Some of these hot spots are in rather obscure or remote locations like Kenya or Costa Rica or Papua New Guinea. Other hot spots attract birds because of a quirk of geography. It can be a point of land extending into Lake Erie, mountains in the middle of an Arizona desert, or a sharp drop-off in the ocean floor near Monterey, California. Everyone has their own favorite hot spot. Sometimes these hot spots are swarming with birds only during the spring or fall migration.
Some hot spots are best in the middle of winter.
Sometimes birds will show up in a location where they do not normally appear. When this happens the phones start ringing and birders race off to see the rarity. This can be lots of fun. Rare Bird Alert phone numbers have recordings about birds in your area. These phone numbers also may have descriptions of upcoming field trips that you can join.