will bring yourself into a whole new dimension of bird watching. You will probably find yourself mesmerized by the sing-song voice of the bird outside your window and recognize birds you didn’t know you had around you!

Get a field guide to bird songs. Just as you need a book with pictures to learn what birds look like, you need recordings to learn what they sing like. Fortunately, there are several excellent tapes and CDs of bird songs available now. You can also find some excellent resources online for bird songs. Familiarize yourself with these songs and open yourself to a whole new world of bird watching!

When you hear a bird’s song, describe it to yourself in words. You might notice that the white-breasted nuthatch has a nasal sound to his “Yenk, yenk, yenk” song, and that each note of the northern cardinal’s song is a slippery, downward slurp, or that the blue jay’s call is sometimes loud and harsh, as if the bird were screaming “Thief!” Making mental note of such characteristics helps you recognize the bird when you hear it again.

Associate a phrase of English with the song, such as “Peter, Peter, Peter” for the tufted titmouse. The words will remind you of the rhythm, speed, or pitch of the song. It’s best when you can fit your own words to a bird’s song, but feel free to use memorable phrases others come up with. The ovenbird is traditionally reputed to sing out “teacher, Teacher, TEACHER,” and it’s hard to improve on “Quick, three beers!” for the olive-sided flycatcher’s call. Once you ascribe words to a bird’s song, the melody stays with you forever. Chicago may no longer means just a city in Illinois, it might be the song of that unique bird you found last week.

After you’ve become familiar with a few songs, make a point of listening early in the morning. During the hour before sunrise, many birds sing. The chorus is lovely to listen to as a whole, but it is also a pleasure to single out and recognize the individual voices in the choir. Some birds sing throughout the day, but you’ll hear 100 times as much bird song first thing in the morning as at noon. At any season, you can see more birds with your ears than you can with your eyes.

So why not give it a go tomorrow morning? Sleep with a window open, so that you’ll hear the birds singing when you first wake up. If you don’t know what they are, try to separate out one song from the rest. Even though the singer may remain a mystery to you for a while, it will serve as your inspiration to learn to see with your ears.

You don’t necessarily have to travel to find birds. You can attract many species of birds to your home – right in your own backyard. What could be better than sitting on your porch and pursuing bird watching in the comfort of your own home?

CONCLUSION

Birding is not the easiest sport in the world to learn, but it is definitely one of the most rewarding. To offset those first outings when you flipped through your field guide with frustration, there will be many years’ worth of pleasant and intriguing field trips. You see birders experience something new every time they go out. Even if they don’t see a new species for the first time, they might see a new behavior, hear a new vocalization, or just explore a new and wild corner of Florida. They might even come across something startling, like a rare European bird that somehow strayed far from home.

The constant variety and challenge of birding are two important attractions, but so too is the camaraderie. About 42 million people in the United States are casual bird watchers, feeding and observing birds around their homes. A much smaller number, around 17 million, take trips for the primary purpose of watching birds. Still, that’s a lot of people poking their heads into bushes and craning their necks toward the sky. Birding is always filled with a world of new people and new experiences. Beginning birding will have its moments of frustration, but if you give it a good try and learn the basics, in no time you will be addicted!

Birding is a quest. You set out to see birds – but the prize you come back with can only be described as happiness. Learning to bird is like getting a lifetime ticket to the theater of nature. The important thing to bear in mind if you are a beginner is, the more time you spend looking at the birds, the more you will understand them and come to enjoy them. Don’t be put off by the usual jibes from friends or colleagues (yes there will still be some people who cannot understand why you are fascinated by birds), just do it and amaze yourself and everyone around you!

Happy birding to all!!