Having a Hard Time

Hello All,
I’m having a hard time learning new birds and bird information. I’ve been reading this book lately, “Finding your wings” by Burton Guttman, which is very helpful in introducing me to some of the basic concepts I need to know, but for some reason I’m not internalizing it as much as I would like to. I think perhaps I’m taking too much of an academic approach rather than getting out in the field which would be preferable. Unfortunately I seem to be running out of time more and more in which to get outside and go birding in the field.
As a total beginner, I’m rather clueless, but is the fall at all a good time for observing birds? I know birds migrate in fall and spring, but perhaps as far north as I am (Michigan), they’ll all be gone early on in the fall. Does anybody know?
Also, unfortunately, regarding my Burton Guttman book, it’s started to fall apart, because I stupidly left it in a pile of stuff in my car and it got smushed around. It has sort of a spirally binder, so pages have started falling out. :(
I think I need to get organized.

Posted by the novice on 08/11 at 05:25 PM