In the winter the male loses his brilliant plumage and is dull gray keeping his black wings and tail, and white wing bars. Now that summer is upon us we kind of know what to expect when we go into the field. All the breeding birds are there. We see them and note their presence. It can be down right boring.
Summer is the time to study bird behavior.
With parent birds busying themselves with the task of feeding growing young they sometimes hardly notice us peering at them through our binoculars. Once you've spotted an adult carrying food, try to follow it to the nest. Once you have found the nest site take care not to disrupt the feeding process. If the adults are acting solicitously back off until the parents resume feeding the young. If you simply must see the nest be sure you know exactly where the nest is.