March/April 2021

Publications
Bird Watcher's Digest

Current Issue: March/April 2021

The March/April issue of Bird Watcher's Digest will help you prepare for warbler season! The Townsend's warbler graces the cover. This species can be found throughout the West during migration—that is, if you can spot one in the dense foliage of the mature wooded habitats they prefer. Contributor L. E. Guidici shares his delight in having one frequent his feeders. Many birders need a bit of priming before the migrating warblers pass through each spring. Columnist Alvaro Jaramillo offers tips on how to get ready for these highly anticipated visitors by using eBird and internet birdsong recordings to brush up on your warbler ID skills. Love bird photography? BWD designer and professional photographer Bruce Wunderlich shares tips for creating smooth bokeh and avoiding distracting backgrounds. Find all this and much more in the March/April issue.

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Issue Features

A New Mexico Surprise by Tom Simpson

A Foundation in Feathers: Building Budding Birders by Kelly Preheim

Any Other Name by Hank Weber

One Single Hummingbird by Eli J. Knapp

The Belted Kingfisher: (not) Breaking All the Plumage Rules by Benjamin E. Leese

Eli Knapp recalls a field trip in which he led a group of college students down a harrowing road to a remote desert oasis in west Texas in search of a Lucifer hummingbird. He ponders, was it worth it just to lay eyes on one single species? Photo by G. Schechter / Wikimedia.

In the Backyard

My Way: Dubuque Cat Deterrent by Kristin & John Anderson-Bricker

Roaming neighborhood cats can confound bird watchers, but one couple in Dubuque County, Iowa, devised an effective and easy-to-construct deterrent from materials found in their shed. Photo by by Kristin & John Anderson-Bricker.

Columns & Departments

Letters from Readers

Quick Takes by Paul J. Baicich

Migrations: New Ground by Scott Weidensaul

Cover Species: The Invisible Townsend's Warbler by L.E. Guidici

Identify Yourself: Getting Ready for Warblers by Alvaro Jaramillo

Voices of Sister Birders: Podcasts by Bryony Angell

Pete's Tips: Corvid Redux by Pete Dunne

Birders Question Mark by Mark S. Garland

Birdtography: Focus on Backgrounds by Bruce Wunderlich

True Nature: Waking Up to Brants by Julie Zickefoose

Watching Bird Behavior: Reader Questions & Observations by David M. Bird

Far Afield: Birding Warbler Road in the Blue Ridge Mountains by Jerry Uhlman

Spotlight on Massachusetts

Book Notes

Redstart Birding

The Townsend’s warbler can be found throughout the West during migration—that is, if you can spot one in the dense foliage of the mature wooded habitats they prefer. Contributor L. E. Guidici shares his delight in having one frequent his feeders! Photo by M. Harms / Wikimedia.