Ask any expert how to watch birds and you will be told that finding a place to start is the most common hurdle that many have to jump when they first begin to wonder about 101 bird watching. Beginners may have seen a breathtaking display in some museum, or watched a documentary on television that really caught their attention or piqued their interest in bird watching.

For those who are introduced to the world of birding through these means, instead of developing their love for it through talking with other people, it can be difficult to get started. The interest and desire are there but the knowledge and practical experience is not.

Before you begin learning how to bird watch, you need to make sure that you have the proper tools readily available. If you plan to trek into the forest to do your bird watching then you may need to invest in a sturdy pair of boots. Other than that, all you really need is some kind of optic device. Binoculars are the most popular tool, but a tripod mounted spotting scope also works very well.

The second step that an aspiring bird watcher must take is to find a location. This task can be as easy or as difficult as you would like it to be. Birds, of course, are found everywhere. They live in your backyard, in city parks, and in the deepest, most rugged, and hard to get places in the forest. Where you go depends largely upon what you want to see.

You can find suggestions for local outings in several places. There are bird watching discussion groups on various bulletin board Web sites, such as Yahoo Groups. Here you will find fellow bird watchers who will be more than willing to share the information that they have, not only about how to watch birds, but where.

As with any hobby, it is a great idea to find a mentor, or some senior members of a bird watching club. If you are able to connect with someone who has years of knowledge and experience, then you may be able to glean some of their wisdom to heighten your own experiences. Not only will a mentor be able to provide guidance about where to go and what to see, they may also be able to teach you some things about methods, ethics, and best practices.

The best part about having a mentor is that, as you grow in your own experience and knowledge about how to watch birds, you are preparing yourself to be a mentor to someone else in the future.