Eastern BluebirdsHappy New Year from RCAS! Want to see more birds in 2018 or know more about them? Here are some resolutions you can make for better birding and a better birding world this year. It'll beat a diet or cleaning out the garage any day.
eBird! 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 get started.
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 in Pittsford, Pine Hill Park in Rutland City 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 resources right here on the website. Want to read about birds? Click here. Do you want to know what birds occur in Vermont? Click here.
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 are the monthly walk around West Rutland Marsh on January 11 and Winter Regulars & Rarities in the Champlain Valley on January 20.
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.