birdwatching – Syndication Server

You can see all 8 swan species at South Carolina’s Swan Lake Iris Gardens

Spot swans in South Carolina.

Birdwatchers, get ready to add a new destination to your bucket list. In Sumter, South Carolina, the incredible Swan Lake Iris Gardens invites guests to explore 150 acres of vibrant flowers. The gardens are described as a “birdwatcher’s paradise,” with swans, geese, ducks, herons, and more making homes there. Speaking of swans, Swan Lake Iris Gardens is the only public park in the United States where people can see all eight swan species. Oh, and did we mention that admission and parking are both free?

Prepare for your visit to the park with this guide to the best birdwatching gear. Plus, learn about the eight swan species you’ll meet with the photos below.

Increase your bird smarts while relaxing at these stunning hotels

Leave the nest and explore.

Are you one of those people that listen for bird song when you travel? Do you see a little critter fly by and try to identify it? Then you’re the ideal guest for a new collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Enthusiast Hotel Collection.

Enthusiast has seven properties spanning from the U.S. West Coast to the Caribbean. They include gorgeous places like A Stone’s Throw Away in the Bahamas, with a wraparound porch perfect for watching birds and other wildlife in the surrounding jungle. Or you could scan the sky for seabirds at the Brewery Gulch Inn on California’s Mendocino coast. Enthusiast’s on-site bird ambassador program helps answer all your avian questions. The hotel group also sets up tours in and around its properties led by local birdwatching guides. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology supplies each hotel with relevant bird info. Guests can borrow binoculars at no additional cost.

A bird on a tree. — A red-headed woodpecker at Casa Morada in the Florida Keys. / *Photo courtesy of the Enthusiast Hotel Collection*

“We are excited to announce our partnership with Enthusiast Hotel Collection,” Mary Guthrie, director of corporate partnerships at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said in a statement. “Whether guests are lifelong birders or just getting started, our resources are designed to inspire and spark a deep connection with nature.” The lab, founded in 1915, is a nonprofit organization internationally known for its bird studies and conservation efforts.

Birds flying over a brick building with a black patio. — Swifts swirling around the chimney of the Historic Tapoco Lodge in North Carolina. / *Photo courtesy of Enthusiast Hotel Collection*

Motivated guests can start their bird studies before leaving for their trip. Cornell Lab’s Bird Academy offers a Joy of Birdwatching course and access to lectures by ornithologists. You can contribute to the lab’s work of helping scientists track bird populations by submitting your sightings online through the Lab’s eBird platform or the eBird app.

A red, black, and white bird on a tree branch. — An acorn woodpecker in Mendocino, California. / *Photo courtesy of Enthusiast Hotel Collection*

Whether you’re a bird lover or just want to blast the competition on trivia night, staying at an Enthusiast property can expand your knowledge of migration patterns and nesting rituals. “Now birds and birders will tell our story,” said Enthusiast Hotel Collection founder Oneil Khosa in a statement. “We’re thrilled to help enhance the enjoyment of birds for guests at all our hotels and give them the tools and resources to build memories that last forever. We are very proud of our partnership with the Cornell Lab.”

Here are the essentials you need to take up birdwatching this spring

Join the birding world.

Devoted birdwatchers will tell you there’s never a bad time to go birding. But if you’re new to the hobby, you can’t beat springtime. Some species are starting to migrate, and nesting season is underway. Plus, the days are getting longer and warmer, so going out early is less of a chore than in, say, January.

Of course, it all depends on where you live. You might be fortunate enough to be in a spring migration pathway, where you can watch a mass movement of passing birds. Check with local birders. Also, keep an eye out for birding festivals, which are timed for maximal viewing. At the end of April, Corpus Christi, Texas’s Birdiest Festival in America takes advantage of spring migration along the Gulf Coast. The Indiana Dunes Birding Festival in May showcases migratory birds flying through the Midwest. Wherever you live, here’s the best birdwatching gear for your adventures.

6 species you can find while birdwatching on the Pacific Crest Trail

Spot owls, hummingbirds, and more.

On a stretch of land as vast as the Pacific Crest Trail, birders can expect to find a diverse variety of bird species. The 2,650 miles of trail travel through California, Oregon, and Washington. Numerous stops along the way are considered birding hotspots, which birders can learn more about with this handy resource sheet.

At these locations, birdwatchers may encounter bright yellow Bullock’s orioles or intense red crossbills. If you’re curious about which incredible species you can expect to find as you traverse the trail, build your birding bucket list with help from the gallery below. Here are six bird species to spot on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Made-up birds, scientific fraud, and the bird-watching world’s strangest mystery

Have you heard about Audubon’s mystery birds?

Every subculture has its quirks; the bird-watching world is no exception. Bird-watching, also known as birding, has a long history, and that history is stranger than you might expect. One bizarre bird history moment in particular still baffles birders to this day. This is the story of renowned ornithologist John James Audubon and his mystery birds.

Audubon’s odd legacy begins with his famous book “The Birds of America.” The book catalogs and illustrates a diverse collection of bird species, and many consider it an artistic and scientific masterpiece. However, since being published in the 1800s, the book has received significant criticism. Specifically, people have accused Audubon of fabricating information on certain bird species. These disputed species are known as Audubon’s “mystery birds.”

In the article “John James Audubon: Crazy, Wrong, or Neither?,” Audubon Magazine contributor Nicholas Lund explores possible explanations for these unidentifiable birds. Rather than being completely fabricated, some of the specimens may have simply been the juvenile or female forms of existing species. For example, the bird Audubon labeled “Selby’s Flycatcher,” was actually just a female Hooded Warbler. This isn’t the case for all of the mystery birds, though.

As Lund explains, “Audubon painted a handful of birds that aren’t an exact match for anything we’ve currently got. These are Audubon’s mystery birds. Maybe they’re just mistaken plumages, like the eagle or the flycatcher, and we still can’t sort it out. Maybe they were birds that Audubon just painted poorly, or from a vague memory, or from a partially decomposed corpse.”

Some of the mystery birds people are still struggling to identify include the Carbonated Warbler, Cuvier’s Kinglet, and Townsend’s Bunting. While some of the birds have likely matches, others are more perplexing. For some birders, unraveling the truth behind these mystery birds is part of the fun of bird-watching. In Lund’s words, “it’s one of the true joys of birding: You never quite know what you’re going to find out there.”