Why Sketching will Make you a Better Birder

Photo: Maggie Starbard

During the summer slow-down, some birders hang up their bins and wait for fall migration. But there’s an alternative: consider using this time to take a closer look at the familiar birds in your backyard or along your favorite trails. Next time you go out, bring a sketchbook and a pencil and try doing some sketches. Sketching forces us to look more closely at a bird's body structure. You don’t need any special artistic skills to do gesture drawing, a type of quick, loose sketching. This article offers some tips to get started.