December 10, 2025, Grace Congregational Church Conference Room, 8 Court St, Rutland, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. This past August marked the 24th Anniversary of the initiation of Rutland County Audubon Society's monthly bird walks around West Rutland Marsh. Since the initial walk organized by Roy Pilcher and other RCAS members, hundreds of intrepid birders have braved snow, sleet, ice, rain, freezing cold, sweltering heat, and a few beautiful days to maintain an unbroken 25 year record of monthly bird counts. Thanks to diligent record keeping and EBird, we now have an amazing trove of "citizen science" data to summarize, analyze and interpret. During my presentation I will answer and discuss several questions including:

1) How many and what species have been seen/heard?

2) What species are present today who were not recorded 20+ years ago, and vice-versa?

3) Who are our permanent residents?

4 Have arrival and departure dates changed for migrant species?

5) What species are "rare".... recorded only once, less than 5 times?

6) What is the highest number of species recorded on any one walk?

7) What months are the birdiest?

8) What does the future hold?

Presenter: Lee Allen, Avid birder, RCAS volunteer, and Professor Emeritus, Department of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, North Carolina State University.