A walk down a country lane in spring yields all sorts of gifts: singing rose-breasted grosbeaks, a red eft, robin egg shells, a wood thrush carrying nesting material. The key is to get out and tune in, says Julie Zickefoose.

Can you tell swifts from swallows? Can you recognize all four North American swift species? ID guru Alvaro Jaramillo offers insights on these amazing flyers, including the black swift, whose habits remain poorly documented and mysterious.

Most bird watchers keep lists: life list, yard list, trip list, state list, etc. Funnyman Al Batt also keeps a to-do list, and offers suggestions for birders, including: "Come up with a more descriptive name for your favorite bird."