I sometimes struggle deciding between nature journaling birds or plants. Focusing can be hard in nature. Sometimes, I tell myself I am going to go to a certain spot to nature journal a certain plant. I might even have a clear idea of what my drawing is going to look like. Then, I get there, I find the plant and just when I am starting to focus in on the plant…
Suddenly, a beautiful birds flies between me and the plant…
That is pretty much what happened on this nature journaling trip in Colombia. My goal was to nature journal a cool species of cactus I had noticed on an earlier hike. Unfortunately, these beautiful birds had other plans for me!
Tips for Nature Journaling Birds or Plants
If you find yourself in a similar conundrum to mine you can try these tips.
- Use your willpower and stay focused on your original target.
- Use a sidebar to capture info about whatever is distracting you from your main subject. This can be quick notes or little sketches.
- Focus on whatever is more rare. For example, birds rarely come close and usually don’t stay still while plants won’t go anywhere.
- Finally, if you are really struggling you can use earplugs or blinders to keep you focused. (mildly joking here).
Do you still need more help getting started with nature journaling?
Regardless of your experience, we got you right here. Below are links to some super resources for beginner nature journalers.
