Happy New Year from RCAS! Want to see more birds in 2017 or know more about them? Here are some resolutions you can make for better birding and a better birding world this year.
Pileated WoodpeckereBird! Make it a regular part of your birding experience. Your sightings really DO matter – to scientists, conservationists and fellow birders, but ONLY if you submit them to eBird. Checklists can be from your backyard, a lunch break walk, one of our RCAS hotspots or your favorite vacation spot. Birds are everywhere and the more we know about them, the more we can help them. Click here to learn about eBird’s Checklist A Day Challenge.
Bird local! There are plenty of places to see birds right here in Rutland County. To get started, check out our list of birding hotspots here. Spots such as the Cadwell Loop or the Split Rock Trail in Pittsford or Aitken State Forest in Mendon are great in for snowshoeing and birding. No need to wait for spring!
Give to the birds! Donate to a conservation organization (we can think of one!). Drink shade-grown coffee. Take a kid birding. Write to your representatives about issues that concern the environment. Find one more thing that can be recycled. Plant a native shrub or build a brush pile. The list is endless if you think about it.
Keep learning! RCAS has a list of books if you need suggestions. Have you read The Genius if Birds by Jennifer Ackerman? Click here to find out more about it and other books we recommend. And if you know of a good book, let us know!
Sing! Sing! Sing! Learn ten new bird songs this year. Birding by ear greatly enhances your birding experience. With all the resources available now, it’s easy. Download a birding app, buy a CD or listen to birds at the National Audubon or Cornell Lab of Ornithology online bird guides. Then go out and practice what you’ve learned. Nothing helps you remember a bird song than watching one sing. Really.
Bird with friends!. Don’t have any birding buddies? Join RCAS on a West Rutland Marsh walk or other field trips. Check out our list of upcoming events. Our next events are Winter Regulars and Rarities in the Champlain Valley on January 14 and our monthly West Rutland Marsh Walk on January 28. Click here for details.
Learn more! What’s your favorite bird? Resolve to know more about it – what does it eat, what does its nest look like, where does it go when it migrates, what is its current conservation status? Between the library and all the resources on the internet, it’s easy to find out.
Volunteer! RCAS can always use more help. Contact us at birding@rutlandcountyaudubon.org or join us at one of our events. We promise it will be a lot of fun.