These are the primary set of things one should have. To be a bird photographer or bird observer you must have a basic idea; of what bird watching is all about. Which bird is found in which vegetation, their distributions across the country and in the state, and much more intricate details on their migration paths, flyways, etc. Only if you are aware of this set of information, then you can take it further.
Our ace bird tour guide Dibyendu Ash said, when he began birding back in the 2000s, all he had was a pair of binoculars, a field guide of Krys, and a notebook pencil. Those were actually the stepping stones for him to be a renowned birdwatcher. In the first decade of the new century, the web-network booming revolutionized birdwatching and bird photography. The low-quality binoculars got replaced by affordable mid-range binoculars. Digital photography slowly appealed to a mediocre segment of citizens and came well within budget. As socialization improved, interaction with other Asian and foreign birdwatchers, helped in evolving Indian birdwatchers into better birdwatchers. The availability of information, discussion forums, google groups yahoo chat rooms, and science portals have contributed in many ways.
Important things to start with
To be frank; one might not have fancy gadgets but a good field guide and a pair of good quality binoculars are always a good investment in this hobby. One must be cautious before choosing a bird book. Firstly, it must not be a photography guide, it should be essentially and ideally a sketched drawing of birds. You must discuss with the senior bird watchers, and listen to what he suggests. Sketched field guides help you to learn, but the bird photography assorted book is just of no use in the field. The second most important piece is your pair of binoculars. Before purchasing, ask senior birdwatchers and you also try to get an in-hand experience and feel of these optics. However, don’t be too choosy. Based on your budget you will definitely get options.
We will have a detailed discussion, on how to choose better binoculars, what are the advantages of using a spotting scope over binoculars, etc in a different thread.
Data keeping
Indians are or were very good at inventions and deriving philosophy and theorems of science. However, a major drawback is the bookkeeping part of it. Bookkeeping or data inventory maintenance is a priceless job that one birdwatcher must follow. If he doesn’t keep a tab and track his subject, what is the point of pursuing the hobby?
Nowadays, there are multiple science portals where bird photographers, bird call recordists, and bird observers, upload the data that they gather from their field visits. It is no longer a job restricted to a scientist only, rather it is as easy as uploading photos on social media. Where some portals allow bird photos only, some are great collections of audio files, some are good enough to keep all sorts of data - text, photos, audio, video, all sorts of!
Now to record the presence of the birds, either photos are clicked or videos are taken or the bird songs are recorded. This is the raw data, which any birder can upload to certain portals and keep on enriching their collection.
Scientists and researchers nowadays are making postulates and derivatives from these data sets. The merit of this kind of data is highly valued. So, when you are out birding in the state of Sikkim, do maintain birding data and upload those to different science portals, for the greater good!
Important suggestions for how to become a good birdwatcher!