Happy holidays everyone. Thanks for your support in 2020!
Merry Christmas from www.BirdsofNewEngland.com
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Christmas Bird Count photos
It was a gray day that turned into a snowy day that turned into a misty, gray day. The weather never fails to be part of the story of a Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in New England. Yesterday (Sunday) was the annual CBC in my area and, as usual, I covered the Norwalk (Conn.) coastline and parts inland with Frank Mantlik, one of Connecticut”s top birders. We tallied 61 species, which will be combined with the other birds spotted by the Count’s other teams. Highlights included northern shoveler, northern pintail, prairie warbler, pine warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, northern harrier, merlin and horned lark. Full story coming in my For the Birds column. In the meantime, here’s what the Christmas Bird Count is all about.
For the Birds: More traditional gifts for your birder
Last week I offered some suggestions on donating to conservation organizations to help out these important groups during this season of giving. Many of these organizations are hurting this year due to the cancellation of so many revenue-producing programs.
This week, I’ll offer some tips on getting more traditional holiday gifts for your birder. A gift list for birdwatchers has to start with optics. Technically, no equipment is needed to go birdwatching. You can simply head to the woods or look out your window and scan for birds. Realistically, however, you need a few essentials, namely binoculars and a field guide. If you have a budding birdwatcher on your list, an inexpensive pair will likely suffice. More experienced birders will appreciate better-quality optics.
With optics, as with most things, you get what you pay for. A $15 pair of binoculars will serve you just fine, but a $150 pair will seem like a different world. A really great pair of binoculars will set you back hundreds of dollars, but they will last Continue reading
For the Birds: Giving back to nature
It’s the season of giving, and this year nonprofit organizations need your support more than ever.
COVID-19 changed everything. Aside from the horrendous physical toll it has taken on so many, businesses have closed and many people are struggling to make ends meet. Nonprofit organizations are not immune to this downturn. Those that specialize in land conservation or nature are just as impacted as the rest of them.
Many of these organizations rely on programming, events, summer camps or other activities that require people to be in close proximity to each other to help pay the bills. COVID put a hard stop on that. As a result, these organizations are out the revenue that these events would have brought in. Many have turned to virtual events, but they don’t have the Continue reading
Protected: SBs
Happy Thanksgiving from BirdsofNewEngland.com
Enjoy your holiday everyone, and stay safe! I’m thankful for all your support of http://www.birdsofnewengland.com
House sparrow video from avibirds.com
I heard from Mark from avibirds.com and he asked if I’d be interested in sharing his video on house sparrows. Of course, I would. It’s a short and informative video on one of our most common and overlooked birds. Check out www.avibirds.com for other videos, photos and bird profiles.
Siskin and others
I never did post this photo of a siskin that visited a few weeks ago. It showed up on the same day that the purple finch did. The finch stayed for only about an hour, while this siskin remained for a few days before disappearing. Here’s the story regarding those visits.
Here are a few more recent shots from this fall …
A few additions to “Bird Books for Sale”
In case you missed the post last week, there is now a collection of bird books for sale on this site. There is only one copy of each book as I’m cleaning house and want the books to go to a good home. I’ve added a few books, including a few field guides that would make a valuable addition to any bird book collection. I’ve searched for each book elsewhere online and lowered the price substantially on each title. Find the page here, or click on “Bird Books for Sale” on the menu at the top of this page.
Need bird books?
As a new feature to http://www.birdsofnewengland.com, I am offering several birding or nature books for sale. They are gently used books that I have enjoyed and want to pass on to a good, nature-loving home, hence the low prices. Prices include cost of shipping. There is only one copy of each book. Once it is purchased, I will delete the listing. Just in time for winter, Christmas and the next round of quarantine.
Some of the prices may seem high, but I took the lowest Amazon price and shaved off several dollars. I believe some of the books are out of print, which is why they are selling for so much.
Click on “Bird books for sale” in the top menu, or click here: https://birdsofnewengland.com/bird-books-for-sale/
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