Blackwing X Audubon Birding Journal

Written by: Kaleena Quintero

|

Published on

|

Last updated on

|

Time to read 3 min

Birds are a part of the rhythms of daily life.

Stopping to appreciate the birds around you is one of the first steps in birding. Birding is observing, studying, and cataloging birds in their natural habitats. Even more, it's an exercise in slowing down. There's no right or wrong way to go birding, and in a world constantly vying for our attention, birding asks us to be present. It reminds us there is beauty all around us. It invites us to take a pause and look.

We teamed up with the amazing folks at the National Audubon Society to create a guided birding journal to help encourage you on your birding journey and keep an analog reminder to become active participants in protecting and conserving our planet.


Shop the Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal  

A person holding the orange Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal and binoculars while birding outdoors.
Orange Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal with a pencil and transparent layout guide on a white surface surrounded by pinecones and outdoor gear.

Why Keep a Birding Journal?

A birding journal allows us to begin to have a better understanding of the world we live in. Looking out the window or taking a walk outside becomes a more engaging exercise. Rather than just a passerby, we can begin to notice small differences in bird songs, color patterns, plumage, behaviors, and more about the birds we see day to day. Every bird you spot is on its own journey, and so are you.

As we become more familiar with these characteristics, we can begin to put names to the sounds we hear and the flashes of color that fly by. It's a fun practice that can change the way we all experience the outdoors.

We can connect with our surroundings and ultimately ourselves on a deeper level. A birding journal is a practice in slowing down and mindfulness. There is an intentionality in seeking a specific bird on its migration or tracking the species in our neighborhoods and local parks. We begin to notice things we may have always overlooked. Paying attention to the birds around you means paying attention to the health of the planet we all share.

Open birding journal with a pencil sketch of a bird on a yellow blanket, surrounded by binoculars, pinecones, and a pencil.
Orange Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal resting on a brown tree stump beside binoculars and a green water bottle.

How to Use a Birding Notebook

There's no right or wrong way to use a birding notebook.

The Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal is designed to be portable to fit in your pocket or bag, ready for any situation.

The guided journal includes tips for entries like noting the date, time, location, weather, bird characteristics, names, and more. This can all be recorded in the included birding chart that holds up to 120 entries.

Each journal includes a Birding Reference Guide to help you identify specific differences between birds, including plumage, beak shape, eye color, and other characteristics that stand out.

Open Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal showing bird observation notes and an illustrated bird identification guide.
Open birding journal showing a bird sighting log with columns for bird name, date added, location, and entry page.

The Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal also includes a transparent layout insert that can help guide and structure your pages.

Orange Blackwing x Audubon Journal with a Blackwing pencil resting on top of it with a Blackwing x Audubon imprint and gold ferrule. Under the Journal is a transparent guide on a white background.
Pencil sketch of a bird inside the Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal beside a pencil and transparent layout guide.

What to Look For

A simple head-to-tail approach can help you know what to pay attention to while you're birding. Start with the bill. Its shape and size often reflect what a bird eats and can help narrow down its family.

Next, notice the crown, eye color, and facial patterns. A stripe above the eye or markings around the beak can all be useful field marks.

The breast and belly often contain unique colors and patterns, while wing bars and color patches can help distinguish one bird from another. Take note of these details in your journal so you can identify the bird later or recognize it more easily the next time you see it.

Finally, pay attention to the tail shape, leg length, and foot structure. These details, along with the bird's behavior and habitat, can often provide the final clues to its identity.

Lastly, you can log all of your discoveries in your birding journal. Having these things sketched out or written down can help you keep track of your adventures and reflect on your previous observations.


You can find some of these unique color features on our pencils inspired by birding. Volume 458 is our tribute to birding. Each balanced graphite pencil features a gradient finish inspired by one of four North American birds: the Clark’s Grebe, Mallard, Green Jay, and Black Rail.

We hope the Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal can be a mainstay in your slowing down routine and help you along your birding journey wherever you are.


Shop the Blackwing Vol. 458 Pencils here. 

Shop the Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal here.

A person holding the open Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal outdoors, displaying its guided bird identification pages.
A person holding open the Blackwing x Audubon Journal outdoors, displaying a drawing and notes of a bird with a Blackwing graphite pencil

About Audubon

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. 

Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, nonpartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With over 1,000 staff and more than 2.6 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. 

Orange Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal resting on wood as someone reaches to pick it up.
Open Blackwing x Audubon Birding Journal with bird identification illustrations arranged on a yellow blanket with binoculars, a green water bottle, and pinecones.

Learn more at audubon.org and on Facebook and Instagram @audubonsociety.

← Go back