Also important is to have a good reference book with pictures of the birds in your country. This is call a "field guide". It tells you background information about the birds, which can be very useful. Apart from what they look like, the most basic information is what time of year they are in your area, and what kind of environment they prefer. Also they will tell you what the birds' songs and calls sound like. You will discover that it often takes a long time to find a bird even when you know it is there from its song.