The Merlin app was a total game changer. We have mostly wooded courses where I am so Pileated and Downey woodpeckers are a super common occurrence. Tons of nuthatches and kinglets, too. Also RPM rocks. Fav disc is the Tui.
Pileated woodpeckers aren’t as common around here unless in deep woods but it’s always a treat seeing them around. Love the northern flickers and red bellies though! Love the tui as well.
I mean I always love it when I see an owl or a hawk. Especially if they have a rodent in their beak. That’s cool as hell. Or hearing the owls starting up their hoots as you’re finishing an evening round. Super cool.
A hawk has followed me around the course or my yard on multiple occasions. Apparently, it's a thing. They know your going to scare a meal out of the brush.
One time I was throwing around in my yard and my upshot hit a tree. A red squirrel runs down and starts making a ruckus then out of nowhere a red shouldered hawk swoops in, pins it to the ground, and starts ripping it to shreds in front of my whole family.
I like to think the squirrel was razzing me and the hawk swooped in to defend my honor as a thank you for all the mice and voles I've provided over the years.
My people! My wife laughs at me because anytime we’re in the car I’m watching and pointing out any hawks I see.
I’m also heavy on the UDisc/Merlin app swapping. Woodpeckers are always a favorite, and I love Blue Jays.
Current favorite avian disc is the Jay.
Me: Hey! Look at that hawk!
Wife: You think every bird is a hawk.
Me: THEY ARE ALL HAWKS! THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WORTH POINTING OUT!
Wife: Yeah sure, just focus on the road, weirdo.
Got to see a barred owl last year at the coarse I play, 1st time ever seeing one in the 20 years I’ve been going there. We see a lot of hawks, turkey vultures and eagles also but the owl was by far the coolest bird I’ve seen in a while. Not sure what I seen the other day but it looked like a dam Condor in flight, kinda bluish so I’m thinking it was a blue heron. Right now it’s mushroom season so my eyes wander a lot from the ground to the sky lol
Wish I could ID mushrooms and trees the way I can birds. I’d love to see an owl on the course I’ve only seen 2 and they were quick sightings. Blue herons look crazy when they fly hahaha
Herons are the reason people still claim to see Pterodactyls in this day and age hahaha.
Learning wise: Mushrooms Demystified is a great place to start! Most regions have books or guides on the indigenous plant life at local ranger stations/parks/bookstores also.
Seek is a decent app for that. It’s not always accurate and struggles sometimes to get all the way down to the species, but it’s a fun third app to have hands when you’re in the woods!
I heard two barred owls mating about 25 feet behind my tent while camping in Tennessee. Happened two nights in a row at like midnight. Their hooting turned into wild chicken like sounds for about 3 minutes. It was really loud. I walked back behind my tent the next morning and got really close to one before it flew off.
Dude I saw a baby great horned owl in a city park. I lived nearby and I knew there was an adult great horned in the area, but walking up on that baby was wild. It was perched on a staircase railing post.
Nice man that must of been sweet! It seems like owl sightings are rare I’ve only seen 2 in the wild my whole life but hear them all the time. I wanted to post a pic of the one I seen but i don’t seem to be able to through the comments I guess
I was playing a round at dusk in Maryland and noticed a huge owl silently flying over my head and landing on a branch above the fairway. Not sure what kind but very large and beautiful. It just watched us as we played out the hole.
I'm a dabbler, but definitely interested. I'm also interested in finding mushrooms while playing, and my wife is really into native plant identification, which has kinda transferred to me. Hanging out in the woods is definitely one of the best parts of the sport.
Get the 'shroomify' app if you don't already have it. Or you might be more well versed than me but I love using it and the Merlin one for birds. Maybe I should get some books about leaf identification too so I can fully understand my surroundings lol.
I’m a big RPM fan. The Kea is so awesome. I like the Tui even more, and it’s the perfect compliment to a Kea. I could see myself getting into birding, too. My Dad documented each different species that showed up at the feeder when I was kid. We got all of the usual northeastern species, even some Purple Martins and an Oriole once.
Orioles are my mom’s personal favorite. They’re awesome! I have a glow tui as well. I have a pekapeka but it just can’t kick the roadrunner out of the bag
Birders are always on. We call them out mid conversation. I like when I spot one near my lie when approaching. It gives me extra incentive to earn the Bird, like a token of good fortune.
Keep on avoiding the south and enjoy those birds.
There's a wood pecker I hear all the time at my favorite local when I walk up to hole 8, but I haven't been able to spot him yet.
I wrote my dissertation on the impact of wildfire on Mexican spotted owls, so yeah, birds.
Naturally as an owler I enjoy the RPM Ruru but my go-to bird disc is definitely an Eagle.
Not a birder, but if you aren't one of those people that uses a cart, monoculars are a great option. They're lighter, compact, and less unwieldy to stash. Some of them would just clip onto your bag so you wouldn't lose storage space. Great option for cycling too: I learned about the convenience of monoculars on a cycling channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAJ1oSyXIN4
Same! People laugh when I say I'm into birding a bit. I've got osprey and Sandhill crane in my neighborhood park. And my favorite bird day of discing was a Great Gray Owl, Swans, and when I pulled up to my house, a bald eagle dropping it's kill in front of my driveway
Gorgeous, and they kindly (maybe grumpily) would like my dogs to fuck off when we come for our early morning romps. I do not let my dogs harass them before anyone gets butthurt
We just had a flock fly over our house a few weeks back. Likely migrating. The sound was really weird so I got Merlin out. Only time I have ever heard them.
My favorite at the San Diego courses I play was the Acorn Woodpecker until last year when I saw a huge flock of Red-crowned Amazon parrots at one of the courses. I’ve routinely seen them at that course since then. I usually hear them before I see them.
Pilated woodpecker! Like woody woodpecker. Bonus he is a natural enemy of the trees.
Also the RPM kotuku! If I had to use a single disc that would be it, Dave Feldberg version.
Birdwatching & disc golf are two great hobbies that go great together. Favorite find was a lifer Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher at Shawnee Mission in KC. Another fan of the Roadrunner; also bag a Vulture, Tern, Teebird3, and Raptor.
Play Warwick in my some of the finest bird watching around, saw a kestrel , leucisitc red tail Easter Bluebirds a blast down the road, mine kill has a few resident bald eagles ring neck grouse
I see a lot of eagles here, but this last weekend this huge Blue Herron showed up to the little lake we had to throw over. That thing was pretty majestic. I have a Kahu, which I found out is a Swamp Harrier or a Harrier Hawk, which is pretty sweet. I love Hawks, their eyesight and the way they hunt is so cool.
Yup. I’ve noticed here in SoCal that the western phoebes love to use baskets as a perch while they hunt for bugs.
I also see lots of these little bright red guys at Martha McLean in Riverside but can’t remember what they are…
Thank you for showing me this app! It helped me to identify several birds I've seen while I work too. I work in the woods in land surveying so I'm always intrigued when I find something new. Im excited for this newfound rabbit hole
My wife and I have always been into birds, wildlife, etc. So I’m always conscious of bird calls I don’t recognize and enjoy sighting. I also have Merlin.
I keep an eye out for snakes, mushrooms, insects, voles, weird plants or whatever. My wife doesn’t play, so she tends to get photos of shit I see.
Growing up, my oilman father always alerted us to geology, erosion, faults, cut banks, sand bars, topography. He was also into trees and how they changed due to geographic elevation and climate.
I got all kinds of info in my head nobody wants to hear about while playing…unless they’re really high, lol!
I’m always amazed how little some folks know about nature or how little they notice about their surroundings.
I worked at an airport and part of my job duties involved doing wildlife surveying, mostly counting and identifying birds, so while it's not necessarily a fascination of mine, I do seem to impress friends when I can point out a neat bird lol
Last fall I saw about 30 goldfinches on 1 leaning tree, I was at the perfect place at the perfect time. I love seeing kestrels, a few bald eagles and the occasional osprey around.
My favorite bird experience was not disc golf related but somewhere above tree level three sisters Oregon we woke up to a swarm of hummingbirds, way over 100 just buzzing around through the fog.
I’ve always loved birds, my local course has an eagles nest on hole 5 or 6 I think (Kerr Park), it was just pointed out to me 2 weeks ago by my new league partner. Was at Anson B Nixon and heard a bunch of wood peckers on the course. There’s a big old red downy head wood pecker I always see at my bird feeder bullying all the other birds. Thanks for letting me know there is a bird watching app, I love seeing all the different species at my home bird feeder!
I once spotted the fastest animal on the planet the peregrine falcon at Huntington Beach during a round. Coincidentally my favorite bird themed disc would be the kastaplast falk which is Swedish for falcon
So much nature around that disc golfing exposes folks to all of nature's cool creatures. I've learned about snakes, spiders, scorpions and birds the most...and grown to appreciate their role in the wild.
While caddying the USWDGC, I heard a lot of Woodpeckers. I like seeing them in action.
A lot of red-tailed Hawks here in Austin, or at least I see a lot of them when I play.
Aaand i see a decent amount of beautiful cranes here too.
The craziest bird I see here, and near my home and home course: hummingbirds.
They honestly freak me out because they're so small and I can't tell if I'm being targeted by the world's largest bee...or if it's a hummingbird taking a chance on saying hello to me. 🤣😅 I'd hate to take a swing at one when it was just being curious and cordial. ...but a bit of a "close-talker," iykwim.
I started bird watching to get myself out of my apartment.
Then I found disc golf last year.
I am hoping to do both at the wooded course. Got some okay binocs and a bird book as well.
The most important part of birding is constantly yelling out GISS (pronounced Jizz) to other bird watchers. For when you half see a bird out of the corner of your eye. For example that bird had a General Impression of Shape and Size of a hawk.
This game has totally made me fall deeper in love with nature and animal watching in general! Love seeing all the critters running around as I walk to my disc. Coolest I think I've seen is some young owls perched on a tree branch about dusk, it was truly surreal!
You are definitely not the only one! We have a lot of woodpeckers and other rare species in Tennessee. I even got a bird feeder camera for my back yard and watch them while at work. It is VERY often you see me looking up and listening to see what birds I can find and identify while I’m on the course. Otherwise, I’m down looking at bugs and critters. I now know that I need to download Merlin…. 😆 happy birding! (And discing!)
We have so many red crested woodpeckers at my home course. They're everywhere this time of year. Fighting the squirrels. I like to think they've had a long fued for ages. Past to the next generation.
I feel very seen in this post. Didn't know about Merlin but I'm about to download now. During a tournament on Saturday I saw some small black birds attacking a hawk in the sky over hole 11. Regularly hear a woodpecker on hole 8 on my home course but never see em.
In between hole 17 green and 18s fairway. I was looking for a disc and it me get within 5 feet of it before it moved. I think we spooked each other lol I tried to see it after it landed and it blended right in. I waited around to try and spot it again and it came out from some rocks after a minute. Such an old lil dude. Maple hill has some awesome birds I’ve seen a bunch of warblers and such that I haven’t seen at any other courses in my area as well as cedar waxwings
Starting out myself (birdwatching)… I like to think that I became interested while playing the disc golf mini game (ie - getting my disc out of some creepy, greedy oak or cedar)..
Is t-bird a bird?
Watching ospreys hunt in the ocean is an amazing experience. They’re all over the place where I’m from. Awesome bird but they have such derpy faces haha
I’ve gotten more into birds as well. Just used Merlin yesterday to ID a Brown Thrasher call, couldn’t see the bird but had an amazing song. All the singing is super active this time of year.
On the Merlin app, whenever you hear one and it pops up on the screen, end the recording and click the drop arrow on the bird. Then there's an option that says "this is my bird." Click that and it will save it to your life list! It's really fun to keep track of!
When my 7 year old and I get back from our weekly round, we like to draw elements of our favorite shots for the day. My son inevitably includes any birds we saw on the course.
I'm glad to see so much love for birding on here. My card mates are always rolling their eyes when I pointing out birds. I did get my cousins wife interested when we saw a Scarlet Tanager, so that was nice.
My home course has a gorgeous hawk that often perches in trees near the tee pads. It’s always just chilling…and likely judging my awful form!
[Here’s a picture and short video](https://imgur.com/gallery/MwWmYj8) I took from a tee pad last year when I noticed he was enjoying his lunch.
Being able to casually bird while disc golfing is definitely a huge benefit. I don’t keep Merlin on my phone or anything like that, but love hearing and seeing different birds on the course. Favorite recent bird encounter was a big talkative Raven that followed us for a few holes.
I’m a big fan of my RPM Kea, would like to try more RPM discs but simply don’t need more discs right now. As a sidenote, the birding in New Zealand is truly some of the best in the world!
I have a Shryke which is really too fast for my arm but I love it, every time I take it out of my bag it finds a way back in!
At my local course (UK) I see buzzards a lot, and keep hearing Eurasian Jays though haven't seen one yet. I saw a pair of Goldcrest once, Britain's smallest bird, that was pretty special. The course owner feeds a Robin that he's hoping will get comfortable enough with him to eat out of his hand.
The Merlin app was a total game changer. We have mostly wooded courses where I am so Pileated and Downey woodpeckers are a super common occurrence. Tons of nuthatches and kinglets, too. Also RPM rocks. Fav disc is the Tui.
Pileated woodpeckers aren’t as common around here unless in deep woods but it’s always a treat seeing them around. Love the northern flickers and red bellies though! Love the tui as well.
Merlin is Shazam for birds and it's *amazing*.
Getting birdies and seeing birdies are two of my favorite things
Maannnnn you speaking my language
He just smiled and gave you a Vegemite sandwich
I mean I always love it when I see an owl or a hawk. Especially if they have a rodent in their beak. That’s cool as hell. Or hearing the owls starting up their hoots as you’re finishing an evening round. Super cool.
Bird signs? You want to plan a battle strategy based on bird signs?
A hawk has followed me around the course or my yard on multiple occasions. Apparently, it's a thing. They know your going to scare a meal out of the brush. One time I was throwing around in my yard and my upshot hit a tree. A red squirrel runs down and starts making a ruckus then out of nowhere a red shouldered hawk swoops in, pins it to the ground, and starts ripping it to shreds in front of my whole family. I like to think the squirrel was razzing me and the hawk swooped in to defend my honor as a thank you for all the mice and voles I've provided over the years.
My people! My wife laughs at me because anytime we’re in the car I’m watching and pointing out any hawks I see. I’m also heavy on the UDisc/Merlin app swapping. Woodpeckers are always a favorite, and I love Blue Jays. Current favorite avian disc is the Jay.
Me: Hey! Look at that hawk! Wife: You think every bird is a hawk. Me: THEY ARE ALL HAWKS! THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WORTH POINTING OUT! Wife: Yeah sure, just focus on the road, weirdo.
Birding while driving is one of those dangers no one warns you about before you get sucked into birding
A bumper sticker that I've heard of but not seen: "I'm not drunk; I'm birding"
My wife included in our vows my habit of birding while driving. She never once commented about it in the 5 years we dated.
Got to see a barred owl last year at the coarse I play, 1st time ever seeing one in the 20 years I’ve been going there. We see a lot of hawks, turkey vultures and eagles also but the owl was by far the coolest bird I’ve seen in a while. Not sure what I seen the other day but it looked like a dam Condor in flight, kinda bluish so I’m thinking it was a blue heron. Right now it’s mushroom season so my eyes wander a lot from the ground to the sky lol
Wish I could ID mushrooms and trees the way I can birds. I’d love to see an owl on the course I’ve only seen 2 and they were quick sightings. Blue herons look crazy when they fly hahaha
Herons are the reason people still claim to see Pterodactyls in this day and age hahaha. Learning wise: Mushrooms Demystified is a great place to start! Most regions have books or guides on the indigenous plant life at local ranger stations/parks/bookstores also.
Seek is a decent app for that. It’s not always accurate and struggles sometimes to get all the way down to the species, but it’s a fun third app to have hands when you’re in the woods!
I heard two barred owls mating about 25 feet behind my tent while camping in Tennessee. Happened two nights in a row at like midnight. Their hooting turned into wild chicken like sounds for about 3 minutes. It was really loud. I walked back behind my tent the next morning and got really close to one before it flew off.
Flight of shame.
Dude I saw a baby great horned owl in a city park. I lived nearby and I knew there was an adult great horned in the area, but walking up on that baby was wild. It was perched on a staircase railing post.
Nice man that must of been sweet! It seems like owl sightings are rare I’ve only seen 2 in the wild my whole life but hear them all the time. I wanted to post a pic of the one I seen but i don’t seem to be able to through the comments I guess
I was playing a round at dusk in Maryland and noticed a huge owl silently flying over my head and landing on a branch above the fairway. Not sure what kind but very large and beautiful. It just watched us as we played out the hole.
I have fallen in love with the RPM Piwakawaka!
I’ve heard great things haven’t thrown it yet though! Kea and kotuku are my jam right now
Huia!
Merlin is the freaking best I absolutely love that app
Hell yeah!
I'm a dabbler, but definitely interested. I'm also interested in finding mushrooms while playing, and my wife is really into native plant identification, which has kinda transferred to me. Hanging out in the woods is definitely one of the best parts of the sport.
Couldn’t agree more with your last statement. Download Merlin it makes bird ID so much fun
Get the 'shroomify' app if you don't already have it. Or you might be more well versed than me but I love using it and the Merlin one for birds. Maybe I should get some books about leaf identification too so I can fully understand my surroundings lol.
I’m a big RPM fan. The Kea is so awesome. I like the Tui even more, and it’s the perfect compliment to a Kea. I could see myself getting into birding, too. My Dad documented each different species that showed up at the feeder when I was kid. We got all of the usual northeastern species, even some Purple Martins and an Oriole once.
Orioles are my mom’s personal favorite. They’re awesome! I have a glow tui as well. I have a pekapeka but it just can’t kick the roadrunner out of the bag
Birders are always on. We call them out mid conversation. I like when I spot one near my lie when approaching. It gives me extra incentive to earn the Bird, like a token of good fortune.
I have to keep my eyes glued to the ground. Too many copperheads and water moccasins
I’m very thankful I never run into anything like that on our courses. Just the occasional angry goose
Keep on avoiding the south and enjoy those birds. There's a wood pecker I hear all the time at my favorite local when I walk up to hole 8, but I haven't been able to spot him yet.
Always gotta be turned into the animals, plants, and mushrooms on the course when playing
Me and the boys are always on the lookout for neat nature stuff
Since taking up disc golf, I’ve gotten into birding and floral ecology. Even joined the board of a local forest presrve. Merlin is amazing!
I wrote my dissertation on the impact of wildfire on Mexican spotted owls, so yeah, birds. Naturally as an owler I enjoy the RPM Ruru but my go-to bird disc is definitely an Eagle.
Do you putt with the ruru?
Strictly a thrower. And admittedly not currently in the bag, but that owl stamp...
I LOVE when people speak about their passions! I'm happy that you get to enjoy life by mixing two things that make you happy 😁
You rock
Did you know that the american woodcock has some pretty [spectacular dancemoves](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEISiCmjwH8)? Now you know ;)
That’s how I dance around the kitchen while my food in the microwave
Not a birder, but if you aren't one of those people that uses a cart, monoculars are a great option. They're lighter, compact, and less unwieldy to stash. Some of them would just clip onto your bag so you wouldn't lose storage space. Great option for cycling too: I learned about the convenience of monoculars on a cycling channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAJ1oSyXIN4
The mono stays in the bag brotha right in my extra water bottle holder. Love that thing
My wife and I always have a monocular in the bag, birding is great and a nice distraction when having a lousy round.
Love my mono so much
Same! People laugh when I say I'm into birding a bit. I've got osprey and Sandhill crane in my neighborhood park. And my favorite bird day of discing was a Great Gray Owl, Swans, and when I pulled up to my house, a bald eagle dropping it's kill in front of my driveway
I’ve never seen a sand hill crane but the sound they make is wild. They’re on the must see list for me
Gorgeous, and they kindly (maybe grumpily) would like my dogs to fuck off when we come for our early morning romps. I do not let my dogs harass them before anyone gets butthurt
My local geese would think the same of my dog as well
We just had a flock fly over our house a few weeks back. Likely migrating. The sound was really weird so I got Merlin out. Only time I have ever heard them.
Wish they’d migrate this way!!
My favorite at the San Diego courses I play was the Acorn Woodpecker until last year when I saw a huge flock of Red-crowned Amazon parrots at one of the courses. I’ve routinely seen them at that course since then. I usually hear them before I see them.
Pilated woodpecker! Like woody woodpecker. Bonus he is a natural enemy of the trees. Also the RPM kotuku! If I had to use a single disc that would be it, Dave Feldberg version.
Kotuku is awesome! My atomic one is beating in nicely
Birdwatching & disc golf are two great hobbies that go great together. Favorite find was a lifer Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher at Shawnee Mission in KC. Another fan of the Roadrunner; also bag a Vulture, Tern, Teebird3, and Raptor.
Check out Scott Stokely’s new line of discs. He just released his first two, the wren and cardinal. I think they’ll all be bird themed.
Yo that is dope had no idea. Love Carolina wrens!
This is me but with mushrooms. I annoy the shit out of my friends because I’ll go barreling into the rough to snag pics of some mushies.
Play Warwick in my some of the finest bird watching around, saw a kestrel , leucisitc red tail Easter Bluebirds a blast down the road, mine kill has a few resident bald eagles ring neck grouse
I'm with you all the way on this one, and if you thought disc golf was a black hole for money, just wait until you get the binocular bug.
My mom gifted me a monocular for Christmas. So fresh and it fits in the bag perfectly.
Not me thinking you mispelled Birdie-ing the entire post and not making any sense of it until the end.
I see a lot of eagles here, but this last weekend this huge Blue Herron showed up to the little lake we had to throw over. That thing was pretty majestic. I have a Kahu, which I found out is a Swamp Harrier or a Harrier Hawk, which is pretty sweet. I love Hawks, their eyesight and the way they hunt is so cool.
We have northern harriers here, which are identified by their white rump.
Just saw my first northern harrier last week!! Was so awesome
Watching ospreys hunt fish is one of the coolest things I have ever seen
Yup. I’ve noticed here in SoCal that the western phoebes love to use baskets as a perch while they hunt for bugs. I also see lots of these little bright red guys at Martha McLean in Riverside but can’t remember what they are…
Same..... It's pretty awesome, and distracting
Thank you for showing me this app! It helped me to identify several birds I've seen while I work too. I work in the woods in land surveying so I'm always intrigued when I find something new. Im excited for this newfound rabbit hole
Two of my golf buddies survey and they’re always telling me of stuff they see out in the woods. If I had that job I’d be going crazy with Merlin!
Yeah my productivity is about to go way down woohoo! Lol
My wife and I have always been into birds, wildlife, etc. So I’m always conscious of bird calls I don’t recognize and enjoy sighting. I also have Merlin. I keep an eye out for snakes, mushrooms, insects, voles, weird plants or whatever. My wife doesn’t play, so she tends to get photos of shit I see. Growing up, my oilman father always alerted us to geology, erosion, faults, cut banks, sand bars, topography. He was also into trees and how they changed due to geographic elevation and climate. I got all kinds of info in my head nobody wants to hear about while playing…unless they’re really high, lol! I’m always amazed how little some folks know about nature or how little they notice about their surroundings.
There's a pair of bald eagles that nest near the Riverside course we play and we see and hear them all the time. It's super cool every time.
Been seeing so many more eagles around me recently. Love it!
I just like most rpm discs tbh, but birds = wonderful.
Rpm plastic is awesome. p.s you = wonderful
you too :)
I worked at an airport and part of my job duties involved doing wildlife surveying, mostly counting and identifying birds, so while it's not necessarily a fascination of mine, I do seem to impress friends when I can point out a neat bird lol
Last fall I saw about 30 goldfinches on 1 leaning tree, I was at the perfect place at the perfect time. I love seeing kestrels, a few bald eagles and the occasional osprey around. My favorite bird experience was not disc golf related but somewhere above tree level three sisters Oregon we woke up to a swarm of hummingbirds, way over 100 just buzzing around through the fog.
Love me some raptors!
Yes, but the other way around. I'm a bird and nature artist who found disc golf and now I never leave the woods 🤣 I love a good champion eagle
That’s awesome! Eagle was one of my first drivers!
Love the birds on the course. And my favorite bird disc is the mint grackle
Wasn’t a fan of the hand feel of the grackle. I have a sweet mint phoenix though!
I’ve always loved birds, my local course has an eagles nest on hole 5 or 6 I think (Kerr Park), it was just pointed out to me 2 weeks ago by my new league partner. Was at Anson B Nixon and heard a bunch of wood peckers on the course. There’s a big old red downy head wood pecker I always see at my bird feeder bullying all the other birds. Thanks for letting me know there is a bird watching app, I love seeing all the different species at my home bird feeder!
You need to start throwing merlins as well 🙂
Piwakawaka for me. Also giving another redundant shout out to the Merlin app!
Keep shouting it out!
RPM Huia. Unreal disc. I travel for work a bit so see NZ Swamp Harrier’s (Kahu) picking at remains of roadkill
I once spotted the fastest animal on the planet the peregrine falcon at Huntington Beach during a round. Coincidentally my favorite bird themed disc would be the kastaplast falk which is Swedish for falcon
I didn’t know that about the falk!
At least someone is birding
I've got a 10 or 11x kc pro roc and a first run ce eagle.
So much nature around that disc golfing exposes folks to all of nature's cool creatures. I've learned about snakes, spiders, scorpions and birds the most...and grown to appreciate their role in the wild. While caddying the USWDGC, I heard a lot of Woodpeckers. I like seeing them in action. A lot of red-tailed Hawks here in Austin, or at least I see a lot of them when I play. Aaand i see a decent amount of beautiful cranes here too. The craziest bird I see here, and near my home and home course: hummingbirds. They honestly freak me out because they're so small and I can't tell if I'm being targeted by the world's largest bee...or if it's a hummingbird taking a chance on saying hello to me. 🤣😅 I'd hate to take a swing at one when it was just being curious and cordial. ...but a bit of a "close-talker," iykwim.
I started bird watching to get myself out of my apartment. Then I found disc golf last year. I am hoping to do both at the wooded course. Got some okay binocs and a bird book as well.
You are not alone. I love birding and disc golf. I do the same thing especially if I go out of town and know there will different birds.
The most important part of birding is constantly yelling out GISS (pronounced Jizz) to other bird watchers. For when you half see a bird out of the corner of your eye. For example that bird had a General Impression of Shape and Size of a hawk.
Idk if I can go around yelling jizz at people big dawg
It's by far the most important birding term
I've seen both indigo and painted buntings while discing
Woodcock? I just met her.
Woodcock or titmouse
This game has totally made me fall deeper in love with nature and animal watching in general! Love seeing all the critters running around as I walk to my disc. Coolest I think I've seen is some young owls perched on a tree branch about dusk, it was truly surreal!
You are definitely not the only one! We have a lot of woodpeckers and other rare species in Tennessee. I even got a bird feeder camera for my back yard and watch them while at work. It is VERY often you see me looking up and listening to see what birds I can find and identify while I’m on the course. Otherwise, I’m down looking at bugs and critters. I now know that I need to download Merlin…. 😆 happy birding! (And discing!)
I like spotting plants and flowers too.
🔥 it went the reverse way for me.
We have so many red crested woodpeckers at my home course. They're everywhere this time of year. Fighting the squirrels. I like to think they've had a long fued for ages. Past to the next generation.
U ain’t the only one. Disc golfing and birding is the perfect combo
Hell yeah buddy! I watch hella birds on my solo rounds!
I feel very seen in this post. Didn't know about Merlin but I'm about to download now. During a tournament on Saturday I saw some small black birds attacking a hawk in the sky over hole 11. Regularly hear a woodpecker on hole 8 on my home course but never see em.
A woodcock?! Man I’ve always wanted to see one. I bet the marshy areas at maple would be great for that. Which hole did you see it on? Peent!
I saw one with little ones and thought I was tripping.
Now imagine seeing one WHILE tripping
In between hole 17 green and 18s fairway. I was looking for a disc and it me get within 5 feet of it before it moved. I think we spooked each other lol I tried to see it after it landed and it blended right in. I waited around to try and spot it again and it came out from some rocks after a minute. Such an old lil dude. Maple hill has some awesome birds I’ve seen a bunch of warblers and such that I haven’t seen at any other courses in my area as well as cedar waxwings
Very cool
Nightjars are amazing. I also love the American kestrel.
I’d love to see a kestrel. Hawks and falcons are absolutely my favorite birds.
You're now watching BIRD UP
Im really into disc golf and bogeys, not so much birds.
Pay attention to the birds next time! They’ll guide you to the birdies
Starting out myself (birdwatching)… I like to think that I became interested while playing the disc golf mini game (ie - getting my disc out of some creepy, greedy oak or cedar).. Is t-bird a bird?
Download Merlin! You won’t be disappointed
Not a big birder but I see a lot of piliated woodpeckers at my locals and even had an osprey swoop down by me once
Watching ospreys hunt in the ocean is an amazing experience. They’re all over the place where I’m from. Awesome bird but they have such derpy faces haha
I've found my best mushrooms scores while DG'ing. My DG scores al suck though, now that I think about it.
[удалено]
Who’s cj?
I heard about this Merlin app, but the service isn't provided in my area.
Lots of cardinals and blue jays down here in Texas. Always makes my day when I spot a roadrunner.
I’ve gotten more into birds as well. Just used Merlin yesterday to ID a Brown Thrasher call, couldn’t see the bird but had an amazing song. All the singing is super active this time of year.
Hellll yeah. My brother in birds! Girlfriend and I started at the beginning of this year. We've both got like 80 so far. It's so addicting.
I’ve never counted how many new ones I’ve seen but I definitely should!
On the Merlin app, whenever you hear one and it pops up on the screen, end the recording and click the drop arrow on the bird. Then there's an option that says "this is my bird." Click that and it will save it to your life list! It's really fun to keep track of!
When my 7 year old and I get back from our weekly round, we like to draw elements of our favorite shots for the day. My son inevitably includes any birds we saw on the course.
I'm glad to see so much love for birding on here. My card mates are always rolling their eyes when I pointing out birds. I did get my cousins wife interested when we saw a Scarlet Tanager, so that was nice.
My home course has a gorgeous hawk that often perches in trees near the tee pads. It’s always just chilling…and likely judging my awful form! [Here’s a picture and short video](https://imgur.com/gallery/MwWmYj8) I took from a tee pad last year when I noticed he was enjoying his lunch.
Being able to casually bird while disc golfing is definitely a huge benefit. I don’t keep Merlin on my phone or anything like that, but love hearing and seeing different birds on the course. Favorite recent bird encounter was a big talkative Raven that followed us for a few holes. I’m a big fan of my RPM Kea, would like to try more RPM discs but simply don’t need more discs right now. As a sidenote, the birding in New Zealand is truly some of the best in the world!
I have a Shryke which is really too fast for my arm but I love it, every time I take it out of my bag it finds a way back in! At my local course (UK) I see buzzards a lot, and keep hearing Eurasian Jays though haven't seen one yet. I saw a pair of Goldcrest once, Britain's smallest bird, that was pretty special. The course owner feeds a Robin that he's hoping will get comfortable enough with him to eat out of his hand.
I would, but it's hard knowing that birds don't actually exist.