Awareness in the woods is important to the hunter or the naturalist. Nothing can move in nature without affecting everything else. The web of life is interconnected, like a spider web. When something gets caught in a spider's web, it vibrates the whole web so the spider knows even if a small insect has been trapped.

It is also like throwing a pebble into a pond; it sends out circular waves across the whole pond. By looking at the rings, you can tell where the rock was dropped. Nature has concentric rings also; but they are more difficult to read, but can be learned over time.

A good example of a concentric ring in nature would be when a fox is walking along a trail and the local bird population begins to stir, which then catches the attention of some distant jays, who will scold the fox. Crows may then pickup the commotion, mice will run for cover, chipmunks and squirrels will retreat and in the distance the deer will pick up on the activity and stand at alert, which in turn affect anything close to them. All animals are good at understanding the disturbances in the landscape, which if they listen closely, alert them to danger at greater and greater distances. They can tell the differences when the jays are scolding a fox, a man, or a dog, thereby getting the appropriate danger or disturbance signals.

I can tell when a hawk is flying over without ever looking towards the sky; just by watching the birds at our feeders or our chickens. When a hawk goes over our rooster will alert the hens and they all disappear; and when the hawk leaves the rooster will sound another call and they will reappear. If I see the birds at our bird feeders scatter and everything gets quiet I know that the hawk is near. When the hawk leaves the birds return to eating at the feeders.

Concentric rings are not as easy to learn as it may first seem because you are not dealing with a quiet pond, but with trembling waters, always in motion. There is a constant symphony in a forest that fluctuates with the day, the weather, and so many other factors. So the first thing when learning concentric rings is to establish this base rhythm of the symphony. Once the symphony is established, any disturbance in the flow becomes a concentric ring. Whether the symphony or disturbance becomes more dramatically loud or whether it becomes quieter, it is a concentric ring. Any change at all means something.

A good way to practice is to learn to establish the symphony. Any time a fluctuation occurs, go quietly over to see what has made the disturbance and how far out the disturbances or concentric rings can be detected. Try to stalk so that you do not create a concentric ring that interferes with that which is going on at the moment. The more you practice, and it will be frustrating at first, the more will be the rewards of being able to read what is going on at greater and greater distances. It was once said that a good Apache scout could read the concentric rings of a white man eight miles away.

A good exercise to do with a friend is to go out and sit alone in the woods for awhile (about an hour). Wait until the forest calms down and the symphony is well-established. Then, at a pre-determined time, have your friend enter the forest. Listen, watch, and experience the concentric rings that his travel sends off. Don't try to put these rings in words, but rather let them sift into your subconscious. Some things can never be explained in words or thoughts.

You should also learn to watch the birds to get a baseline. Wildlife does not appear just because we've studied the Peterson's or Audubon Guides. Wildlife is always there... but sometimes we do not know how to see them. Are some photographers lucky when they take great photographs of wildlife or do they know something that you might need to learn? If the birds know bird language and they understand what it means... won't you be able to see more of nature if you understood the universal bird language? By just learning the universal bird language, even from your backyard, you will recognize base line of the birds and only then you will be able to recognize a change in the pattern and know what it means. You will see more and you will be able to have more photography opportunities.

Baseline, once understood, is common sense combined with observational skills. Baseline is not doves flying up suddenly from the ground when you approach. Baseline is NOT when the birds stop singing their songs or stop feeding their young or stop male to male aggression or stop their companion calls. Baseline is when the birds do what is natural during the day and when they stop doing their natural behavior, they are out of baseline. And when they are not in baseline and they are giving the voice of alarm, all the wildlife within a certain radius knows. They listen and then they move on to safer areas depending on the bird language.

If you get really good at bird language, you will be capable of seeing those great wildlife moments while they are happening. For you, that little saying "A birdie told me," will become true when you see the wildlife.

Most people in the modern world do not understand and even hear what the birds are saying because they are always thinking of other things when they are walking in nature. Because of the modern day stress and all the things that "need to be done," most modern world people miss the most obvious things just because their mind is somewhere else.

How many times do you drive to a destination and you don't even remember going down a certain road or taking a certain exit off the highway? "How did I get here?" Now, take yourself into nature and keep that same mind set. How are you ever going to see wildlife or that special photography opportunity? You will see some, but you will miss the very best ones. When you walk into nature thinking of other things, the birds pick up on your body language and react... most of the time unfavorably. The reason some photographers are able to see wildlife and some photographers do not is due to body language. The birds always listen and see since they are always aware of survival. Once you become proficient in moving within nature, you will almost become invisible to the wildlife.

Instinct is a very valuable asset for nature photography. By using the language of the birds to enhance your intuitive instincts, you will be able to be in the right place at the right time. The more of the brain that we use to recognize baseline behaviors of the birds, the more that we will see. Reacting to your gut feelings and to your intuitions will enable you to produce additional photography opportunities.

The Five Voices of the Birds:

1) Song

2) Companion Calls

3) Male to Male Aggression

4) Begging Calls

5) Voice of Alarm

The 5 voices are learned from the song birds such as the Robin, White-Throated Sparrow, Cardinal, Junco, Wren, Cat Bird and Thrushes. Since the song birds are ground feeders, they are the first to see and hear possible threats (including you approaching). A bird will not fly any higher than it has to escape danger. If they feel threatened, the birds will sound the voice of alarm. By listening to the song birds and learning from them, you will be able to know the wildlife around you; you will be able to know that a cat is coming around the corner a few minutes before you see it. You can learn much from the five voices of the birds.