Since the pandemic started our bird watching has become front and center. We added a bird bath, got rid of some grass in our lawn and planted native wild flowers and hope to plant a birch tree in the fall. We have noticed more birds in our backyard and on one of our walks, we saw a bald eagle. Gold finches love to feed on our cone flowers in the fall, late summer. This course started us on a new journey. Thanks, Cornell lab of  Ornithology.

I have been birding in East and Central Texas for about 20 years. In that time, I have noticed the expansion of the range of two birds in particular: the White-winged Dove and the Caracara. We now see them much more often and much farther north than we used to.

Birds are beautiful and I love their colors and song. I was never specifically interested in bird watching as I've always focused more on flowers and plants, but a trip to Costa Rica with people where were birders opened my eyes to the fun of finding birds while out in nature and there were so many beautiful birds. Although it was almost 2 years ago now, it inspired me to take this class and I've learned a lot and enjoyed it. I do most of the things on list, except perhaps seeking out shade grown coffee. Will have to work on that. Bird populations have changed a lot near me.  Both in NYC and in NJ.  Falcons have come back to NYC, and two pairs of Red Tailed Hawks nest and live on the campus where I teach in Queens.  By me in NJ, I've seen an increase in hawks, wild turkeys (that now saunter down the street sometimes), but also the loss of many birds during the period they were trying to restore the NJ Meadowlands.  Before the restoration they will full of wading birds and red wing blackbirds, then the dug the place us and the catails and grasses vanished and for years there were almost no birds at all. Now more than a decade later red wing blackbirds are back and the other birds are returning as well. I hope to get better using binoculars, to go out for regular walks and look for birds and hopefully get better at spotting them, identifying them and photographing them. This has been great.

I have always enjoyed watching birds and would love to fly and see what a bird sees while flying. I have personally seen the increase in bald eagles up in my mountain area in the last ten years.  The bald eagle is such a magnificent bird and so glad that it is not on the endangered species list anymore.  Also see ospreys nesting in the Lake Granby, CO area more and more and competing for food along side with the bald eagle!  This course has increased my awareness of the importance of birds and their impact on our ecosystems and I will do my part in protecting our birds locally and globally. Since taking the free E-birding course,  I started birding and completing watch checklists when we watch birds from our feeder and along the Fraser River Trail.  This course has made me more aware of birds and their needs to survive and especially their habitat.  The habitat in Winter Park, CO is limited to mostly forest and ponds, but I can travel  30 min to lakes and open areas after to the Stay at Home order is lifted to do some birding and see more birds.  The websites suggested in this course have been extremely helpful in my birding education and exploration of other birding groups in my area. Since Winter Park, CO is a very small mountain community,  I have no birding groups to joi in my area, but can travel to Denver and Evergreen groups if I care to later this year.  I love nature and hiking trails locally, but now I can take my binoculars and bird watch while hiking my favorite trails!  I can also do birding wherever I travel hopefully later this summer!  Thanks so much for creating this course for all birding beginners.      

This course has reinforced the importance of birds to me not only are they beautiful and fun to watch they serve a purpose in helping preserve our natural resources.   I have begun planting bird friendly plants but they must be deer resistant plants.  I also recycle plastic, aluminum cans, paper/cardboard whatever I can.   I have noticed the resurgence in raptors in my lifetime and decline in small song birds and ravens and crows.   As a child I never saw Canada Geese and now they are all over the place.  Watching birds help me relax and destress I have a bird bath for them and what fun they are to watch!  I can't wait for a little warmer weather to head off to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and set up my new scope up to do some birdwatching.

Activity 1: I've always appreciated birds. Then I owned some parakeets for 10 years and when I decided to give up having birds in my apartment, I set up some feeders. Now I'm enjoying honing my bird skills.   Activity 2: I have been working on most of the 7 ways to help birds so that is encouraging and I will continue to do so. I also support some strong, certified environmental charities. I can't think of some better organizations than Earth Justice (https://earthjustice.org), Natural Resources Defense Council (https://www.nrdc.org) and the Sierra Club.   Activity 4: I want to continue to work on IDing bird song and IDing birds from sight. It truly is amazing to me how many colourful and beautiful birds live in the Midwest.

Activity 1: Birds matter to me, as my interest began when i was a little girl and would help my Grandfather feed the birds at his feeder. I am over 50, lived in Wisconsin my entire life, and until 3 summers ago never saw a Grosbeak in my life. I am using the same bird feeder, as "home made" as it looks, actually is. My Grandfather made it for my mom when i was little, and I've had it now several years. My interest is growing year by year, with more interest in migratory birds, the raptors, and my favorite Pileated Woodpecker Activity 2: We don't use pesticides, we try not to disturb any of the natural habitat around our home, we try to raise awareness when company comes to visit we point out some of the unique birds at the time, we keep mindful of recycling, we pick up trash people throw by the road, along with many other things. Activity 3: I've noticed a lower number of Sparrows. I remember in the 1970's seeing tons of them all over all the time, now i rarely see any. Activity 4: A project i am considering is putting together a book. I am disabled and spend a good part of my day in a chair watching the bird feeder out the window. As i see the seasons change, i see the birds change. First the Sand Cranes come back, then finches come back, then the humming birds, and the Grosbeaks. The variety at the feeder is astounding to me, as i write this there's a Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Chickadee and a Brown headed Cow Bird at my feeder! Such an abundance! Thank you so much for your course, i really learned a lot!

We've just set up a bird feeder in Eastern Massachusetts, in the last two months. How long do we stock it? At some point is there enough local plant and insect food available? When to start back?

I’m in my early 50s and only live about 20 miles from where I grew up, but I never see the kinds of bird flocks that I used to see in the area. I don’t know what kind of birds they were back then, or whether they’ve just moved elsewhere because of the relentless suburban development in northern Virginia, but the few flocks I see nowadays (during migration, particularly in the fall) pale in comparison.

Good Morning!  I had a quick question.  I noticed that when I put food out for the wild birds in my backyard that the Blue Jays have mimicked the sound of a red tailed hawk.  It is a shorter sound than the hawks, but it seems to scare the smaller birds away.  This is the first year that I ever noticed Blue Jays making this type of sound.  Is this common?