Habitat is a bird's neighborhood, and like any neighborhood, certain residents turn up reliably and others almost never do. A marsh bird generally isn't going to appear in a mature forest interior. A woodpecker needs standing trees. Many sparrows favor brushy edges over open lawn or deep woods. Just noticing where you're standing rules out a large chunk of the field guide before you think about anything else. This also explains why a familiar species can look wrong out of context. A bird you know well from your own yard can genuinely stump you the first time you see it somewhere unfamiliar. Has habitat ever helped you crack an ID, or thrown you off because a bird showed up somewhere you didn't expect?

I just put together a birding itinerary for the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Fall is a great time to visit. I was there last October, and saw lots of birding including Tundra Swans! Check it out in the 'Classroom' tab.

Bird identification by behavior is the skill that separates two species that look nearly identical. Watch what a bird actually does and the answer often arrives before the field marks do. Behavior clues worth tracking: Feeding style. Ground-gleaning, bark-probing, catching insects in midair, hovering at flowers. Movement. Hopping versus walking, tail-bobbing, wing-flicking. Perching posture. Upright and alert versus low and horizontal. Social pattern. Alone, in pairs, or traveling with a mixed flock. Behavior is also one of the few clues that still works when a bird is backlit or the light is poor. You don't need to see color to see how something moves. What's a behavior that tells you which bird you're looking at without needing a closer look?

I used my carry on space to bring down from the US my Vico Nature hummingbird feeder. This morning I had a Berylline Hummingbird come to the feeder that takes a video of the activity. They’re absolutely stunning and not present in California.

I've been in the UK for a few weeks recently, so lots of amazing lifers including Eurasian Bittern, European Stonechat, Purple Sandpiper, and many more! What's been stopping by near you?