Make winter birdwatching your next cold weather hobby Fly solo or grab your flock and a field guide for your first lesson in winter birdwatching. February 11, 2021 7:00 AM Sam Jones Updated: A Snowy Owl eyes birdwatchers against a gray winter sky. If you’re still braving the outdoors this winter season but you’ve run out of ideas, you might try winter birdwatching. Carolyn Byers, director of education at Madison Audubon, has had her eyes to the skies (and sometimes the ground) for years. Byers specializes in nesting ecology, chick development, foraging and other aspects of avian behavior but she says no experience is necessary to enjoy our feathery friends. She loves birding and all it entails, including the simple pleasure of a wintertime walk. While note taking is the most traditional way to track your flying finds, like most things these days, there’s an app for that. So snag your smartphone or notepad, grab a pair of binoculars and bundle up — but first, we asked Byers where to go, what to look for, and how to turn this old pastime into a new, rewarding hobby right here in town.