Joy of Birdwatching

I grew up in Massachusetts with my father being employed by MassWildlife for 40 years.  I’ve always been interested in the natural world and always curious about birds, but never really had the time to explore them more deeply until now.  I have been doing birding with Massachusetts Audubon and joined Project Feeder Watch last winter.  I have been amazed and fascinated at how much I have learned already by doing those two simple things and by taking this course. I plant to utilize e bird going forward.  Admittedly, I was a little intimidated by it at first, but watching the segment in this course has made me realize how simple or involved it can really be.  Nest Watch also interests me, as we have blue bird boxes that are variously occupied by blue birds, tree swallows and house sparrows at different times. Happily, I have observed blue bird populations increase in my local area over my life time.  As have northern cardinals.  When I was a child in the 1970’s, they were a rarity.  This past winter I counted 12 at a time at my feeder on many occasions!  And thanks to the efforts of my father and his coworkers during the early 70’s, wild turkeys have gone from extremely rare here, to commonplace! Of the 7 Actions I could do to protect birds, I currently do most of them, but did not realize coffee growing methods were an issue and will try to do better there!  And as above, I plan to increase my citizen scientist participation.  I hope to learn enough about birding to begin volunteering to lead bird and other nature walks myself at my local Audubon sanctuary in future.

Activity 4: I want to start tracking the birds that I see. I plan to use the ebird app.  I hope to take part in the Christmas Bird Count this year.  This course has inspired me to take additional courses, get my binoculars out more often and to listen with intent to learn the bird sounds in my area so I know who is nearby.  I have always enjoyed birds but now I want to KNOW them better. Thank you.

Activity 3:  I am noticing that we have some Eagles nesting in our part of Southern Ohio now. For years we did not see any at all so that is a good sign.  A few years ago I heard that the bluebirds were scarce and we were asked to help.  Several people (myself included) have put up nesting boxes to lure them back and give them a safe place to raise their young. Of course, sometimes other birds use the boxes but that is ok too.    Below  is a picture of one of the 20 nesting boxes recently installed at our local lake / State park that we often visit.  I will be checking these for nest activity this spring and summer.

Activity 2:  I do try to plant native plants and I hang suncatchers on my large windows to help birds realize it is a window and not a space for flying.  I plan to read the other tips mentioned for window safety.  I do not use pesticides.  I will try to reduce my use of plastic and I did not even know about seeking out shade grown coffee. I will put that on my list to research as well.  So much to learn yet it is good to know that small changes can have an impact if we all do our part.  

Activity 1:  I love to watch birds. I find it relaxing to sit and listen to their calls and songs.  I appreciate those who eat bugs (especially mosquitos) and those who drop seeds or pollinate flowers.  We have a lot of Turkey Vultures around and I always found them ugly and did not like seeing them attack road kill. However, I had not thought of what a good job they were doing to clean up the environment and keep germs away from other species and humans. I was interested to learn about all the good they do and I will look upon them more fondly in the future.

Activity 3:  I have been lucky enough to see Bald Eagles occasionally now, while never having had that opportunity when I was growing up. That is always a stop, take notice and enjoy moment.  As far as the reduction in everyday birds, I hadn't really noticed.   My feeder still gets used, and I hear lots of birds singing, but was distressed to learn of the drop in numbers. Activity 4:  I plan on continuing watching birds and increasing my Life list.  When I go on trips, I always try to spend some time birdwatching to see new bird species.  I have signed up to take The Nature Journaling and Field Sketching Course to add another dimension to my Bird Watching.

Activity 2:  I didn'teven realize that there was bird friendly coffee.  I will be taking a look in the grocery stores to see what is available.  We have been recycling for years and are careful to never leave any trash anywhere but a trashcan.  I do have a few windows that could probably be made safer for birds, so I'm going to look into that.  I do grow a lot of Brown- eyed Susans that I leave standing in the fall for the Goldfinches to eat the seeds.  I also enjoy feeding the birds.

Activity 1:  Birds add so much to our daily lives if only we took the time to notice.  I love to wake up early and wait for the first bird to start the day.  I've noticed that cardinals usually are the early birds.  Many of the birds around me are the ones I remember from growing up even though I've moved almost 400 miles away.  I love the Merlin APP for identifying birds around me that I didn't know existed.  Birds are important not only for their appearance and songs but also how they contribute to the world around us.  I sure do appreciate their appetites for bugs!

Activity 2: I have done a few actions to protect birds but commit to do more. We already had applied window decals on the few windows that birds seemed to have trouble with and are migrating our cat to be indoors only (she is not happy about it). One huge change I have made in my yard is to leave the dead and dying plants from the previous year in my pots and gardens instead of clean them all up before winter. Now, I am reaping the benefit of watching birds crawl through all of these plants stripping seeds and finding insects as well as seeing them collect parts of the plants this spring for nesting. I will commit to using more native plants in my yard going forward.

Activity #2: Through my new love of birding, I discovered a nursery near me that sells native plants to Eastern Ontario. I am actively reducing the amount of non native plants on my property and replacing them with native ones. The ones that interest me the most are the berry bushes. They provide flowers in the spring and berries in the fall and winter. I'm also investing in window decals for my house to prevent bird strikes.

Activity 4: I definitely want to keep learning about birds and learning their calls and behaviors to better identify them in the field. I do want to become more active in bird conservation and knowing the 7 simple actions to protect birds is something I can work on and implement.

Activity 2: I do a few things from the 7 to protect birds although I didn't necessarily realize they were helping birds. I try to minimize my plastic use and recycle any plastics I can. I also keep my cats inside but that decision was for their health and well being. I love using native plants for landscaping and i've participated in a few citizen science projects, like using ebird when I have some time.  

Activity 1: Birds have become a hobby I enjoy. It probably stems from going out camping or on a boat with my dad and he would point out different birds to me and I wanted to be like him and know different birds just from sight. Now I can tell him what cool birds I saw on a long drive or name a bird he doesn't know. I still have a lot to learn, but i've turned my girlfriend onto birding as well. She loves to identify birds with me and she's already learned more then she knew before she met me.  

My grandfather was really big on birdwatching, so whenever I'd go to my grandparents' house I would be able to see an abundance of birds at his feeders all through my childhood.  as I grew up I became more interested in birds. they bought me this course for Christmas and ever since then, I've studied hard to learn bird calls, identifying them by size and color, and going out into the field to watch them. this course makes me so incredibly happy. birds will always play a big part in my life, and this course has reminded me of this. I've bought binoculars and this spring I plan to go out whenever I can to study and enjoy nature, hearing the sweet calls of the birds.  I plan on birdwatching for a long while and protecting their ecosystems as much as I can. And like Emily Dickinson says, "hope is the thing with feathers."

#1. I have learned more about how birds contribute to our ecosystems. I had never been very interested in birds (I've always been a plant person), but learning more about them has made me feel more connected to the natural world, as learning about plants always has as well. I think this kind of knowledge and connection - the feeling of walking in nature and recognizing the trees, plants, and animals we encounter; seeing them as neighbours or friends - is vital to the preservation of our natural spaces. If we have no connection, it's easy to not care and go on with our busy lives without thinking about the bigger picture. #2. I live in an apartment building, but there is a garden area too shady for the hired gardeners to bother with, near an adjacent forested area. My kids and I plant a few shade-tolerant native plants in this area every year - ones that are natural to the surrounding forest and support pollinators. We try to avoid plastic altogether, but otherwise make sure we re-use it as many times as we can, and recycle it. Any time a piece of plastic looks like it could trap an animal somehow, we cut it. I want to make sure all my coffee is bird-friendly, and I plan to be an active Citizen Scientist in regards to birds going forward. #3. I haven't paid close enough attention to birds to be able to comment on this, although I will echo another person's comment about the decrease in insect numbers (which would, of course, affect birds).  I absolutely have also noticed that on road trips there are almost no insects on the car/windshield compared to in my childhood. That has bothered me for years. #4. I plan to take the eBird course and make a habit of using it. I plan to participate in the Backyard Birdcount this year - I'll be doing it with some family members who know more about birds than I do, so I am looking forward to that! I work outdoors and deal with plants and plant communities, but I look forward to be able to add some casual bird observations that may be helpful or relevant to my notes as well. Very happy I took this course!

Bird is so much matter to me, because when I ever I go back to my village and sleep, that Bird can wait me up, with a beautiful song,  like the hummingbird, sparrow Bird , and flycatcher etc etc..... eBird thank so much for providing this program to help us learn about bird we love to hear in our environment on a daily basis...

Activity 2: Of the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds, I am already doing a few: minimizing plastic waste, keeping my kitties indoors, and planting native plants on my deck. I plan on starting to buy bird-friendly, shade-grown coffee and doing more citizen science going forward.

Birds matter to me because of their beauty and the joy they bring to the world. I have many memories of birdwatching when camping as a child, or just in our backyards. As and adult, I have always been fascinated by birds all around the country. Woodpeckers are a personal favorite. Years ago, I was recovering from surgery and a pileated woodpecker came into my yard every day. I looked forward to his visits. This course has reinforced my love of birds and their import roles in the world. My family is trying to use less plastic and recycle more. We have made a bird-friendly garden that attracted many humming birds last summer. I think the coffee we buy is shade grown, but I will look into this. I never thought about that before. Now that I think of it, it seems that we have less cardinals and blue jays in my area. They used to be all over, but now I don't see them quite as often, or as many of them. I will be paying more attention to this. I hope it is just me not being as observant as in the past. I am going to be doing a lot more bird watching and I will report my findings. I just signed up for the backyard bird count. I am very excited to be a birder. Thanks for a great course!

#1 thanks to this course, my love for nature has increased, and also I’ve been able to know more about the world of birds, birding and conservation, and now I feel more confident to join a group of birders in my country. #2 I’ll practice recycling plastic, supporting conservationists, making my garden  bird friendly, and looking for that shaded grown bird friendly coffee. #3 changes in bird population: probably yes… there are some bright-color birds I haven’t seen in a while in my neighborhood in Panama. (Probably 7-15 years ago). #4 this course inspired me to go birding as much as I can, and also I’m looking forward to take the gardening course to improve my backyard.

Thinking about plantings in the yard now.  Wouldn't have occurred to me before.  Always thought those yards with "butterfly gardens" were ugly.  Now I am thinking that I could use a bit more "ugly" in my yard.  Since I am new to the bird count, this has been a real learning experience.  From this course, I plan to focus on note taking and yard planting.  I also think I will ask my daughter to help me purchase an affordable camera with a longer lens than my iPhone to photograph "my" birds.  See attached for my biggest find this year.....a Pileated WoodPecker.  Sadly he damaged so much of the tree over time that I had to take it down.  It was too close to the neighbor's wires.  I hope he will find another nearby tree to visit.

Thank you for this course! I have thoroughly enjoyed each section and have since joined my local birding society.  With the help of tools, like e-Bird, I have become quite the amateur birder.  With that of course, is making my surrounding property 'bird friendly'.  Shaded and sunny areas, plants that local birds enjoy, nesting sites, feeders in the cold winter months.  It is truly amazing how many birds congregate at the feeder in the mornings - Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Chickadees  - both Black-capped and Arboreal... even a male pheasant!  Summer brings Hummingbirds... even a rare sighting or two!  There are some I have yet determined to ID, but will do so. I also enjoy the quiet observation of bird watching and as a photographer, enjoy that aspect as well. I promote birding to my neighbours who also now enjoy all of our coastal sightings. Thank you again!

I love birds, I love looking at the various birds in my area, as well as the beautiful variety of birds across the world and across time. Too many beautiful and unique bird species have been brought to extinction by human action, including the famous Dodo Bird. Looking at birds calms me down when I am stressed, and it is always a treat to see favorites like owls out in the wild. I follow several of the recommended ways to help birds thrive, my yard is xeriscaped with native plants and flowers, as well as a garden in the backyard with flowers that promote certain types of insects which birds are drawn to. I keep my cats indoors, making them content to simply watch birds instead of hunting them. I have worked to reduce plastic use, and do not use heavy pesticides in my yard. When I was a child, I would go to summer camp at the local Audubon Society, and I remember it being such a rare treat to see any kind of predator bird, particularly the red-tail hawk. I look forward to seeing more and more birds in my area, as I continue to hike and explore the mountains, and waters of Northern Arizona.

Why do birds matter to me - I'm not really sure. I'm fascinated by them and their amazing diversity. They are beautiful in motion and standing still, when they do stand still. I know that what ever is going on on my life, I can look to the birds and feel grounded again. They have helped me through some rough patches just by being birds. I like knowing that there is something beyond me and my small part of the world - beautiful, wonderful birds. I hope that explains why birds matter to me.

This course has whet my appetite for birdwatching.  I plan to take a feeder bird course and a shorebird identification class.

I am currently living in Taiwan and do not have a large community or support group, but with birds I’m never alone and always have nature around.  I have loved your courses and getting to know the birds here.  Ive started journaling, and sketching the birds i see and like.  I am torn between choosing to go birding and staying home to sketch/paint my favorites from a previous trip.  Great courses, Well done!

When driving through Iowa in the 1970s, on both highways and gravel roads, our windows would become so smeared with dead bugs we had to stop every 1 1/2 hours or so to clean the windows.  Now, 2022, we have no such problem.  The loss of so many insects just has to be a negative event, affecting so many organisms, birds included of course!

Sightings of Bald Eagles are a thrill that I grew up assuming would only happen somewhere in the United States. Into my 30’s, I had only seen one, flying overhead in Florida. Now, living by a river in Ontario, I see them several times a year, sometimes just looking out my apartment window. It is still thrilling to see them, maybe because they have made such an amazing comeback. More recently, I wondered when I had last seen an Evening Grosbeak. It had been a long time, but this fall there have been a few flocks in my area, more easily found while scouting birding locations on EBird. This crowd was monopolizing the local field naturalists’ feeder in a lovely wooded area last week. 

the lesson was very good. My favorite lesson was on the range and habitats. I understand them a lot more than I used to.

This has been a really great lesson. I already cared a lot about birds, but now I feel more equipped to observe them! I definitely try my best to love my life in a way that won’t besticket impact bird populations, or damage the planet. I have always kept my cat indoors, I try not to use single-use plastics, but now I will be more conscious about the coffee I buy too!

The more I learn about birds and the relationship between birds and the environment, the more fascinating their world becomes. Without birds, there is no life on earth, that is indisputable. I am convinced that we should strive for much greater cooperation with them in all areas of our lives, and I consider social education important. That's why I've been running a bird-nest box station for many years,because protecting our birds is our primary task. Our station is in Romonya, Hungary, where we protect nature in an area of ​​nearly 4 hectares and try to restore the greatest possible ecological balance.With dozens of animal protection equipment, we are trying to increase biodiversity and the survival of species, and we hope that, recognizing the problems, more and more people will follow suit.

I started to observe bird just 7 months ago and I am really enjoying it. I find it so relaxing. I love trying to capture that perfect picture. I am reading more about birds and just want to know more about there nature. I didn’t know that they played such a big part in pollinating. Thanks for the course for helpful

Birds matter to me because of how big of an ecological role they play.  I didn't realize that without birds, our ecosystem would be so different.  I started this course because I wanted to learn more about birds I see and have fun doing it, but now I realize how important birds are to our world.  I'm going on my first bird walk this weekend and my grandmother and I are already planning to do another Cornell Lab course.

Two years ago, I traveled through the plains of Oklahoma and Kansas for the first time in years.  The first remarkable change I noted was the explosion in the number of power generating windmills -- tens of thousands of acres of windfarms where clear skies used to be.  The second change I found was the carcasses of all kinds of birds littering the ground in these windfarms. Sadly, the federal government has exempted windfarms from the Migratory Bird Treaty for the protection of migratory birds.  If my experience in those windfarms is representative (and I have no reason to believe it is not), millions of birds are being slaughtered each year by the blades of wind turbines.  Why allow the knowing slaughter of migratory birds?  Are our windfarms destroying the environment more than they save it?

Activity 1:  One of my favorite and simple ways that birds matter is they are an easily observable, generally safe animal to get people interested in nature and conservation. My 4 year old son spotted a Mississippi Kite while I was pushing him on a swing.  Those aren't super common in my area so when he saw my excitement and I told him what bird it was, he got excited about it too.  Now he frequently talks about birds and where they may be flying (Florida is usually his guess). Activity 2: I usually wear some some sort of cargo pants or shorts when birding.  I pick up all of the plastics I can carry and take them out of the woods with me. Activity 3: I've noticed a big increase in Bald Eagles.  When I was a kid, you never saw them except for a few places on the Mississippi River.  Now I see them flying over urban areas, my house, or flying in groups of three. I saw the complete destruction of urban populations of Crows hear in Missouri after West Nile wiped them out.  Only recently are they starting to appear in urban areas again and their numbers in rural and suburban areas have boomed.  Annoyingly I've also seen the European Starling become much more prevalent and kind of displace other birds. Activity 4:  I'd like to join a birding club.  It would be neat to do some volunteer to help biologists or Ornithologists in the field if an opportunity arose.  This course and this year of birding did make me consider Ornithology, but I don't think that is going to happen.  I would like to get a spotting scope so I can make more accurate observations of distant or hard to see birds. Its been a blast learning all of this stuff and reading other people's comments and stories.  Keep up the good work!

Activity #1 - Birds have always given me great joy. I believe my love for birds and birding are inherited. As a small child my parents would take us to Wildlife Refuges and teach us the importance of all nature. The Do's and Don'ts .  Respect and appreciate . That feeling of excitement as we prepared for our outings continue today. I am blessed to have  a wonderful home  where i am able to enjoy birding everyday. Every season brings new  opportunities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Activity#2 - Thank you for providing me with new tools in my birding journey. I will be joining EBIRD!  I am not only a bird watcher-  I am a bird watcher who wishes to continue my love for birds by learning  how to help maintain a healthy enivirorment for our feathered friends.

My favorite coffee lately is a forest-friendly, shade grown brand called “LifeBoost.” Honestly, it might be one the tastiest beans we have ever had. It’s a small step that I didn’t realize I was taking in protecting our beautiful, feathery friends… but now that I know I will never go back! One thing I would like to do better is reduce the amount of single-use plastics we use as a family. :)

We read through the comments. People are doing lots of wonderful things to help birds. We do have some commentary, however, about the science. We are also behavioral scientists. We wonder how the numbers are determined to compare current populations with those of 50 years ago. And, how would you actually gather data to know that a billion birds are killed by cats. Is that extrapolation? And what might that process  be..statistically? It is great to use citizen scientist, but aren't there serious concerns about the reliability and validity of the data collection? Are there psychometrically sound integrity checks? It would be interesting to hear about the actual science--data collection techniques etc. For example, when we lived in Mississippi, there was )(still is as far as we know) a hummingbird sanctuary. Every year, there was tagging, monitoring, measuring etc. real science. It's just that sometimes when they authors write that the numbers are based on citizen science, we sort of, in a very friendly way, have questions about the veracity.   We do really like Dr. Kevin McGowan. He is our favorite ornithologist. Ok, he's the only one we know. But, we bet he would still be our favorite! His love of birds and the science of ornithology is incredibly infectious.

I enjoyed this topic, i have my camera and binoculars beside me everyday and take them every where i go. I try and bird watch at least once a day even if it is 30 min. I like sometimes you can identify a bird by the way they fly. Will definately do more courses, the bird of prey one is next. Also i literally just joined Birds of Ontario group

Activity 1: I have loved birds for a long time and see the interconnection with them and our ecosystems, but it was very interesting to learn more about their importance in dispersing seeds for many plants and trees to reproduce. Our amazing earth and all that is on it was beautifully and wisely created. Activity 2: I started using less plastic by avoiding plastic bags for kitchen waste. I am doing this by composting in a local program in the area where I live. I use reusable bags for grocery shopping, and I started to buy more in the bulk section, where I bring my containers from home, so I avoid consuming nuts, coffee, and legumes that come in plastic containers. I try to buy mostly organic. I live in a second floor of a building. The first two years living here we would hear a bird colliding with our windows once in a while, so I printed some owls and glued them inside in certain parts of the glass. It has improved the problem significantly. Although it does not look very nice it is an easy solution until I get some window stickers more appropriate to address the issue. Also, although the lesson did not mention... I am more aware of turning off or dimming my lights at night in migration season. Activity 4: I will join a birding group where I live to connect with more birders in my area. I will eBird more so I can contribute with my sights to the community of scientists. I will buy reusable utensils to carry with me when I am outside so I can refuse disposable cutlery if I eat out.

Activity 2: We have been working with students to use iNaturalist to support Citizen Science. The students get pretty excited when they realize how easy it is to take a picture of something, submit it to iNaturalist and then get an indication of what it may be. We encourage the students to get as many observations as they can, sort of make it a game. It's always fun to watch them compare what they saw and see who found the weirdest looking insect or most beautiful plant.

Activity 1:  Birds are my main animal enjoyment as I do not have any domestic pets. They bring me so much joy. This course has reminded me of their environmental and ecological importance, too. Activity 2: I could make my windows safer. I currently have shiny sun catchers handing in them, which has helped a lot, but isn’t perfect. I’m also in the early stages of planting native plants in my yard for birds and pollinators. Eventually, I hope to remove at least 1/2 of our lawn area and replace with native plants. It’s a work in progress. I’m not a “zero waste” person, however our household has significantly reduced our use of plastic, including switching to bar shampoo, conditioner,  body/hand soaps,  no packaging dishwasher detergent, and we use laundry detergent sheets. There’s always more that I can do, and I am motivated to do so.   Activity 4: This course has totally fueled my journey of beginning birding. It’s been a pleasure and I look forward to learning more.

Activity #1: Birds are evolutionary wonders. I marvel at their ability to adapt to so many environments and so many lifestyles. Nothing is more fabulous than being able to fly and there is no cooler evolutionary story than one that shows descent from dinosaurs. I have often said that if I could spend a day as another animal, it would be a bird, specifically an owl. There is nothing like waking up to the singing and calling of birds. They make me happy. But more than that, they play critical roles in ecosystems because many other organisms depend on them. This course has made me more aware of the variety of birds that are around me every day.

Getting a mini forest started. Used local trees that supply food for birds and also local log trees.

Quiero agradecer por este maravilloso curso, ha complementado de una manera muy especial y técnica mi admiración por estos seres especiales.  Los inicié a apreciar cuando tenía pericas y finches, les preparé una jaula especial pero me di cuenta que no había nada mejor que verlos en libertad, me percepción ha cambiado y hoy voy al bosque a buscarlas y disfrutarlas.   He planeado desarrollar un proyecto comunitario de aventurismo en mi comunidad ya que hay bosque ancestrales y espero infundir en la niñez y la juventud la LA ALEGRIA DE OBSERVAR AVES.   Todo esto me ha hecho pensar en la necesidad de cambiar mis hábitos y formar de relacionarme con mi entorno y la naturaleza.

Activity 1: I love birdsong and observing bird behavior. Activity 2: We have a large veganic garden. That means we don’t use pesticides or any animal products. We grow native flowers to attract beneficial insects. It is extra work not using chemicals, but worth it to give us this joyous lifestyle. While I work in the garden, I hear birds singing. This evening, I listened to the beautiful birdsong of the wood thrust just before sunset. Activity 3: When I was 28 (almost 40 years ago), I moved from the Washington D.C. area to a rural county in the Appalachian Mountains. I was amazed to see goldfinches and bluebirds in real life. I had only seen them in World Book encyclopedia before. I felt like I was in heaven. There are still a lot of birds in this area, but I am sad to hear of their decline. That is one reason we live a vegan lifestyle, so our life causes the least amount of harm. Activity 4: I am becoming a Master Naturalist, so I can make a difference, if possible.

Activity 1: Like the title of this course birds are joyful. I have loved watching and listening to them all my life. I smiled every time my husband asked, “What’s that bird?” Now, he’s recognizing them and we are enjoying adding birdwatching to our hiking activities. Activity 2: As for steps to help the birds: *I enrolled in the Feeder Watch program this year, as well as, the GBBC, and most likely will do it again next year. I enjoyed it. *When I moved to this house 25 years ago, I dug up all the grass and planted gardens in the front and back. The birds love it. Lots of place for the sparrows to hide, many branches for the songbirds to sing from and plenty of trunks for the nuthatch and woodpecker to climb. *I am also a big fan of wild bees having documented over 40 species in my neighbourhood, so I don’t use pesticides. *I don’t have any cats, just fish in my pond. The birds love the pond, they even bathe in it during the winter. See the photographs below of a female Northern Cardinal and an American Robin using the pond this winter. *I don’t drink coffee, but my husband does, so I’ll look into that. *I replaced all my windows. *Like most people, we are conscience of all that plastic and using our own bags when shopping.

#3 - Living in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida, in the 80s and 90s, I used to always mark the beginning of early spring when I heard the annual call of the Eastern Whip-poor-will.  I haven’t heard the call of the Whip-poor-will since the early 2000s and it saddens me that Florida’s loss of habitat and byproducts of suburban lawns have driven away this wonderful bird. #4 - Birdwatching has opened a new world of learning and community, and I plan to become active in my local Audubon chapter.

Activity #1 - Birds have held a prominent place in my life for some time. Having shared my life with parrots opened my eyes to their beauty, various antics, and intelligence. However, wild birds are also important for the ecosystem services they provide and as indicators of environmental health. Finally, I'm fascinated by birds as descendants of the dinosaur lineage.   Activity #2 -

• Making windows safer - Ours are definitely bird-safe as they're perpetually fully covered by curtains, blinds, or outside security blinds. It's a win-win, as my household has an interest in keeping our home from overheating from excess sunlight while birds can't misperceive the space as an area they can fly through as there isn't a way for them to see any reflection of sky or trees.
• Keeping cats indoors - We don't keep cats however I try to chase away any that venture into our yard.
• Planting native plants - I have a mini-meadow of native wildflowers growing in the section of our yard where I find birds foraging.
• Reducing pesticide use - I don't use them but am currently engaged in trying to convince other household members not to.
• Drinking coffee that's good for birds - Although I'm not an avid coffee drinker, I'll look to purchase “Bird Friendly” or “Shade Grown” coffee whenever I decide to get some.
• Reducing and reusing plastics - I've been good about cutting down on plastic product purchases and recycling, and I've been trying to get other household members to do so.
• Citizen science - I've participated in the past and have been forced to take a hiatus (due to a local disturbance that's severely interrupted my backyard birding during this pandemic). I look forward to continuing in the future.

Other actions I take to help birds:

• Noise pollution impacts birds (as they need to be able to hear each other and not strain to communicate, alter their calls/songs, etc. - as I learned through Cornell Bird Academy's ornithology course). I'm trying to reduce my neighborhood noise pollution, something that's negatively impacted the numbers and frequency of birds visiting my yard. Although outdoor cats are the more pressing matter when it comes to animals humans introduce, irresponsible dog ownership (which thankfully appears to be more rare) can negatively impact on wild birds. I've found that it's true that constant, loud barking scares birds away and also negatively impacts people's ability to enjoy birds and other local wildlife. While I could retreat inside my home, pop my iPhone earbuds into my ears and play music to drown out the noise, I decided that it would help the birds if I can stop this, especially with springtime upon us.
• I've been limiting my use of electricity, and go with solar-powered gadgets whenever I can. I'm also trying to conserve more water.
• Through the American Bird Conservancy, I discovered a site they run which allows you to find and take action on communication towers which migrating birds can potentially collide into, here: https://abcbirds.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3661c8d8562c404eb402656f608aab15
• I support and donate to bird conservation organizations whenever I can.

Activity #3 - Although I didn't formally take any counts of birds during the 1980's, I seem to recall seeing a greater abundance of birds flying in giant v-formations through the sky during migrations times back then.

#1: I love watching and listening to birds, especially during nesting season.  I hadn't thought about how important birds are to the ecosystem though.  I loved hearing about birds planting trees! #3: I have noticed bird declines in some areas near me.  Especially due to construction.  Open fields are turning into housing developments and business complexes.  One field used to have lots of red winged blackbirds, another field used to have lots of meadowlarks.  One construction area near my home used to be a field with lots of barn swallows catching insects.   I wonder if these birds are just moving to more remote areas where people don't see them, or if they really are declining in population.

Birds are beautiful , keep ‘em safe reducing plastic use

Re. helping birds: The course points out how terrible climate change is for birds (and for course for humans and all species too). One of the most important things we can do for birds and for all living creature is to help stop climate change. We need to  demand our elected officials and corporations take real action and we need to take our own individual actions too. Each of us should be getting solar or wind energy; we should be driving less often and when we we do drive we should be driving small cars and the most efficient cars possible; and we should stop or at least drastically cut down on our air travel--we should leave the flying to the birds!

Activity 1: Birds are important in our area especially since we are in an agricultural district and grow a lot of plants as well. They take care of the pesky insects and worms (I’m not even going to get started on Jumping Worms- we need to find some aggressive attack-chickens for those!) and also make our lives more enjoyable.   Activity 2: - Decreasing plastic- good for the birds and the ocean! - Increasing native plants- we garden extensively, and love seeing birds. We try to attract as many birds as possible with colors, but I think we could go even further.   Activity 3: We have started seeing more birds in the past two years that we have in the past. We now have an established flock of Red-breasted Grosbeaks and some Carolina Wrens that hang out. We’d never seen them before at the farm. Also saw a Bald Eagle for the first time in our fields.   Activity 4: I want to start keeping a log of bird sightings and get more into photography and nature journaling. We have a good family friend who is a nature photographer, it would be nice to go out with her and see how she gets her photographs.

#1 - I have always found birds fascinating - beautiful, entertaining to watch and so important to our planet. I absolutely love walking the dog in spring and summer and listening to all the birds calls, trying to figure out who's singing. #2 - We've always had a bird-feeder and birdbath, but now I am inspired to add more variety to try and attract some different species. While we have quite a few native trees/shrubs/perennials, I am keen to add even more. Still have an issue with a big bay window which is a problem at certain times of the year - will look into what I can do about that. #3 - When we first moved to this area about 30 years ago, I remember seeing Baltimore Orioles and Grosbeaks, but they haven't been in our yard for years. Planning to offer more variety in feeders to see if we can attract them back. On a positive note, I noticed way more hummingbirds last summer as my collection of flowering plants has grown. #4 - So far, I've mostly been birdwatching in my own yard. Now I'm keen to try and get to other spots and expand the number of birds on my little list. eBird is great for letting me know nearby hotspots and sightings to get me started on that journey.

Activity 1. Birds matter to me for a number of reasons. First, seeing and hearing birds just makes my day better.  Second, they play a vital role in practically every ecosystem, from forests to deserts. Third and finally, the fact that they're living dinosaurs makes them totally awesome! I already thought that birds were important; taking this course merely reinforced that belief. These lessons are great! 👏

Activity 1.  I have always enjoyed looking at and listening to birds, but this course has increased my awareness and appreciation for the roles birds play in ecosystems by pollinating flowers, dispersing seeds, cleaning carcasses, and creating shelter for other forms of wildlife.  Activity 2. I will support forest biodiversity and birds by buying coffee that is labeled "Bird Friendly" or "Shade Grown," when possible, and grow more native plants.  Activity 3.  The Bald Eagle was on the verge of extinction due to hunting and pesticides.  The Bald Eagle has now been removed from the Endangered Species List.  Activity 4.  I took this course for entertainment.  However, this course has inspired me to continue birdwatching and include birds as subjects in my watercolor projects.

Activity 1: I've always loved birds, mainly thanks to my mom. This course has encouraged me to spend more time just watching birds and noting what they're doing, instead of thinking only about keeping lists. Activity 2: I already do the seven actions for birds, but I find the most challenging one is to cut down on single-use plastic. I recycle all my plastic, but normal daily life is almost impossible without a significant consumption of plastic, for packaging, in appliances, etc. Whenever there are alternatives, I use them. Another important action we could all do is to make sure we vote for politicians that will act to protect the environment and wildlife. Activity 3: I see that populations of many birds have visibly declined over my lifetime, but populations of some species that were extremely rare when I was young (the Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon) have bounced back. Activity 4: This course has made me want to start keeping field notes of birds from my favorite local patch, and keeping track of bird activity throughout the year.

This course has made much more aware of local issues regarding birds and the general environment.   It has also inspired me to become more active in my local birding groups, particularly  Birdlife Australia. I am now also contributing to eBird :-)

This year, I will eliminate plastic use, only consume shade grown coffee and plant more native plants in my garden. Already do the other ones.

Learning more about birds has inspired me to share that knowledge with others.

Activity 1:  Birds are beautiful to look at and are very interesting and fun to observe. This course made me more aware of the important role birds have in the world’s ecosystems through their diversity in shape, size, habitat needs and behaviors. Activity 2: I will aim to make windows safer and drink shade-grown coffee. Already doing the other 5. Activity 3: Yes. I have noticed there are more raptors around. When I was a kid Bald Eagles were endangered and I learned about them from books. It was a spectacular sight to see them in the wild on a recent birding trip. Also, I would never have thought that I would see Peregrine Falcons perching outside my office window in New York City, and now this is a common sight around the skyscrapers in the area. Activity 4: I started a Life List, and am using Merlin and eBird to help me identify birds on my outings. Thank you for another terrific course!

This course has inspired me to watch and record data in eBird the entire year. I currently participate in Feeder Watch, but found from this course it’s extremely important and beneficial to report feeder watch observations year round.

We are participating in the Feeder Watch Project this year.  We have been wanting to plant a mulberry tree since last Spring after visiting a birding site near the gulf coast and seeing he beds flocking to that tree.  We will follow through this Spring

Because of this course, I am more likely to watch birds through binoculars, check field guides, and pay attention what I see and hear walking in the woods.  I went out with a birding group one Saturday.  I would like to do more of that.  I am using birding apps and starting to make lists.  I will continue to feed the birds,  provide water, and bird-friendly plants. Thanks for building this online introductory course!  I enrolled when my local Audubon chapter decided not to offer its in-person course due to Covid-19.

#2  We feed the birds, provide water for birds,  and grow plants in the garden for birds. We could get involved in community awareness projects to decrease light pollution during migration periods as well as promote efforts to fight global warming which harms birds and their habitats.

This course has introduced me to new tools like Merlin Bird ID and other resources available to birdwatchers.  Apps, electronic lists, weather radar, migration and range maps are all involved in birding today.  These tools are sophisticated and technology dependent.  Birders rely on more than their field guide and binoculars.  Now scientific data is collected and used to track bird populations, migration, and identification.  Birders can contribute to this data collection through various projects.

Activity 1) Birds matter to me because they are a tiny glimpse of the genius of the Creator. Birds add a colorful burst of joy and energy into those who choose to notice them. While this course hasn't changed my view on the importance of birds, it has revived and reinforced my love for them.   Activity 4) Even though I have loved birds since I was very young, I have never had direction in pursuing birding habits or activities. This course has definitely given me ideas for furthering my passion for birds, and I soon hope to embark on the enticing journey that birdwatching offers.

I've always loved birds but until my recent retirement had not really studied in depth or done much birdwatching other than on vacations to shore areas and wildlife refuges.  Now I've become more serious as I have more time to devote and am taking field courses as well as online offerings like this. It's endlessly fascinating and engaging. I am a city dweller with a small front and backyard. Both are planted with native plants to attract birds, bees, and butterflies.  Since doing that I've been delighted by the increase in bees and butterflies in my little yard and also see more birds flying through or stopping by my feeders and bird baths. I was distressed this summer at having to remove them because of the mystery bird illness, but was so happy when the thumbs up came to sanitize and reintroduce them.  I've also paid more attention to the types of feeders and feed that attract different birds and have augmented my feeding stations.  I am also looking forward to participating in the feeder project.  I have also been trying out the Merlin app features on various birding excursions and am learning a lot from them as a novice serious birder.

Living through a global pandemic made me look for ways to engage with nature while living in a big city, which I hadn't much before - I always thought I had to travel far and wide to really experience nature. Urban birdwatching has really allowed me to appreciate birds even more and makes me want to care for birds that live in and around cities. I already keep my cat inside, taking her outside only on a leash in order to protect our wildlife, as well as keep her safe! Planting native plants and tending to them in order to encourage and sustain birdlife is something I would like to focus on more. I want to expand my life list (I've just hit 150 official sightings!) and gain more knowledge and understanding of birds. I have enrolled in a bird biology online course and can't wait to make a start!

Activity 1: Birds matter so much to me on how every single one of them are unique in their own ways by the sounds they make, the colors and patterns they show, and the behavior they bring out to the world. I never seem to get bored of them since they always give me such a joy and a passion that never seems to get old. This course has gave me more knowledge on the basics of bird watching especially knowing what types of birds I would see in different habitats and locations and this course gave me more of an awareness on how to help and save these birds.

I took a bird watching/identifying class at my local community college when I was in my early 20s and that's where my love of birds began.  Then life happened-marriage, kids, work, and I stopped actively watching for a long time.  Well, here I am in my "golden years" ready to pick up where I left off!  This class was an excellent place for me to begin.  It inspired me to go on and I have enrolled in Bird Biology/Ornithology.  I am excited and eager.  Thank you so much, Cornell Lab, for offering these courses.

I've been birding off and on for 8 years but just really got serious this year. I'm on a quest to see as many birds as I can for the rest of my life. I'm not much of a photographer but I am starting to study up on how to make quality recordings of birdsongs and calls. I'd like to one day be able to make some really good recordings to go with the extremely amateur photos on my eBird lists.

I never paid much attention to birds because I can't see them well enough to identify any. That all changed when a friend handed me a decent pair of binoculars and pointed out a Northern Flicker. I was stunned at the size of the bird and markings that I could actually see! I discovered the Bird Academy and the fabulous Cornell Lab of Ornithology resources and now I can actually identify a handful of birds by sight or song. The courses are guiding my new hobby - my birding journey.

The next steps I'd like to take in my birdwatching journey is to improve my photography skills so that I can continue my quest to document the birds I see every day.

I am excited to use what I have learned to help ID the birds in my area and keep  my life list going.

Ive learnt a lot from this course and I plan continue learning with some of the other courses. I’m going to try to document what I see in a nature journal, adding to what I see with information from eBird and other sources.

This course has opened my eyes to the beauty, importance and joy birds bring.  I am very new to this.  My friend introduce me to birding one day and I got very curious about the birds I saw.  I plan to continue learning about birds.  Thank you for this course.

Activity 3:   After studying about how birds changing environment and food supply also impacted my world.  Last year in Iowa, we had a hurricane  called "drecho".  A first in history with winds of 112 miles per hour.  The aftermath were the downing of thousands of trees, fields leveled, homes and farms destroyed and much more. I live in a townhome in the south part of Ames , Iowa.  This area had a lot of old trees, shrubbery, huge lawns and gardens.  I didn't notice the real impact of the storm till I took this course.  I had noticed some of my favorite birds missing in my patio.  The goldfinches are very sparse, as well as, blue jays and woodpeckers.  I finally saw my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird this week.  I had planted Hostas  that have a long tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. The flowers were blooming and the humming birds returned.  I am so happy. I plan to incorporate adding a larger variety of bird feed and  check on information for bird nests.  Maybe in a small way I can help in my part of the world.

I have loved birds from a young age. My mother used to teach us about robins, cardinals and blue jays. I am happy to report that there are still many of them where I live. Birds are important to me because they are everywhere. They have influenced and attracted humans for centuries. We eat them (chicken, ducks, etc) and use their feathers and down. The Romans had Eagle’s on their war flags, falcons were used by the kings, the Bald Eagle is Official bird of the USA and a symbol of strength, focus, freedom and stealth. The Canada Goose and the Loon are enduring symbols of Canada, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Eagles  and others adorn our professional sports teams. Hundreds of companies worldwide use birds as the name or symbols for their companies. Birds have inspired humans to fly and be free. They have taught us lessons of flight and engineering. Birds are important to the human race and we should be doing everything we can to keep their numbers high and abundant.

 I have planted native plants and trees in my backyard to attract birds. Cartago, Costa Rica

1. I am more aware of the vast variety of birds in my ecosystem and the need to protect our winged neighbors. 2. I am using less plastic. One way by fiat or law, since NYS has banned most consumer use of plastic bags. 3. Since I am in my 70's, I noticed a decline on the once ubiquitous Blue Jay in my area.  4. I am much more aware of the value our avian resource plays in the overall balance our survival on this planet. Climate change is probably the most important factor to survival. Joined a local Audubon club and added bird feeders and bath to my garden.

Even though I did this for school, it was very fun and changed my thoughts about birds. Birds play a major role in our world and should not be so overlooked. They need to be helped, not overlooked.

Activity 1: Why do birds matter to you? Has this course changed your thoughts about why birds are important? Watching and learning more about birds has helped get me through the pandemic. Being able to look out my window and see the world with new eyes has really contributed to my mental health over the past 14 months. Activity 2: Think about the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds. Which are you already doing? Could you practice any of them more extensively, or start trying more of them? What other actions can you think of that could help birds? We have very large sliding deck doors, so I will be investigating ways to ensure that they are bird-friendly. Activity 3: Have you noticed bird populations changing over your lifetime? I don't think so... Activity 4: What next steps do you want to take in your birdwatching journey? Has this course inspired you to try anything new or make any changes in your life? This course (specifically the Panama Fruit Feeder cam) inspired my mother, my sister, and I to take a trip to Canopy Lodge - we're booked to be there for a week this December!

Birds give me a sense of joy, whether flitting outside my window, swinging from branch to branch or getting lost in my living room. But I’ve only regarded them collectively as avian class. These lessons introduced me to their diversity, the uniqueness of each species, and engaged me into not just being fascinated by their beauty and songs, but into realizing how important they are to sustaining the earth’s ecosystem. Although I may not have so much time to commit to saving them now, I will take every opportunity I can. For a start, I bought caged birds peddled as toys for kids, and freed them. 

Birds matter because they are life. All of this creation needs one another. Our planet works in a beautiful yet fragile symbiosis. Harm one and it ripples out from there. Birds are beautiful and birdsong is a lovely way to start the day. I live in southeastern Canada and as the ground awakens from its winter slumber, the skies and trees come alive with the sights and sounds of a diversity of our birds 'coming home'! Birds don't have an easy life. It is about survival and if I can do anything to make their lives easier - safer, I am all for it! We need to care for our world if we want it to last. This year I am making a wildlife friendly garden using native plants and NO pesticides. I have learned so much from the few courses I have taken and look forward to many more. Happy birding everyone and thank you so much Cornell Lab and your Bird Academy.

Our cat enjoys watching birds in the bird bath from the comfort and safety of her chair. She’s always been and indoor cat. Additionally, we had been redoing our backyard with a concentration on native plants.

I am trying to let others know how many song birds cats kill and encourage them to keep their cats indoors. My cat happily watches the birds at the feeders from many windows.   I have always been a little OCD about recycling. LO.   I am encouraging others to buy only shade grown coffee.   I love to participate in the 2 of the annual bird counting days.   I write letters to the editor of a few local papers, pleading hunters to not participate in the duck hunting season. I see the beautiful ducks returning every spring in the river I live on.  But the rest of the year the ducks are elusive. Even though I take many  canoe camping trips into Algonquin Park's wilderness and travel many lakes I rarely see any ducks. Where have they all gone? I am concerned. Why would anyone want to kill such a small and beautiful creature?

Birds are so beautiful and unique. I have learned so much in these courses and in my observations. They all have such unique characteristics and mannerisms. I get my camera all focused to snap a picture of the rarely seen ring neck ducks and then all I get is a picture of ripples as they all dive down in unison. Watching the wood duck is humorous as it looks like the couple is saying, "Lets go this way, no wait, lets go that way, or maybe another way?"

Question:  Why do birds matter to me?  Beauty, primarily.  I get a certain joy out of seeing an animal that is so perfect in design.  And the more I learn about birds, the more I understand those perfections.   They have adapted to every variation in environment in every conceivable (and inconceivable) way.  Their coloration is gorgeous, even the ubiquitous little brown sparrows are gorgeous when you get close, and the grackle's iridescence almost makes up for its crowding of the airspace and obnoxious noise.  No designer could ever come up with a color scheme of the wood duck, and no artist could ever create the glow of those colors.   Their diversity also stuns me.   Great blue herons and hummingbirds?  Each bird has evolved to fit its ecological niche.   I wish humans could evolve to suit the environment as opposed to crafting the environment to suit them.   We have a lot to learn from birds.

My husband was the one member of the family most interested in watching birds. Over time, his interests have spread to other members of the family. What drew me in was the bluebirds who have been nesting in our yard since 2018. I started planting more native plants, beginning with milkweed for the butterflies, then spicebush for the swallowtails, and native berries for the birds (and some for the humans too). This past year saw a dramatic increase in bird feeders, nest boxes, and native plants, which have been my salvation during this pandemic. My yard has never been more full of life, more interesting, or more beautiful. I am hooked! Below is a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk. I

What a wonderful course! When I go to the park I notice birds easily. Of course, others I need to practice. Many people do not notice birds but this course helped me and my family notice birds more. I do not have cats but however I will try to make all 7 actions. I do not have noticed much bird populations change.  But I think I have now noticed since 2014 the Andean condor population change. I hope it rises. Now I am interested in field sketching, also I know am submerged in ornithology, and even know two bird names. The Setophaga Ruticilla (American Redstart) and the (Athene Cunicularia) burrowing owl. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS COURSE.

Thank you for this course! This was my first foray into more serious birdwatching and I've learned so much. I've always enjoyed watching birds and hearing their songs and sounds but now that I'm doing so more actively and actually able to identify who I am hearing or seeing it's made my world all that much more fun and enriching. I intend to further my knowledge of these truly awesome and fascinating animals, thank you for providing a spark!

When I learned about shade grown coffee being better for birds, I asked for bird friendly coffee for christmas and my husband gifted me some DELICIOUS dark roast from Birds and Beans. It is even tastier when I remember each morning that the birds can enjoy the habitat from which it came. I will definitely be buying more!

I really enjoyed the class and it has got me noticing and enjoying nature more. My partner and I built two screech owl houses a few weeks ago and put up some bird feeders. Today I noticed some black capped chickadees were very excited and flying around like crazy. I watched them with my (newly purchased) binoculars and saw that they were checking out the screech owl house, one at a time would perch at the 3 inch hole and peer inside. This lasted for about 5 minutes before (I think) they realized it wasn’t suitable, but it was amazing to watch. It made me realize that we should build chickadee houses next. So tonight I ordered some lumber and this will be our weekend project. I didn’t think chickadees would find a mate and look for a next at this time of year, March 2nd in Ontario. A few weeks ago I heard a chickadee mating call, so I guess it’s happening. I now wonder if I’m setting up the chickadees to be food for the screech owls in my area...not sure about this. I might end up removing the screech owl house since it’s still unoccupied, or maybe the squirrels will move in. Last weekend I noticed my first Northern Flicker and Red Breasted Nuthatch on a hike, and today I saw a Red Breasted Nuthatch in my back yard. That was pretty cool. I never would have noticed these things before taking this course. I’m going to build birdhouses and give them to my friends to help the bird population in my area. It’s very cheap and easy to make these. I’m also looking forward to adding more native bushes and flowers to my garden this summer. It’s the start of a lifelong passion and so much fun :)

This was a great class to take that my wife got for me and looking forward to the next one.  I really enjoyed the resources that linked to your zip code on the best plants and trees for birds and wildlife.  She bought me a camera and I had no idea how hard it was to take pictures of birds.  I am still learning and it is a work in progress.  I learned a great deal and hope to make our property a better habitat for birds and other wildlife. Thanks again for a great class.

I am an Environmental Scientist working with Service Members on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.  When I conduct my Environmental Trainings I often speak about the first Earth Day and the events, such as Silent Spring, Santa Barbara, and Cleveland, Ohio that lead up to it.  I also speak to the establishment of the EPA and all of the events such as Love Canal, New York, Bullitt County, Kentucky, and Times Beach, Missouri that resulted in many of the Environmental Regulations which are in place today.  The problem that we are facing now, however, is that many of these laws have been so effective that we now have a generation of Americans that have never experienced the kind of environmental degradation which was seen before 1970.  Because of this lack in experience, people are beginning to question the need for these laws and regulations and the environment is already starting to see the impacts related to this lack of knowledge. I especially enjoyed the final part of the course where it addressed climate change and habitat destruction.  JBLM is home to the Streaked Horned Lark, and many other species, because we are one of the last unfractured prairie ecosystems left in the South Puget Sound region.  I plan to incorporate some of what I learned during this course in an effort to reemphasize the importance that these birds have on environmental health.   Thank you.

I've been a casual birdwatcher for years. This course and the Nature Journaling course have heightened my interest in paying attention to the variety and seasonality of the birds in our area. I'd like to get better at identifying birds by their calls, because sometimes I am too rushed to take time to find it or don't have binoculars with me but am curious if it's a bird call I don't recognize. Will finish that course, which I'd started some time ago.

This course has been wonderful. The stats on declining bird populations is very distressing but I believe it!  I have logged 57 different birds at our cabin over the last 35 years but certain sightings have diminished significantly.  We are doing everything that we can to save the birds.

Since October 2020, I have become an active bird watcher. For one, birdwatching during the pandemic lockdown makes life more interesting and less stressful.  Also. There is so much to learn about birds, their   I live in a suburban city of Texas where the weather is mild all year round (except this week).  I equipped myself with a Nikon Coolpix P950 camera and a 12x55 monocular attached to my phone, and I am able to take photos and videos easily.  By using Merlin Bird ID app to identify birds I have registered 26 LifeLists.  One of them is a Summer Tanager, who visits our backyard feeder almost every day this winter, becoming one of our resident birds. You can see from the photo below that his feather on the right wing sticking out, so we call him Defecto.  My husband and I have been working hard to make our backyard a bird sanctuary with feeders, birdhouses, native plants and wild flowers.

Birds matter to me because I think there's nothing more delightful than hearing their early morning chirping to let me know that a new day has begun.  It shocks me that there are a lot of people who find their morning vocalizations annoying.  I can't help wonder if this is a sign of how greatly modern society is becoming divorced from nature. Before this course, identification of a birds' species wasn't a priority for me.  I just took them for being part of nature as a whole.  However, it has been fun to learn more about the unique habits, habitats and behaviours of individual species.

I live in Vancouver, B.C. and I've been fortunate enough to live in the same house for over 40 years, and have noticed differences in bird populations in that time, mostly, I think, because of environmental changes.   At first there were lots of Steller jays and barn swallows.   We had a large cedar hedge that the jays loved and the yards around us are fairly large, grassy and no fences.   The swallows swooped all over this "meadow".   As time went on houses sold, fences were put up, lots were complete covered with houses and cement.  We had to cut down our cedar hedge and replace it.  The swallows haven't been around for a while.  The jays moved elsewhere.   Sometimes I could hear them, but they were down the street a ways.   The cedar hedge has grown, the jays have returned.  I have seen a swallow or two but they don't seem to stay.   Flickers, crows, chickadees, and sparrows are the main birds.    Oh, and hummingbirds.   We, along with our neighbours, have put up feeders and grown plants they like in our gardens and we now have resident Anna's and transient rufus hummingbirds.

I am working to plant more native species, plant wildflowers and grasses as part of my lawn, and reduce overall mowed lawn areas.  I've joined a local bird watching club and participated in my first Christmas Bird Count in 2020. I continue to participate in other annual citizen science events like the Great Backyard Bird Count and FeederWatch. I'm currently promoting more natural areas in common areas in my community--i.e., allowing some grassy areas to grow rather than mowing everything as if it were a golf course.

Good experience thanks

Growing native plants

Leading a local nature org

I've planted native plants the last several years to attract butterflies and plan on expanding the garden this spring with plants that also attract birds.  I recently started purchasing coffee that is bird friendly (Birds and Beans).  It's delicious and it's nice to know I'm helping preserve the environment, for birds and other creatures!

During a global pandemic, birdwatching allows me to get outdoors and increase my knowledge of birds, their behaviours and activities to protect their habitats. I plan to research how to build nesting boxes for local bird species. In addition, I am going to expand my gardens in the spring to include native species which attract and nourish more birds. But finally birding helps my emotional and mental health, as I commit to this activity, share it with friends and challenge myself to learn more.

Learning more about birds has been a gateway for me to learning more about the environment I live in, and appreciating that humans are just as much a part of the ecosystem as any other bird, plant, animal, fish, insect... Many seem to have forgotten that, otherwise I think we (humanity as a whole) would be taking better care of the world. What we choose to do can have a positive or negative influence on the health of our world, and the health of birds. For one, I'm trying to do more positive things for birds: I'm planning on planting some native plants in the spring, and making my windows safer. And just continuing to watch and learn more about birds, to better appreciate, understand, and protect these fascinating neighbours of ours. Thank you for this course.

Thank you so much for this course. 1.  Birds matter to me because of the beauty they bring to the world and the value they provide to the ecosystem. 2. I'm continuously trying to limit my use of plastic, but it's really hard.  I'm interested in finding shade-grown coffee.  Most importantly, I'm in the process of making my backyard a very bird-friendly habitat by finding some native shrubs to add to the trees I already have growing. 4.  I keep trying to find new birding locations.  I'd like to try another course, perhaps something related to waterfowl.

Birds matter to me for so many reasons!  They really are a joy to watch, as stated in this course.  But most importantly, they are indicators of ecosystem health, and without a healthy natural world, our human spirits will suffer.   Spending time in nature is key my emotional well being and birds are a big part of that! Seven simple acts to help birds ... I am already doing many of these!  But I will say I have not yet gotten stickers for my windows and thankfully have not had any birds that we know of fatally crashing into them.    We do have a window feeder now, so that the cats can enjoy from indoors.   Luckily our yard already had lots of native plants there when we moved in 12 years ago and I already have been trying for years now to cut down plastic use but could always do better, and feel good  that our family of five never even fills the smallest garbage receptacle the city of Seattle offers.  No pesticide use, except for a month ago, when we needed to treat our birch tree, or it would be overcome by the bronze birch borer and have to be taken down.  It didn't seem like there were many options left, late in the game to realizing the problem.  I think there is an 8th, very important thing every bird lover can do - write their state and local lawmakers and tell them you support legislation that will protect and conserve bird habitat.  Be as specific as you can.   I can't say whether I have personally noticed bird populations changing over time.  i will note, that growing up in AZ, my parents used to have very large flocks of Robins come through every winter and though I don't live there anymore, they report that only a few here and there are ever seen.  I'm sure there could be many reasons for this.  I have moved around a lot in my adult life and now, having been in Seattle for a time, can't say about the populations in that time period - also  because I have just begun to devote more time to watching the birds during the pandemic. Yes, this course, and Liz's Nature Journaling course got me hooked on learning as much as I can and now I can't stop!  I am a lifelong learner.  But I must say that the Pandemic made this all possible since my part time jobs are not happening right now, and these courses are also something I share with my three girls while we are all at home all the time.

Birds matter to me because they show me the myriad connections between a species and its habitat, the amazing capabilities of these highly evolved animals and the vast reach of life on this planet. Taking the course deepened my appreciation and amazement. There's so much to learn and enjoy. We are now focused on the seven things to do for birds. In 2021 we will be reducing our use of pesticides and planting more native plants and flowers to beef up the natural food supply. Next steps on the journey are to become even more "bird aware" on our travels and to improve our observation skills. Will continue to use e-Bird to report our sightings.  

• Some Future Goals For Birding
• Continue to hone my birding skills
• Find more birding locations
• Use shade grown coffee
• Continue to plant native and bird friendly plants, trees and shrubs.
• Join a birding organization

Activity 3: I can say that populations have changed in my lifetime for some birds. Eagles and bluebirds I never saw when I was young and now l see them often. I believe there are more waterfowl in this area than when I was a young. But for many birds I simply couldn’t say because I have only recently learned to recognize them.

I have planted a small wildflower meadow. It attracts hummingbirds. Some flowers hummingbirds like are monarda (bee balm), buddleja(butterfly bush), gladioli, runner bean and anise hyssop. It also attracts many insects and the birds that prey on them. When the flowers are finished I leave the dead flower stalks stand to provide seeds for birds. Goldfinches especially love the seeds of coneflower and brown-eyed-Susan. The beanpole in the photo is a favorite perch for hunting phoebes.

By letting a succession of  wild plants grow in the periphery of the lawn areas I provide food and cover for pollinators and other insects. This in turn attracts insectivorous birds. The wild plants also provide food directly to birds in the form of seeds and berries. At times the groups of wildflowers can be quite stunning. This patch is a favorite place of foraging wrens. The fall wildflowers in the photo were preceded by wild raspberries.

One thing I have been doing the last few years is leaving islands of lawn uncut. This encourages a greater variety of plants, insects and even small mammals, and hence birds, than a finely cut lawn.

Activity 4: In my birdwatching journey, I want to continue to build my lists and see birds in states I have never birded and countries I have never birded. I do also hope to return to Belize and do more birding there. I would love to go to a birding festival once gatherings become safe again. I plan to sign up for Project Feederwatch and maybe Project Nestwatch. I would love to participate in a Christmas Bird Count at some point. I plan to bird every day, keep learning, keep growing, and continue to look for ways to reduce my footprint and help the world and the birds in it. I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. It has inspired to to resume keeping a bird journal even though I now keep my lists all on ebird. The suggestions of things we can do to help birds will continue to inspire me to look for ways to do better and give more.

Activity 3: Interestingly some of the changes to bird populations that I have noted in my lifetime are the same as the ones that Kevin mentioned in the video. As a child, tromping through the woods and fields behind my house I would frequently come across Northern Bobwhites. Their calls always bring me back to my youth. Unfortunately, now they are not nearly as common. We do have some areas where they still can be found and I always consider it a good day if I get to hear their call. Bald Eagles were quite uncommon when I was younger. I saw them in our local museum but I did not see my first Bald Eagle in the wild until I was about 22 years old. Now (I am 51) I see them on a very regular basis. I see them probably at least once or twice a week depending on where I am birding. They can be reliably found at a lake five minutes from my house. I have seen them as I was walking across the parking lot on the way to work, walking into Walmart, driving down the street, passing over my own backyard, etc... Today I actually saw two active bald eagle nests at St Marks National Wildlife Reserve which is about half an hour from my house. Two other birds that came to mind with this activity are the Canada Goose and the Eastern Bluebird. We have a local park called Lake Ella, which consists of a small (man made I believe) pond with a sidewalk all the way around it. As a child I used to go to Lake Ella and feed the ducks. On very rare occasions a Canada Goose or two would show up there and I would be so excited to see them! Now Canada Geese are everywhere!!! I see them in the parking lot of the bank next door to my work, at just about every birding spot with water, flying over my house, on golf courses, standing by the side of the road, etc... The Eastern Bluebird is another bird that in my life time I have seem dramatic changes in it's population. I can remember as a child reading in Ranger Rick about bluebird trail and seeing pictures of this brilliant, beautiful bird and wishing I could see one. I finally saw my first Eastern Bluebird when I was 18 years old. It was sitting on a fence at an acquaintances house that lived out in the country and had a horse farm. I was so excited to see the Eastern Bluebird which I shared with my friends who totally did not get it. Now fast forward to today, I see Eastern Bluebirds on a daily basis. I have a nest box in my backyard that they regularly nest in. There are probably 100 of them that live in my neighborhood. I go running early in the morning and as the sun starts coming up, I see and hear Eastern Bluebirds lining the roads perched on the telephone wires everywhere I go. I am so happy that the Bald Eagles and the Eastern Bluebirds are thriving! I hope that conservation efforts will help the Northern Bobwhite so that we can continue to hear and see them, and do so more than we have been.

Growing up on an Alberta, Canada, pioneering farmland, and now owning 400 acres of land of which 200 acres are slough and uncultivatable, I have noticed a decline in waterfowl as early as 1990.  Circumstances have subsequently afforded me to have the cultivatable land rented out to a Certified Organic tenant and it is my belief that the past must be reconstructed.  I understand the concept of insect and bird sustainability.   I am committed to retaining and returning to 1970's status to the land where hordes of waterfowl, birds and animal life were seen and entertained all six of my siblings as we were growing up.  I simply want to do what I can to maintain the original land my father got to what it has been and has supported since time beginning.  I envision "urbanites" experiencing nature, listening to birds, seeing animal tracks and trails, walking thru original grasses, trees, shrubs and insects.  Hopefully experiencing what the area was like and should be like.  I am in the process of studying how to go about this. Any suggestions?

One thing I would like to do, is take a trip to, Cape Cod. For birding, only. I usually go to the Gloucester Ma., area. But, I think that some Cape Cod areas, may be better birding hot spots. For different birds. Are there more Heron/Crane variations ? I know the North Shore is great, but I need a different landscape.   I would like to research, more, where to find birding hot spots, and go there just for that reason. Birding. Birding only. More 'rarity,' or 'unique,' sightings, and more detective work, as to, where to go. OWLS/OSPREYS/EAGLES/VULTURES/PUFFINS, are on my list. -b.k.

One thing I have noticed, is that in the past year, I have seen many more Cardinals. And Blue Jays. I do not know if it is because I noticed them more, or due to bird feeders. But sometimes they are everywhere.  I am not sure about Eagles, but according to the Cornell stats, they are on the up and up. More of them. I wish I would see more of them. Because I only see them on occasion. Without much of a photo. opp. I have seen Vultures circling, but never in proximity. My next goal is to get a photo of a Vulture cleaning a carcass. And another Raptor, close up. Here is my only Raptor pic. A ?Black Vulture?

I am contributing to eBird, regularly. And I am going to pant some Native Plants, in the spring. I have some birdfeeders, and a birdbath. I do not use pesticides on my lawn. And I will make my lawn more, 'bird friendly,' this spring. I want to make some custom adjustments to my property, to be more bird friendly. Mainly, more longer grass, and wildflowers. And at least some potted native plants, if not some planted ones. I get a lot of birds each year. I want to improve in 2021. More birdfeeders in sheltered places. Not just in the middle of the lawn. On branches, on the edge of my property. To feed birds while they are in a sheltered place. Not only out in the open. -b.k.

I like birds, for their artistic, and universal and historical appeal. All nations, and states, have birds as symbols.  A lot of artists, and musicians, have bird motifs. Free Bird, Golden Bird, Fly like an Eagle. Birds are a universal inspiration, and have a lot of meaning and diversity.   Also, is there and animal, that exists on the fringe, better than a bird. They are everywhere, and they rarely attack people, and interact with society, as a population. Insects attack, and are annoying. Coyotes cannot be trusted, and other animals have to hide. But birds are on the fringe, and are can be hidden, and are also everywhere. Without much drama. I learned from this course, that Birds, are important for insect, and rodent control. And for spreading seeds, of trees, to help forestation.  I also have become a better birding artist, because I know where to go, and what bird to photo. Next up, is the Red Winged Blackbird. To photograph in a meadow.  

Activity 2: As far as windows, I have only once had an issue with a bird hitting a window. I had my hummingbird feeder hanging in front of my sliding glass door. The hummers were being very aggressive and chasing each other when one chased another into the glass door. I felt horrible. I promptly moved my feeder to a different location. I do not have a cat but if I do ever get one, it will be a strictly indoor cat. There is a wild cat that lives in my yard and my neighbor's yard. I have seen her hunting birds and I always try and interrupt her hunting, and give her food so she will not feel the need to hunt for food. I wish I could catch her and keep her inside but she will not let me touch her and my dogs would never let me keep her. We have a large yard that has lots of natural area. Our yard backs up to completely unmaintained woods. We grow lots of native, bird friendly plants. We use very limited fertilizers, with the preference being cow manure. We do not use any pesticides. We started drinking bird-friendly, shade-grown coffee and we love it! It is delicious! Not only do we order it for ourselves but we also give it as gifts to our coffee-loving friends and family. We also take every opportunity we can to tell others about it and point them in the right direction if they are interested. My New Years resolution last New Years was to quit using plastic bags from the grocery store. For a long time I was trying to make that transition but I would either forget to bring my bags all together or put them in the car but forget to bring them into the store. On New years I decided that if I forgot them I would buy more every time until I remembered. Now it has become a habit to bring my bags every time when I go in the store. Another small change I made was I got a metal, re-useable straw. It is a small thing but small things do add up. I have been a person who recycles ever since we got recycling where I live. At my work we do not have a recycling bin or pick up service, so I bring all of our recycling home and put it in our recycling bin. I need to quit drinking bottled water. So that is something I will need to come up with a solution to and implement it. As far as citizen science, I participate daily on ebird. I enjoy the idea of contributing important information and I do my best to report everything I see as accurately as I can. I have never participated in any surveys. I hope to look into and hopefully participate with Project Feeder watch and Nest watch in the future. I would love to do a Christmas Bird Count as well. I try to support businesses that are environmentally friendly. Although I have a fairly limited budget I make small donations to various organizations that conserve land and protect wildlife. I purchased a bird stamp this year. I also purchase bracelets for myself and to give as gifts from 4Oceans. Another thing I like to do is pick up litter while birding. I am always so disappointed with all the littering people do in our beautiful natural areas, and well everywhere!

Activity 1: Why do birds matter to me? I have always been a great lover of nature and I have always loved birds. I enjoy their songs, their beauty, and their unique behaviors. I get great joy on a daily basis, out of watching them, whether it is, at one of the feeders in my yard, a soaring vulture or a chickadee hanging upside down from a gumball. knowing that bird health is a measure of the health of the world around them gives us yet, another reason to really care about their well-being. I care very much about the health of the Earth and all of it's inhabitants. I do think being a birder really brings all of these feeling to focus and makes them more urgent and direct. I have always wanted to do the right thing for the environment. It takes work and commitment. Being a birder helps keep me motivated to work hard and always look for improvements that I can personally make, as well as, ways that I can help in a broader sense. It is very helpful to have access to direct steps I can take to do my part, as laid out in this course.

My Mom and I completed the course together and we agree that birds matter to us because: (1) they're a part of the natural world all around us that is relatively easy to tap into on a regular basis, (2) they're beautiful visually and auditorily and enhance quality of life, (3) they are part of a healthy functioning ecological system, including residential areas, and (4) the variety is highly stimulating to human curiosity.

Birds matter to me in that I have always loved nature and wildlife but only recently started paying more attention to birds after trips to Belize and Egypt when I saw very strange looking birds, I enjoy making lists and submitting them to cornell for science as my first BS was in Geology and it reminds me of things I used to like doing. I already reduce my single use plastics, have for quite sometime especially as I have travelled to many countries and see the appalling usage of plastic water bottle scattered around because of tourists, currently I am in an apartment but one day I will have a piece of property and it will most definitely be a certified habitat, and not only because I am allergic to grass pollen and hate lawns haha

Birds are beautiful, wonderful creatures. They are an important part of nature, and they bring so much joy to people's lives. They are a great window into the natural world, and they help many people to get outdoors and experience nature. Also, all creatures deserve our protection and respect, definitely including birds. I am not sure how this course changes this for me. For activity 2, I am currently engaging in citizen science (eBird), and something I can do is reduce plastic use. This would help many creatures, not just birds. I have not noticed bird populations changing over my lifetime. Part of the reason that I have completed this course is as research for a large project that I am doing, where I am creating a documentary on birds. I have been getting out and birding much more, and once this project is done I need to make sure that I am getting out and birding often so that I don't lose this great hobby. Next steps really involve just making sure to keep birding. Also, I have been doing some photography of birds, and I enjoy it. I may want to get myself a better camera and start doing this more. I would say that this course has developed my interest in birding, and definitely my abilities in it. Thanks for a great course!

Why do birds matter to me? I am unapologetically announcing that, as the name of this course says, I find joy in birdwatching. Each and every day, I am thrilled by bird sightings at our backyard feeders, and by whatever I see flying overhead, such as the resident bald eagles, or birds spotted on outings in the forests and shores of our region on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. My husband and I will often stop whatever we are doing to call the other to come watch "our" quirky covey of California Quail in the yard, or that "Elvis" the shiny, blue black Steller's Jay with the slick-backed pompadour hair cut, has returned to our feeder. We love the whole gang out there. Even though I have watched and identified birds since I was a kid, now that I am retired, and especially during these months of COVID-19 restrictions, bird watching and the information in this course, has deepened my appreciation for the astonishing existence of birds; it has given me new awareness of the wonder of migration and bird behaviors. I've slowed down to really focus on this connection to nature. I am proud to say that I had already started to take action to protect birds, and now to check the boxes on the Seven Simple Actions is really gratifying. We tore up our lawns to create perennial gardens with plants that birds and bees can thrive on. We keep the fall/winter garden "messy" by allowing leaves to sit on the ground to harbor insects and seeds for the birds to eat. We have numerous feeders, and have plastered the windows with decals and post-it notes trying to prevent strikes. We recycle plastic and have reduced our use as much as possible. If we had a cat, we would keep it indoors -- but we can't do much about the stray that visits our yard -- at least the cat is a good mouser. And I am pleased to contribute to citizen science with bird counts and uncommon sightings. Have I noticed differences in bird populations over my lifetime? Yes, definitely. I see significantly fewer house sparrows, which I understand is a reported phenomenon, and fewer robins, which makes me sad, as their bright presence and song always takes me back to childhood. Future activities in my bird watching journey? I have enjoyed this course, so likely I will sign on for more. The instructions on using Merlin Bird ID and the migratory maps has been wonderful for richer bird watching experiences -- as has the tips on focusing binoculars properly! It took 68 years before someone showed me that trick! Thanks! Other than that, I plan to carry on with my life list and my enjoyment and awe at watching the bird world. Thank you for this tremendously enjoyable course. Photos: our bird-friendly front yard "meadow"  

Activity 4:  The next step for me along my bird watching journey is to visit Cornell Labs; take live courses and workshops; and begin to plan travel to other areas of North America to observe more birds.  Some of this will have to wait until we have COVID-19 under control.  Meanwhile I will continue to study online with Cornell Labs, bird often with experienced birders; and continue to learn. This course has been wonderful ! I have learned so much.  Many questions about birds and bird habitat have been running through my mind, and now after completing this course, much of these questions have been answered and my direction with birding is becoming more clear ! Thank You !

Activity 2: Through Cornell Labs, Audubon and The Brookline Bird Club I have been actively implementing the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds. We have planted natural shrubs to provide shelter and food for birds in our yard.  We have feeders and a birdbath in our yard and I have become engaged and am supporting the efforts of local and statewide bird organizations.  I have been hosting "Beginning Bird" Seminars through Zoom session, Statewide Wildlife websites and big box stores in our area.  I will be an ambassador of Birding, and continue to hone my skills and knowledge every passing year !

Activity 1: I am a first year birder (2020) and during this COVID-19 infested year, I decided to follow my interest in birds and become an active birder... the reason, to get outdoors into the clean air, to be away from groups of people in closed in locations, and dive into the world of birds and learn as much about them as possible.  What were the biggest benefits to me ? Birding got me up early and out into nature.  This was great for my attitude.  Learning about birds through observation got my mind wondering more and more as to why birds do what they do.  This led me to sign up for online Cornell Lab education programs, just like this one.  I have learned so much about birds and now I know there is so much more to learn !  Yay !  This will keep me busy for the rest of my life !  In addition, I met and made new friends who shared their passion for birding and directed me to resources like Merlin, eBird and HOT SPOTS so that I could observe more birds !  It was these friends, who socially distanced with me, that the greatest learning occurred.  I have joined Audubon organizations in 2 states and I belong to the Brookline Bird Club.  Through these organizations I am learning faster and have resources and experts to go to - when I need help !

Activity 1: I believe that birds have always been a source of enjoyment for me; from feeding birds with my mother as a young boy to seeing my first Bald Eagle to seeing the first flock of Canada geese migrating north in the spring. An awareness of the sounds and behavior of birds around me is like an extension of my own consciousness, and enhances my experience of the natural world. With all the news of climate change, habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity it is easy to become discouraged. Taking this class and using eBird has made me aware of this worldwide community of birders that share my love and interest in the life of our planet. Participating in and seeing the power of citizen science and learning how Cornell Lab of Ornithology is putting all the data they collect to use gives me hope. Thank you Cornell.

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Activity 1: I knew that birds are an important part of natural ecosystems. I get a lot of personal enjoyment from learning more about the diversity of birds and actually seeing them in the wild. I feel less ignorant about the natural world around me. Activity 2: My wife and I have planted some native plants in our backyard. The initial purpose wasn't to attract birds, but it has been a bonus side effect. We've had a pair of house finches nest in our arborvitae for a few years, and hummingbirds come to drink from our rose of sharon blossoms. I try to reduce my use of plastic, but sometimes I forget to bring my re-usable bags to the grocery store. I could do better with that. Activity 3: I personally haven't noticed changes in bird populations over my lifetime. Sadly, until recently, I haven't paid much attention to bird populations. Activity 4: I want to grow my life list of birds observed! I will continue to use eBird and Merlin ID to learn more about birds, their behaviors, habitats, and songs.

Activity 2 - Living in New York City we don't have access to an outdoor space from our apartment. However we do keep our cats indoors and do not use pesticides on the little bit of urban gardening that we do from our fire escape. We are very mindful in our use of plastics including bags and straws and always have a reusable bag with us. The biggest way I have worked to help protect birds is that I have become a monthly donor for the Wild Bird Fund here in NYC that works to help injured birds (and other animals) rehabilitate. Most of these birds are window strike victims during their migration. I have also encouraged my company to donate gifts to their annual fundraiser to help raise additional money that will help them. We will also be working on future events together to fundraise more. As far as other ways I can help, I will start looking for bird friendly and/or shade grown coffee and will begin using EBird to track all of my sightings that can then be used to help track birds.

Birds matter to me, on the surface, because of their beauty in physical appearance and beautiful song.  But, deeper than that, they are a sign of healthy ecology and balanced life.  I have enjoyed watching and observing birds since 2008 when my step-sister got me into it.   But they also matter because of their high intelligence. As far as the seven actions, I am already reducing my use of plastic by using a recyclable container for water.  I am interested in checking out more about how to safeguard windows from birds running into them.  Unfortunately, we had a Northern Cardinal run into it this past year.  It was okay but still prompted the awareness.  I am already keeping my cat indoors as well.  I also hope to participate in more Citizen Science and I currently volunteer as a Wildlife Rehabilitator. Thank you for this course!  It has helped me to take my bird watching to the next level and increased my appreciation for them.

I'll add a personal note about a bird population that is increasing -- Bald Eagles.  My husband and I enjoyed a wintertime visit to Yellowstone National Park thirty years ago with a small group of friends.  One of our friends spotted a tiny dot in the sky.  Bald eagle!  Our friends all pulled out their cameras and took multiple shots of the far-away bird.  My husband and I didn't waste the camera film (see how old we are!) since we'd seen many eagles much closer than that near my parents' home on the Northern Neck of Virginia.  I'm glad to see that Virginia still has one of the highest numbers of breeding pairs, though a few states are higher.  Birdwatching makes me feel closer to my parents who have both passed away.  Many years ago, my mom became president of her local birding chapter even though she was a beginner.  She was a natural leader -- always enthusiastic and eager to learn -- and my dad was eager to support any activity that involved walking and fresh air.  When she died last year, I inherited her feeding station and have taken great pleasure in adding new feeders and different types of food.  The birds were very important to her during the last years of her life, and we spent many relaxing hours just watching the woodpeckers, finches, bluebirds, and so many more.  We have woods behind our house, and I made an effort to plant a few bird-friendly (and butterfly-friendly) shrubs and plants near the feeders.  I hadn't done any gardening in a few years, but being home due to coronavirus restrictions gave me more time.  I'm excited about choosing more native plants next year.

I helped at a bird count marking the birds spotted by different groups. A young man was seated in my area who was probably only 18 but he could identify all the birds we heard by their calls, chirps and songs. He had been studying them his whole life. It was fascinating and I was so jealous as I am 70 now. I thought what a wonderful gift he has to enjoy for his whole life. I don't see well enough to distinguish birds or locate them all that well quickly enough, but through this course and others taken here too have learned other ways to help me get to know them. I am a very early riser and I love to have my windows open (weather permitting in Minnesota!) So I can hear the pre-dawn chorus! It starts my day out right. Growing up I remember seeing more Bluebirds and Baltimore Orioles. I did Bluebird monitoring for a Nature Center a few years ago and it was disheartening to see how few hatchlings made it. I live in an apartment with no patio or deck and I don't drink coffee, so my biggest contributions are since covid I have done lots of walking in the neighborhoods around my house. I pick up all the plastic and other trash on my way and dispose of it properly and when we could, I worked at Earth day cleanups along the Mississippi and at native plant plantings and prairie restorations and seed gatherings. Thanks for a great course. I really learned a lot!

Thank you for this excellent course.  I can talk more intelligently to the visitors coming to our BC Heritage Park in Black Canyon City, AZ - a birding destination that has an Ebird spot.  I also am paying more attention to the birds at my home.  Thank you so much.

Through this course, I definitely have been able to see birds in a new light, and I am now interested in taking steps to save them. The various footage of birds and bird songs have shown me that birds are really fascinating and worth watching. Also- with Activity 2- we do keep our cat inside!

Activity 2: When we bought our 1970s ugly house, we were thrilled by one feature: a 10 x 10 atrium.  Wall on one side, glass sliders the other 3.  We installed a cat door in one slider, installed a few beams, and wired in the top.  Cost of materials: $100.  Instant catio  for our 2 indoor cats.  They have ledges to climb and sleep on, a cat house, etc.  It’s their happy place.  We also have a patio, not a yard, on the other side of the house, and the bird feeders hanging there keep the cats endlessly entertained.  It’s a myth that cats need to be outdoors.  If enough stimulation is provided indoors, they can be quite content! (And the birds benefit, too.) In the front of our house, we recently replaced all the palms and lava rock (so 1970s!) with native plants.  Working with a landscape designer, we chose bird and butterfly friendly plants that are indigenous to our area, and ones we see and love when we’re out hiking.  I can’t wait for the Toyon to bear fruit—birds love the red berries. We also planted a bunch of milkweed behind the house, thinking we’d create a monarch butterfly station.  Too close to the bird feeders! The Yellow Warblers loved the caterpillars... Will investigate the bird friendly coffee.  I hope Peet’s has it!  Please, please.  Let Major Dickason’s be bird friendly!

Activity 1:  Why birds matter to me. My Dad is responsible for fostering my interest in birds. When I was a child, I remember how vigilant he was about keeping the bird feeder well-stocked during the winter, his efforts to keep the neighbor's cat away, and how he would point out the different birds at the feeder by showing me his field guide. To this day, I enjoy when he calls letting me know there's a hawk in the backyard terrorizing the frequent flyers at his birdfeeder. I hope parents realize that by sharing their interests, they can shape the next generation of enthusiasts, whether it be birding or any other hobby.

I've been involved in citizen science related to birding for nearly 20 years.  I started with the Great Backyard Bird Count, then Project Feeder Watch.  I've been using ebird.org for 14 years, but this course introduced me to some of the features of the site that I wasn't as familiar with.  I will be definitely taking the Ebird Essentials free course next. By education I am a plastics engineer, but I am not a fan of plastic bottled water.  I keep a yeti thermos bottle filled with filtered tap water next to me at all times. One tip - the plastic ring holders used on six packs of soda pop are a particular concern for shore birds and marine life.  Take a few seconds and snip the rings with scissors before tossing them in the trash. We have a second floor deck patio door and have experienced bird strikes up close and personal.  (In one case a cardinal hit our door and while stunned a hawk came down and swooped it up.  My wife is still traumatized...)  A web search brought us to the American Bird Conservancy list linked in this lesson.  After researching the list, we opted for the Feather Friendly DIY adhesive dots.  Super easy to install and almost invisible from the inside.  Put them up at the start of this summer, so far no casualties!

Activity 2: I made my entrance into the bird world while watching a Hummingbird build a nest just outside my front door. For the first time I noticed the beautiful Western Tanager on its spring migration through my neighborhood. It's probably done this migration many times before but for once I just sat and listened to the sounds around me and that is how I discovered them. Since that time I have participated in a raptor survey and will do it again next year. I have joined the Audubon Society and participated in a bird walk. I found these courses and plan to take more. I think the greatest thing I am doing right now for birds is sharing what I have learned with friends and family. This has made them more conscious and aware of the birds around them. They too, now look and listen. Once traveling is safe again, my sister and I plan on making a trip out to New York and Sapsucker Woods. In the meantime I will have to be satisfied with watching the live feeder cams!

Activity 1: Birds as an essential species are special because their existence is up close and personal. That is the science of their contribution to the ecosystem is complemented delightedly in their art form - both sight and sound. Are home is enveloped by these sights and sounds which is pleasant and constant reminder of their importance more so than any species that live here on our farm.  This course has only reinforced our observational skills and encouraged us further down the citizen science trail we must stay on. Activity 2: We are reducing or avoiding plastic.  We recover waste plastic on our river shore.  We observe and report what we see on eBird. We participate in an annual Blue Bird nest watch here in Virginia.  We provide feed for are yard birds during harsher months and prior to breeding.  Our cats stay inside and enjoy the birds from the windows. We have installed anti collision products on our windows but need to do more here. Activity 3: The most significant losses over my lifetime here on Waterloo Farm has been the reduction of Quail population or "Bobwhite" and the Whippoorwill. A pair of Bobwhite were heard and observed in 2018 but we believe a window birdstrike at our home took one. A single has been back in 2019 and 2020 calling which may have been a mate. We have allowed old hedgerow sites to regenerate in order to support this species but are not seeing the results of yet.  The Whippoorwill we thought, was heard around 2015 but not since. This species was my best childhood memory, falling asleep in a non-AC, window open house in the hot summer with this lovely singer calling into the night.  A sad loss here. Activity 4: I signed up for the Virginia Breeding Atlas project but have not been a good participant.  This course has stimulated me to get more training on how to observe in breeding season including nesting.

Activity one: I love birds.  They are precious to watch and beautiful.  I know some of the citizen science projects but not all of them.  I didn't know about the bird safe coffee.  I've learned a lot about birds and they're habitats and identification.  I plan to take more birding courses and practice more in the field.

Activity 1: Why do birds matter to you? Has this course changed your thoughts about why birds are important? Post your thoughts in the discussion. I've always loved birds.  They bring joy and beauty to the day.   They are examples of God's artistry.   Of course, the items highlighted in the last section (pollination, seed spreading, serving as notifications of climate issues, cleaning up, etc.) show their added importance.    I hadn't really realized their important role as pollinators and seed spreading.   Yet, even if they didn't do these things, I'd think they were just essential for their sheer beauty, visually and through their song. Activity 2: Think about the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds. Which are you already doing? Could you practice any of them more extensively, or start trying more of them? What other actions can you think of that could help birds? Share in the discussion. Prior to the course, I have made an effort to avoid using water in plastic bottles when I could, opting for filters or larger/reusable jugs.  I recycle when possible.   I have done container gardening and didn't quite realize how helpful it could be to the birds.  Yet, today as I was sitting on my balcony and several sparrows sat on the railing near me, I wondered if they were drawn partly by the plants there.   One thing I will probably be more mindful of is coffee and how it is harvested. Activity 3: Have you noticed bird populations changing over your lifetime? Share your observations in the discussion. I moved to a different part of the country when I graduated college.  So I haven't really noticed the changes in birds over a long period because the climate where I live now is slightly warmer.  We get some birds here out East I would never see in the MidWest (such as Eastern Bluebirds).  I do think I see more Eastern Bluebirds (rare that they still are) than I used to 10 years or more ago - which is probably due to some conservation efforts.   This year I have seen more blue jays and cardinals than I recall in prior years - but am not sure if that is a trend or not. Activity 4: What next steps do you want to take in your birdwatching journey? Has this course inspired you to try anything new or make any changes in your life? Share in the discussion. I think I will continue to pay more attention to bird behavior, knowing more about what's behind it.  For example, the other day I saw an unusual site of 7 or so mourning doves on the roof of a nearby building.  I was able to grab my binoculars and saw them preening - which I now know is important for flight.  I am attaching a photo of those birds here.    I also hope to get my cameras in more ready shape - as my phone camera does not do nearly a nice job on the pictures. To be honest, I dragged my feet on finishing this assignment, as it signifies the end of a course that was not only interesting, but a way to keep me busy and engaged during the isolation of COVID-19 restrictions.  It was something to look forward to.  I will probably find another class, and eventually hope to take a class on bird song identification.  Not only has this class helped me to pay more attention to birds, but to other wildlife as well.  (Such as squirrels.)  There is so much in the natural world to learn about and explore, even for someone who has been around for a while!  

It is great to find there are so many ways to participate in Citizen Science, helping birds and adding fun new opportunities. There is The Great Backyard Bird Count which was my introduction to birding. I am looking forward to and the Christmas Bird Count. Project FeederWatch sounds like a wonderful project. That may have to wait for me as I am having a surgery and will be recovering this year. But as a future project definitely! NestWatch sounds a little intimidating to me at the moment. I just came upon Celebrate Urban Birds and that seems like a real adventure. I am inspired to brush up my Spanish. I am regularly submitting checklists with eBird.  That has become the highlight of my day!

Activity 1: Birds are a world to me. I can’t even imagine waking up one morning and not hearing or seeing House Sparrows around. Everything in this world is connected. Knowing your neighbors is important. Birds can show if there are ecological problems around you. I feel we need more trees in our neighborhood, because the bird variety is poor. I’ve always wanted to expand my knowledge about these feathery creatures. Bird watching is so much fun! Activity 2: Just talking about birds, sharing books, pictures, videos or your personal observations can make others more bird conscious. From the seven actions there’s one I haven’t done yet – finding shade-grown coffee. I never thought of how coffee is grown until this course and I’m glad I can use my knowledge to help birds and be rewarded with delicious coffee. Activity 3: I think there are fewer birds in the cities than 10 years ago. From what I’ve read we are to blame. New building designs don’t allow nest building; only one type of grass seed used in city parks and lawns provides poor seed and insect diet for birds; there are less green areas and parks for birds to live, which also provides poor ecological environment for us. Activity 4: I’d like to know more about bird seasonal and gender behaviors, their feather color changes. Knowing about bird flight patterns and songs would make it easier for me to identify them. I really want to go to different parts of the country to see all the variety of birds I found in the books and applications. I even started a bird painting course that will help me to be more observant and notice more details in bird shapes, coloration and behaviors. I also signed up for the course Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology. I'm really grateful for this course! Feels like a nice start of a great journey!

Activity 1: Birds are awe inspiring and inspirational. A testament to observation and exploration. Birds have always given me a sense of time and place and I value their presence in the world very much. Activity 2: I am guilty of owning a keurig coffee system. It does have a side compartment for making pots of coffee - so I should be keeping an eye open for bird friendly coffee. I also want to limit my use of single use plastics, however with growing demand for personal protective equipment in the form of masks and gloves - I fear 2020 may set us back years in reducing single use plastics. Activity 3: I haven't noticed a sharp decline in bird populations in my lifetime. When I was a kid I volunteered in a peregrine falcon recovery effort and it seems like peregrine falcons have made a come back as mentioned in the raptors section of this unit. Activity 4: This course has inspired me! I would like to start a birdwatching group called "The Thousand Islands Birdwatchers Association." Would love some guidance or next steps in order to properly register this association! I'd also like to invest in a nice set of binoculars and a good camera with a proper telephoto lens. I've already picked up a Stokes field guide and a Peterson field guide. :)  

Loved these birds by the water.

Activity 2: Of the 7 Simple Actions, I am already doing these: 1.Use native plants:  In my backyard gardens I have added more native plants, and am trying to learn about more of them that also might do well in our local conditions. After taking this course, I am more conscious of how plantings can also help to support bird life. 2.Avoid pesticides:  never use them 3.Reduce plastic use:  Yes, reduce, re-use, recycle, as much as possible. Mostly try to reduce wherever I can. What I will try to do: 1.Drink shade-grown coffee:  I have been vaguely aware of these labels on coffee brands, but will look for them now. 2.Do citizen science:  I hope to become an active participant -- This course has been such a wonderful introduction!  I have made my first few entries to eBird, but certainly need to get more confident and establish connections that will help me to do so. Another action to take is to let others know about the 7 Simple Actions.

Activity 1: Birds matter because they are essential parts of their environments. They are both predator and prey, they pollinate, fertilize, disperse seed. They have roles that surely we don’t fully understand. Their songs lift us up. Their flights and migrations inspire and amaze. I associate certain bird songs, calls and sightings with particular events that bring good memories when I hear or see them again. The endangerment or disappearance of birds remind me that I need to do a better job in  my own way of improving the health of the earth.

The 2020 Great Backyard Bird Count started my bird watching.  I received an email about it and felt this was something we just had to do. At first eBird and Merlin a bit confusing but now are everyday essentials. My interest continued thanks to a mystery bird that sang every morning right outside my window. I started every day saying who is that bird! I would go to work and talk about this to my coworker and sing the call. Finally one day I could show him a picture in Merlin of the Dark-eyed Junko and play the exact song I had been singing. Now my husband and I sit outside every evening and watch birds. I am recovering from surgery and this has helped me connect to the outdoors. I think the birds recognize us and they come up on the deck to say hello. It will be great when I can go to different locations to bird watch. Another goal is to add more native plants to our yard to make a better habitat. Starting a journal is another plan. There are lots of observations like why did we not have Mockingbirds here this year or noticing that the Quail visit different locations in the neighborhood that can be noted. Our coffee is organic and fair trade but there is a whole lot more to know about how coffee is grown. A brief search brought up articles from The Cornell Lab, Smithsonian Institution, National Audubon Society and more. This is just the beginning of a really interesting, enjoyable and planet positive   new direction. Thank you!

The biggest change I have noticed is the number of birds that remained in my area this winter.  Cedar waxwings, Goldfinches and even Bluebirds stayed through the winter, something I haven't seen before.  Here is a photo of the bluebird I saw on my deck in December this past winter.

I am glad to have a yard full of many native species and plantings that offer excellent habitat for birds and many insects. Right now I have species such as service berry, vibernum, red twig dogwood, asters, oaks, eastern red cedar and more. I am hoping to add to this collection this fall based on the suggestions from this class. My hope is to add Rhododendron periclymenoides, narrow-leaf mountain mint, wand panic grass, and either a poosum-haw or a Southern arrowwood. We also have a local arnoretum that has a native plant sale every spring and fall. I will try to aquire my plants from them. While taking this class,I have become aware of the vast bird population that visits my yard. The native plants are working even better than I realized! Hooray.

Activity 1 & 4:  I love watching birds, therefore we have various different feeders in our garden, seed feeders, nectar feeders and a fruit table. We also have a bird bath which we clean out regularly, it is lovely to watch the Cape Robins, Olive Thrush and Bul buls taking a bath. I took part on the 12 May in Ebird global count day and since then I have become pretty addicted to watching birds, I have decided to buy myself a DSLR Camera, in order to be able to take close up photographs of birds. Thank you for giving me this new found inspiration to observe birds even more closely than I did before, everytime I hear a bird I look up to try and spot it, I am now able to identify at least 6 birds by hearing their song or call.

Activity 1: Bird matter to me because I love spending time with animals and in nature. Bird make these even more fun as they can be seen often. There are so many different bird species in many different colors and sizes. Seeing them always makes me happy whether I see hummingbird or a bald eagle or anything in between. I never thought about why birds really are important, but now that I have taken the course, I can see how they impact humans. Thank you for making this wonderful course about bird watching!

I enjoyed this course and may go through it again!  I have downloaded eBird and will use it the next time I go birding.  I also want to  plant some native plants in my yard that will attract birds, especially hummingbirds. and will look for shade-grown coffee the next time I go shopping.  Thank you for an interesting, informative course.

Activity 1: Birds matter to me because it is one of my favorite hobbies in the morning. Watching birds call, sing, fly around, forage and recognizing them for bird conservation effort is a very meaningful activity. Birds are very important as they serve as scavengers that clean up the environment, and prevent the spread of communicable diseases. They also help pollinate flowers in Canada, so we have abundant food to eat. They can sense climate change earlier than we do, so we should help protect their habitats. I sure do not want the bird watching activity to be over. This world would be boring and dull without any bird watching activity. Activity 2: I try to use less plastic as it generates harmful materials that choke birds. I also participate in a citizen science project, such as eBird, to record virtually the number of bird species I see in the nearby parks. This is to help bird protection and environmental conservation. Other things to help birds is to understand what the city of Edmonton or Calgary is using to clear weeds (e.g. dandelions) in the summer. This is to better understand if any harmful weed killers are used that can pollute soil, ground water and vegetation (e.g. edible crops, trees and flowers) that the birds and humans rely on for food and habitat. Harmful pesticides may cause adverse health effects both birds and humans if consumed in certain amount and for a period of time.

Activity #1 what makes birds matter to me is that they are such an important part of of our planet’s ecosystem and are some of the most interesting creatures that we are able to see on an almost everyday basis. The differences between species are what makes them so interesting, whether it’s their songs or the ways they care for their young.I’ve really enjoyed this course.

Activity 1: Birds matter to me because they are incredible animals, and when you bird watch, you feel so many incredible emotions such as curiosity when you spot a new bird, surprise and/or wonder when you see it and identify it, and joy when you see how far you've come from seeing and identifying your first bird. This course taught me so many different things about birds and some bird species that I had no idea about, and now I know exactly why we have to protect birds today.--------Activity 2: Out of the seven actions, my family and I are currently doing 3: we buy shade-grown coffee when we have the chance, we try to use less plastic, and we do Citizen Science (we use eBird). When we had a garden, we didn't use pesticides, and we used bird-friendly plants, although we aren't really sure if they were all native. Right now, these actions are the only ones we can take, and after this course, we will try our best to do more to protect birds. I also told my friends about the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds, and that is another action that will help protect birds; if more people know about the actions, more people will apply them, and the more people that apply them, the more birds that are protected.-------Activity 3: My lifetime has been short, so I haven't seen any big changes in bird populations.--------Activity 4: After doing this course, my family and I want to buy a new pair of 10x42 binoculars and eventually a spotting scope. I want to take the Photography Course by Melissa Groo to see if I can take better and more advanced photos of birds, and, of course, my family and I will try our best to implement the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds. This course has been so informative and fun!

Helping Birds in my world Activity 1 & 4 Why do birds matter to me?  And what’s next? I studied Physics in school and went to work in the Semiconductor Field after graduate school.  I read thousands of journal articles during my career and every issue of the 50 years or so of National Geographic that came to my various homes, but very little fiction.  Birds were an incidental part of my perennial interest in all of nature and how it all works together.  As a child I was a hunter gatherer, turning over rocks and sticks and logs looking for the creatures that lived in the earth and trees and waters that were around me in my hometown of Worcester MA. At various times I had collections of snakes and turtles and frogs and salamanders and crickets.  Birds tended to be uncatchable so the only birds I had close contact with were Tweety I and Tweety II.  They were parakeets that lived in my childhood home.  Tweety I and Tweety II were indistinguishable visually but as different as can be in personality.  It made me realize that behavioral norms must be quite variable even within the thousands of species of birds that remained free of my menagerie studies. Audubon, Roger Tory Petersen and The National Geographic were my reference manuals for the free to roam world of birds.   Last year in the middle of several medical and physical complications I gave myself a birthday present of a high quality 40-150mm zoom lens with a 2X tele-extender.   That brought the free roaming birds into my hands in much finer detail and in living brilliant color.  While I can’t touch them, I can collect their images and observe their behavior in my smaller range of motion.  The tools I learned from this course also helped me understand what to look for and what might be next for the visitors who shared my long distance detailed observations.  Despite the physical separation from my grandchildren in this crazy Covid-19 world, I have found that sharing my images with them has been a way to interest them in the world around them and have a new topic beyond dinner and playtime games and their new pool or new school explorations. Meanwhile, I moved back to MA last week and discovered several of my friendly Florida birds were well adjusted here in MA before me.  In and around the pond in my back yard yesterday I was greeted by several of the same species I had just said goodbye to in FL.  There were three great egrets along the near side of the pond along with a pair of mallard females and a little blue heron.  I notice a flash of white on the other side of the pond and it turned out to be a black crowned night heron.  For good luck a redwing black bird cam by and perched on a long strand of grass.  He sang his melodic song and set me up for my next course of identifying birds by their songs and sounds.  I will love birds going forward and have learned new tools in this course.  I am looking forward to going out on my back porch  (Massachusetts) and my lanai (Florida) and being able to picture the birds who are singing to me even when I can’t see them.

1-I have like watching bird since I was young but not tracking them.  I have noticed the decline of some species in my native home, PR. I can see the importance of keeping up tracking the birds not just watching them. When I moved to the Southwest I did not know there were that many species, it has been fun to be able to know the names and areas they live. I have always likes humming birds so I have use the feeders and planted garden with native plants that benefit for the birds, butterflies, and other native animals. I can see how important is to keep a track of the ones I see and use the e-bird app. 2- I try to avoid plastic as much as possible; have used native plants ( they do so much better in the Southwest), they need less water and can take the high hot temperatures. I am using a bird bath as the temperatures have been very high in AZ, the need for water affects birds and other animals. 4- My son who lives in the Northeast was the one who recommended the apps and web from Auburn, has been fun and educational. I have new tools (and now binoculars) to use when I go out to the parks or from my backyard to monitor the variety of birds that we have here. The information and education has helped me identify the birds better. I think this was very helpful, toward my understanding of the amazing birds, the things I can do to improve their quality of life and mine specially during pandemic being mostly at home, have become more aware of the multiple birds that come to bring some joy, with music, and learn about their tricks to get food and water.  Thank you.

I did enjoy the Joy of Birdwatching class!  It reminded me of many things from my Ornithology class 49 years ago.  It taught me many new things that I took in gladly.  It made me think about the future, and how "Silent Spring" can happen if we leave things the way they are.  But if it is up to me, that sad morning will not happen.  I'm still struggling with e-Bird.

Helping Birds in Your World Activity 2: Think about the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds. Which are you already doing? Could you practice any of them more extensively, or start trying more of them? What other actions can you think of that could help birds? Share in the discussion. Activity 3: Have you noticed bird populations changing over your lifetime? Share your observations in the discussion. I think I must add Activity 3, since I am 73, and have lived in so many places [Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Sweden and Washington state]. Activity 2 helped me to make some decisions, as well as decisions I made long ago.  While in MN a beautiful oriole hit our corner window, and was killed.  I made a decision then to put some full-sized adhesive birds on our windows, and not one more crashed.  I used them in all large windows in every house. We’ve always planted native [as well as some roses, marigolds and food plants], but the Minnesota plan to pay to plant bee-loving plants seems like an idea that’s good for birds as well. We have used no pesticides since we went to NM.  That meant listening for tomato worms and plucking them off. We are now [state mandated] using only paper bags and re-re-re-using plastics.  Paper bags are great kindling for camp fires and fireplace. We started with Christmas Bird Count 53 years ago in the Black Hills of SD.  It was -10° F and about 2 feet of snow! The other 2:  cats and bird-friendly coffee, well we don’t have cats, but we drink coffee.  Thanks for the idea! Activity 3 I’ve been thinking about this for a while.  As a girl, my favorite summer place was the lake in northern Minnesota.  There wasn’t a bald eagle or a loon to be seen.  But there were other birds galore!  Eastern Phoebe woke me every morning, Purple Martins [didn’t hurt my aunt had a house for them], American Goldfinch [black seeds attracted them], Great Blue Herons [Shy-poke as mom called them], gulls decorated the docks, mergansers [with lots of little ones] and a bird I loved but I never heard again after about 7 years, we called it the xylophone bird because its song sounded like that, and because we didn’t know the name. Thanks to hard work by the rangers, I saw the first Bald Eagle, about five years ago.  My cousin hears loons in spring and fall.  Martins, Goldfinches, Herons, gulls, and mergansers are still there, but the Eastern Phoebes seem to be gone, and the little xylophone bird seems to have gone for good.

I really enjoyed this course. I think that I will look for bird friendly coffee, and put some kind of window safety decoration up. I recently started citizen science and I truly enjoy it. I like going out on walks and trying to be extremely quiet and still so as not to disturb the birds, and listening for the bird songs and trying to identify them. I think that over my lifetime the bird population has decreased, but here in Washtenaw County we have done so much to provide habitat for birds that I am sure there are more birds here and more varieties of birds than when I was young. We have tons of designated nature areas. I would like to continue ebirding, but first I am going to sign up for another class!

I enjoyed learning about and trying other features of the eBird program.

I am not an expert but I do enjoy birding.  I grew up in Northwest Ohio and never had any idea of the opportunities I could have seeing birds in their migrations.  After this course, one activity I have tried to to engage in is watching what birds I can see from my back porch on the 2nd floor of my house/  I have been delighted with watching a variety of species and observing the birds' behavior. Now, as I drive hinder and yon I watch for birds within my city and suburbs.

Another excellent Bird Academy course.

Activity 1: Birds are an obsession that began about ten years for me, but that interest has deepened. Some of this course was an excellent refresher for me, but the habitat session really deepened my knowledge of birds and habitats as that was something I only had a cursory appreciation of. I also found the bird savior portion to be a revelation. I've never really thought much about behavior, so I would like to learn more. Birds matter to me because it brings joy. As a coping mechanism during Covid-19, I've kept a bird list of birds I see from my home office window, and it has kept me sane. Activity 2: I currently have very limited use of plastic and I participate in Citizen Science. I am interested in researching what native plants would be appropriate for my backyard (native, non-toxic to dogs, et cetera) to make my backyard more hospitable. Activity 4: I would really like to find a bird watching group. I've also been non-committal about my bird lists and observations, and I now feel less pressured to keep those records in a consistent way.

Los pájaros me llegaron a importar porque son animales importantes para mantener un ecosistema sano y creo que las personas pueden aprender mucho de la naturaleza a través de ellos. Mi pensamiento sobre las aves se ha reforzado con el curso ya que aprendí muchas cosas mas sobre ellas Las acciones que realice fueron empezar a plantar plantas nativas en lugares como áreas protegidas, reduje y reciclo los platicos que genero en mi hogar. Dentro de otras cosas que se pueden hacer es generar más interés en la población para que aprendan mas sobre las aves se puede lograr esto a través del turismo

Bought my first Duck Stamp recently.  Pretty easy way to support bird habitats.  Looking for some shade grown coffee next.

Activity 2.  I have placed deterrents on the windows of my house where I noted bird collisions have happened and tried to place my feeders at appropriate distances to limit the probability of a collision.  I am also a member of Golden Eagle Audubon’s Advocacy Committee where we are trying to get local governments to adopt anti-collision ordinances for new construction and to encourage anti-collision measures on existing buildings.  I keep my cat indoors and only let him outdoors under supervision.  I am planting native vegetation in my backyard and hope to work with my HOA to allow me to remove more lawn in favor of native vegetation.  I don’t drink coffee, but plan to purchase bird-friendly coffee for my guests who do drink coffee.  I have tried to reduce the amount of plastic in my life, but it’s extremely difficult as everything seems to either be made of plastic or contained/encased in plastic and only minimal plastic recycling occurs in this area. Activity 3.  In my 19 years of living in western Oregon, I noticed shifts in bird populations.  Black phoebes and red-shouldered hawks moved north into my area.  Varied thrushes are in noticeable decline.  Eurasian collared-doves reached northwest Oregon around 2010 and I saw a decline in mourning doves.  Interestingly following the severe winter of 2016-17, Eurasian collared-doves seemed to decline and mourning doves seemed to increase.  I saw a precipitous drop in house finches coming to my feeders when avian conjunctivitis appeared around 2014 or 15 and populations were still recovering when I moved in 2019.   Long-time residents of where I now live in Idaho tell me that Bewick’s wrens and lesser goldfinch populations have been increasing.  Mosquito abatement due to the presence of West Nile Virus appeared to have led to a decrease in common nighthawks.

Birds are a critical part of our ecosystem in so many ways.   This course has inspired me to continue to learn more about birds and to take actions to protect them.  I also plan to become more involved in citizen science activities.  This spring I participated in the Global Bird Day and Nest Watch.  I plan to continue to participate in these types of activities and as well as advocacy activities.

Activity 2, I have certified my yard as a wildlife habitat by providing food (planting native plants), providing a place for them to raise their young, cover, water and I have reduced the use of pesticides in my yard. I left a dead tree in my yard and this year I had a downy woodpecker nesting in it. For the first time, I had a pair of Bluebirds nest in my nest box. The native plants I have planted provide a food source for pollinators (like caterpillars and other insects) in turn provides a food For the birds. Activity 3. I have noticed a decline in redwing black birds, scissors tail flycatchers, and loggerhead shrikes.

This course has completely changed the way I think about birds! Due to COVID and staying home more I noticed more birds in my backyard. This was during spring migration, so they were different that what I normally see. I stumbled upon this course during this time and it has really helped me learn more about birds and all their amazing abilities, as well as learning more about birding. I have really come to enjoy watching birds from my backyard and going out birding, as paying attention to birds is an accessible, everyday way to connect with nature. This course has helped me get into birding, which has opened up a whole other world that I was oblivious too. I am doing a few things to help birds already, such as reducing my plastic use. I am going to look into adding some window decorations to help reduce the chance of birds hitting our windows, and try to find bird friendly coffee. In the future I would like to make my garden more bird and bee friendly by planting more native plants. I think the next steps of my birdwatching journey will be to continue learning more about birds by taking another Bird Academy course. I think I would like to take the one on Hawk and Raptor identification. I would also like to learn more about the anatomy of birds so I can be better at IDing birds. I will also continue to get out birding! This has been a very enjoyable course and one that I am very grateful to have found!

Thank you for the  list of things we can do to protect birds. I want to highlight one super Important action: Voting vote for candidates with a green track record, who have shown commitment to deal with the climate crisis; work to get the right candidates elected both nationally and locally.  Join an environmental action group and donate to the cause i feel that these actions will carry a lot of weight

Activity 1: Birds matter to me because they are a part of Creation. They make me happy. They teach me about the world. This course has taught me that birds are also great indicators of environmental health. An abundance of birds points toward a thriving environment. Activity 2: I always keep my two cats indoors. It has been for their own safety, but I now realize it is also important for the safety of the birds that frequent my yard. I try to recycle and cut down on waste. I have started engaging in citizen science recently as I log my sightings via eBird. I keep my distance from nests that are in use. I limit the frequency and volume at which I play bird sounds on my phone so as not to stress the birds out or trick them. I could certainly stand to be more eco-friendly in how I live. I have never tried shade-grown coffee, but I might. I would like to hang some zen blinds on my bay windows to keep birds from colliding with them. I would like to plant some native plants in my yard, as well. Activity 3: I am only 19 years old, so I haven’t really noticed changes in bird population over my lifetime (although I am certain there have been changes). As well, I only recently started birding. I also moved across the country when I was younger, so the bird species that are common where I live now are different than the ones present where I grew up. Activity 4: I would like to become an active member of a birding club at some point when the COVID-19 pandemic no longer prevents people from getting together. I would also like to witness bird migration in the fall, as I did not become interested in birding until just after the spring migrations took place this year, so I missed them. This course has really taught me a lot of the foundations of birding. I used this course to teach me how to log bird sightings, which pair of binoculars to purchase, and the major bird identification clues. I have practiced many of the skills I learned in this course.

Activity 2. We are going to plant some more native bird-friendly plants in our yard/garden. We are also going to keep working on reducing plastic.

Activity 4. I will be taking small steps to continue and maybe intensify bird-watching, both through some personal effort and through the local Audubon chapter. I have been taking almost daily morning nature/bird-watching walks very locally, focusing on what I can see easily; heron-watching has continued to be attractive. After receiving information from the local Audubon chapter, a friend and I did locate a nesting osprey sitting on the backstop of a high school baseball diamond (near the cell tower where it is nesting) and were able to watch it in flight. I need help making progress on bird sound—very difficult for me to move beyond the really common and easy-to-identify songs and calls. I am also interested in bird behavior and bird science generally and will explore the Cornell university-level beginning ornithology course and will continue reading. I was interested in Eva Meijer’s book, Animal Languages, and what she says about birds, and I am thinking about reading some of Jennifer Ackerman. Any recommendations? I am a social scientist with a focus on  human well-being and public policies, but as I have just retired from full-time teaching and research I am making a small pivot towards ecology and the natural environment, and it seems birds may be my entry point.

Activity 2. We try hard to limit or eliminate plastics. While some retailers have moved in a better direction, many still automatically dispense lots of plastic bags, and it requires alertness and intention to avoid these. We avoid all pesticides in our yard and vegetable garden. We have tried to plant bird-friendly plants within the limits of our small yard and poor soil. We have maintained an overgrown cherry tree that at least one arborist has suggested we remove. We have planted Bee Balm, Butterfly Weed, and other native flowering plants, and our landscaper says that the grasses he planted in the front yard are bird-friendly in that birds use these grasses to build nests. We could do better here, with Milkweed (we are a monarch-friendly street), Yarrow (abundant in several naturalized areas nearby), Coneflower and Black-eyed Susan, all of which grow in yards on our street. We buy annuals, Calibrachoa, that are hummingbird-friendly. I hope to become more informed and active in bird protection through the local Audubon chapter and Natural Areas Preservation unit of the city. Public policy-- at national, regional, state and local levels-- matters.

After reading the Seven Simple Acti0ns to Protect Birds list, I am happy to say that I do practice many of these already. For example, I hang as many sun-catchers, window art or other colorful things that I can find in my windows. Having experienced a few bird -window collisions in past years, I find that the more things you can creatively place in your windows, the safer you make it for birds. Although I sometimes get questioned about all of my "window art", it has actually become a topic of many conversations. It might not be for everyone, but if you don't use window coverings or shades, colorful window art can make a big difference. I also never use spray pesticides on our yard plants and flowers, for fear they will harm the birds and other wildlife in our area. We often have to deal with the mosquitoes and other bothersome insects a bit more, but it is worth it! We still lightly apply insect repellent on ourselves, but we just don't spray it all over the yard. Although we don't have a cat, we watch for any strays that might be stalking around the birds. We limit our plastic container purchases and never use bottled water. We have an Artesian well so our tap water is very good, and we always use reusable shopping bags whenever we can. Lastly, we are going to make a concerted effort to count and track birds more using the EBird app to help do our part in collecting data.  Watching birds everyday from NW Wisconsin.   Enjoy everyone!

I have always admired birds and am extremely intrigued by how amazing they are. They are very important for the Earth, but many people don't think about that. Without them, things would be totally different. I recently planted lots of chemical free flowers in my backyard, and I even have a little garden that attracts many diverse species of birds. Even though it's something small, I am positive that it has helped the birds in my neighborhood. This course was truly educational and I enjoyed learning more about these beautiful creatures!

Act 1: Birds have always mattered to me--even as a child I loved to watch them. As an adult I've tried to be more 'scientific' and precise,  identify them and find out more about them. Sooo birds are important--just as every other animal, actually! They pollinate, and otherwise help spread seeds, clean up what other animals leave behind, provide food and so much pleasure! Act 2: In my area (Prov of Quebec), plastic bags have been outlawed (though in our current conditions the stores do seem to be using them again--sigh...), and am careful with elastic bands, too. I'm also an avid, organic, gardener and, as much as possible, use native plants--and will now be more.... obsessive about it! Act 3: In my observations I have noticed changes in the bird population, but I credit that in part to the fact that I now know more. There are some species I now see that I didn't before, and some in larger flocks. I compare what I see to my (vintage) Roger Tory Peterson guide, and do find that his "northernmost range" has been extended: some birds that were limited to the New England states are now fairly common here. Act 4: I have very much enjoyed this course, especially the input of others, located near and far from me. Their participation made the course come alive for me. I have also enjoyed (am enjoying every day!) the live birdcams, especially the Sapsucker Woods one, which is close to my ecological area. I found the ability to watch a bunch of different birds at the same time to be very good for learning to distinguish males from females, from juveniles, the different blackbirds and woodpeckers, their feeding behaviour..... I may try to have a bird feeder again--had to give it up because I couldn't make it squirrel proof (in spite of buying one that was supposed to be.....). Thank you, Cornell, and thank you all participants! Catherine

Activity 2: I already work hard to decrease my plastic use.  I use reusable grocery bags, have a set of reusable utensils, and use metal straws.  Something I didn't know about before this lesson was "bird friendly" or "shade grown" coffee.  I will look into that for the future! Activity 4: This course has made me think about and notice birds a lot more.  I got the Merlin app and will now try to figure out what birds I'm seeing.  I want to start taking more bird pictures too.  Taking this course has made me be curious about and appreciate birds.

I took this course as a way to provide quality time for an elderly family member who suffers from dementia. It proved a huge success due to the good visual content, succinct lessons and ease of accessibility for her--course sections were able to be understood without reference to previous material. Although this family member cannot remember specifics from the course, there is no doubt that it stimulated her thinking, augmented her delight in the birds at our feeders and brought deep satisfaction at "attending college," which she had long wished to do. That the course improved my knowledge and interest in birds was a happy side effect of trying to care for a loved one with dementia. Simply stated, she put the JOY in the Joy of Birdwatching. Thanks to all of you, instructors and class members, for adding to her life!

Activity 2: I already have bird safe windows, keep cats indoors or on the 'catio,' and in some ways have reduced plastics, planted native species in our garden, and started to use eBird to begin contributing to citizen science.  I could check to make sure the coffee I drink is bird friendly, and focus on buying produce that reduces pesticide use.  I also could reduce plastics in my life more and participate more in citizen science. Activity 4: I am looking forward to continuing to learn how to ID different birds by sight and sound and create more lists on eBird to track my lifetime sightings and help with citizen science!  This course inspired me to get familiar with birding technology and resources that help do this and are really pretty user friendly.  I had previously felt kind of intimidated by them and didn't feel I was "good enough" at birding to make lists if I was by myself and not with an experienced birder.  But everyone starts somewhere. I already loved birds but this course reminded me how interesting they are in many ways.  Thanks for the great course!

This course has opened my eyes to all the different bird species there are and how they affect our ecosystem. I never really knew how important a role they play in it. Birds are very intriguing to me. I now have a bird feeder and able to watch the different birds that come into my yard to feed. I have taken more walks in nature to bird watch and see how they interact in nature and with themselves and other birds. I will be taking pictures also and learning more about birds as this is a new found love of mine - bird watching. I also want to get  a birdbath for my yard too. I get excited whenever I see a new bird at my feeder! Or even if there are more than one bird at a time.

I provide a diverse habitat along with a variety of food options in the hope of attracting and sustaining as many birds as I can. Since it is late spring in  northern NJ, I am currently the host to the enchanting hummingbirds. I have a dedicated section of flowers loved by them along with feeders that I diligently clean and maintain. It is joyful to watch them flit around. All of the birds that visit my yard enrich my day and I could not imagine a world without them.

I find watching birds a very relaxing activity, but I never really thought of the environmental importance birds provide.  Birds help population control of other living things in the environment. They are the cleaners of the land as they eat the rotting carcasses.  They are the pollinators of flowers.  I have watched the bird species increased in my yard for the last 20 years.  When we moved into our house in the city 20 years ago, the yard was all turf with a couple peony plants and a lilac shrub with little bird activity.  I have planted evergreens, trees, and different height flowering shrubs.  I still have a little turf  in the yard.  I leave the fall leaves in the flower and shrub beds and shredded some leaves to save for mulch that I put in the beds mid summer.  I have different feeders suppling different foods such as safflower and sunflower seed, orange halves, suet, sugar water.  Now I have humming birds, all different kinds of sparrows and finches, orioles, robins, doves, thrushes, chickadees, sapsuckers and a Cooper’s hawk that comes through to help control the the over abundance of house sparrows(just to name some).  I may not be able to control the destruction of the environment of the area around me but I can provide an area for birds(and monarchs) to thrive in my little oasis.

Activity 1: This course has definitely raised my awareness not just about birds but why they matter. My focus is not on counting but on photographing the birds I have seen and I'm now using eBird to share my photos. Super excited about my new birding passion and to share what I have seen. Activity 2: We have always been proactive about adding bird friendly plants in our garden and about keep the stream clear and useful for birds to use. We're also making a concerted effort to reduce plastics in our life. Protecting these creatures should be a priority for all of us. Activity 3: While I haven't been birding that long, I have noticed the difference in just the past few years of the kinds of birding visiting our yard. I'm sad that our owl box was only used once in the past 5 years...hoping that we'll have one next year. Activity 4: I am now actively birding and documenting what I see several times a week and hoping that this contributes to the awareness to the importance of birds in our area.

Activity 1 - My mother loved birds and always had a feeder and she instilled a love of birds in all her children. I have always felt birds are important but this course has taught me so many fascinating things about them that I think they are even more awesome than I did before. Activity 2 - The one new item for me on this list was the shade-grown coffee. I am not a coffee drinker but my other family members are, and I am going to share with them the importance of buying this type of coffee. I think another way to help birds is to share with others what I've learned in this course. I think the more that people know about birds, the more they will see how special they are and will be motivated to protect them also. Activity 3- When my husband and I have traveled around the country I have often expressed surprise and disappointment that I haven't seen more birds. It seems like there used to be more birds in general. I recall seeing flocks on telephone poles and similar places but don't see that as often. On the California coast I don't see as many seagulls as there used to be, though there seem to be more crows. Activity 4 - As a result of this course I would like to buy a good pair of binoculars and be involved as a Citizen Scientist in reporting the birds I see. I also would like to be able to identify more birds by their songs/calls, and make bird watching part of my travel experiences. I definitely want to learn more about birds and be more involved in protecting birds.

Activity 1: This course has made me more aware of the lives of birds. I understand a bit more about what's going on when I see and hear birds. I appreciate more about birds globally and their lives away from my local area. As the course states, birds are an important part of the overall functioning of the ecosystem and are much more that beautiful to look at and hear. Activity 2: We live on 5 acres of mostly undeveloped land and plan to leave it that way. The trees and shrubs on our property are home to many birds. One thing I could do is look for shade grown coffee. Activity 4: I would like to get out with my local naturalist group when lifting of restrictions allows for it. As a result of this course and the influence of a birding friend, I now take pictures of birds, identify them, and submit to e-bird on a more regular basis.

Activity 2: In our garden we use organic pesticides.Also, I wrote a paragraph for my school about recycling plastic. And lastly, I have submitted 2 nests to NESTWATCH.

Activity 1: This is the first course I have taken on birding and I found it absolutely fascinating. Whenever I am outdoors in my yard or on walks in the neighbourhood  I now  look and listen for birds and observe their behaviour. We have a robin's nest on an outdoor deck speaker  and it has been so interesting to watch the different stages of development from nest building, incubation, brooding and feeding. I have also watched birds in our trees performing a variety of self care practices. Activity 2: Some of the actions I have taken to protect birds is purchasing decals to put on my windows, planting native plants and using eco-friendly pesticides. Within the last year I have minimized the use of plastics especially for grocery shopping. On account of COVID 19  local grocery stores in Winnipeg, Manitoba discourage the use of reusable cloth bags but this is temporary. Activity 4: As current pandemic restrictions are based in my province I would like to join a local birding group on occasion and visit a local marshland area.  

This year has been pretty slow in terms of bird activity. Compared to last year. Not many migrants, barely any hummingbirds.

I have really enjoyed this course, it's been well worth it! Even though it did concentrate more heavily towards North American species, which is what I was expecting, it was also very adaptable/relevant to where I live (Australia). As far as actions I have taken to help birds, I can honestly say I do all of them! I am a responsible pet owner and my two moggies are 'indoor only' cats. They enjoy their time out in their 'catio' and they are also harness trained. I work with the local shorebird recovery coordinator in our area to keep watch over our shorebirds during peak nesting/breeding times. I'm a big advocate for eating seasonally and buying locally grown produce that is farmed without the use of pesticides and I keep my plastic use to an absolute minimum; no single use plastic in this household! My garden is made up of natives, fruit trees and vegetables and I am very selective about the products I purchase and how/where they were made and the packaging it comes in. I think we all have a duty to take these simple steps and keep our impacts to a minimum. I'm definitely going to do another course with the Cornell Bird Academy. I would love to see a course specific to shorebirds:-) I will endeavour to use ebird more consistently from here on to assist with the data collection which I realise is so important for conservation work. Thank you for all the work you do to protect and conserve our precious birds throughout the world. Well done Cornell team:-)

Activity 1 - this course has absolutely changed my thinking. I am now recording on eBird, and while we previously enjoyed our nightly walks, now we are on the lookout for birds as well, and really enjoying it it. I noticed that while I have lived here for many years, I never heard the birds like I do now. I hear them, and am listening, not just taking it in as background sound. Activity 2 - I was pleased to see that we are already doing a number of things to support the population. Our property is largely natural here in Southern California, lots of oaks and shrubs. There is a ton of bird life in the oaks, in fact the reason I even found this course was because I was trying to identify an owl on our property, and Cornell kept popping up with great info during my online search. The trees and shrubs that we do have planted support a lot of hummingbird life, lots of flowering trees. We just added two feeders to our backyard, and while it took about a week, the birds have found it! It is great fun to watch. Also, our cats are indoors. However, we do have bobcats...can’t  do much about that, and they are part of our ecosystem. I would like to do better with the water bottle consumption, it’s pretty unnecessary. Will work on that next! Activity 3 - I have lived here almost my entire life, most noticeable thing to me has been the increase in parrots....But we love them. Also, there seem to be more hawks. Activity 4 - I joined our local Audubon society and am going to continue with eBird. Maybe take more classes here! Also found out that a friend from college who I have known 30 years is a birder, and quite accomplished. I never knew this. Sure fun to grow a friendship unexpectedly. Thanks for a great course!

Activity 2. I am already limiting my use of plastic products and recycle everything that I can. In restaurants, I request, " no straw please". I do enjoy grinding my coffee beans, but now I will request shade grown coffee. I will consider becoming a member of the landscaping committee at my homeowners association. Activity 3. I have noticed changes in the bird population in my lifetime: now I frequently see large wild turkeys which I never did before. They usually are in pairs and seem to bicker a lot! They seem to be attracted to moving car tires and occasionally stop traffic! Activity 4. This course inspired my to make every morning dog walk into a 1 hour bird watch. My retired Greyhound is old and slow, so it works out quite well. When I return home, I look up birds I didn't recognize. I'm keeping a handwritten list (for now, will consider eBird, but I don't want birding to become a competitive sport for me). Ann

Activity 1- Birds matter to me in that I enjoying watching them and photographing them. This course has taught me a lot. I was amazed at the number of birds lost but happy to hear of the gains in some species. Activity 2- I will look into planting native species. I do have a lot of plants in my garden and avoid pesticides. I try to use safer methods to help with insects in the garden, like soap mixture that is not harmful. I get an organic product from friends that do organic gardening. I put out bird seed regularly Activity 3 - I am seeing more Wood Ducks in our area which was one of the ducks that population grew.  I feel I see less warblers all this year did see more than some years. Activity 4 - I participated in May 9 bird day and tried to submit many checklists. I will look into the Project Feeder watch for the winter. I was amazed how all these lists from all over the world help in bird research.

I have really enjoyed this course and I have learned so much about identifying birds and understanding and interpreting their behavior.  I have done a number of things to protect birds including putting clear  decals on my windows that don't detract but allow the birds to see the window. (I ordered them on line). I keep my cat inside . I put out a variety of seeds in feeders that appeal to different species. My major effort recently is to replant  my yard with native species, severely diminish the amount of lawn, and make it  a  welcoming  habitat for birds and  wildlife.  The space is about 1/4  acre (in the city) including the house, lots of trees, bushes  and plantings. However I have seen an amazing number of species and bird pairs this year. I am hoping to gently encourage some neighbors to join me in creating a natural corridor of habitat. I have to be a little careful as one neighbors is apt to  catch the wildlife I attract to relocate it and everyone seems enthralled with tidiness.

I have truly enjoyed this course and reading the posts from the community. Although I have always appreciated and respected the environment it has been only recently that I have really paid attention and tuned in to learning about birds and how they are essential on so many levels. I have also learned a great deal from watching birds at my own feeders and now that I am learning to photograph- I can and will sit for long periods of time just observing.  Until spending some time at Audubon sites and reading I had no idea of the number of birds we have lost during my lifetime- it is staggering. I believe I follow most of the 7 simple actions but since I live in a condo I will be planting natives on my deck as to encourage and support the birds and pollinators. I have been conscious about the plastics I use and have reduced that a great deal just from using a reusable water bottle. I don't drink coffee but I will be sharing and urging others to be mindful of this issue. As I sit typing this a bird just bumped my window. However, I believe it is because the starlings (sometimes 8-10 of them) are fighting at the feeder and get carried away- not sure if there is a way to protect them from the glass. The two courses I have taken have fueled my interest and love of birding, photography and inspired me to become more involved with citizen science and open to learning more about birds, their environment and what our responsibility it to them. The courses have inspired me to use merlin and ebird and to get up early to seek out new birds and learn as much as I can about their migration and behaviors. I will continue to take courses, read, watch, observe, take pictures and become more involved in learning about how to protect birds and educate others about their essential role in our lives and our planets health.

Thanks to this course, I do a much better job of seeing rather than just walking and kinda sorta looking. In my neighborhood, I often see American Robins, sparrows (especially House Sparrows), cardinals, mourning doves, plus the inevitable European Starlings and crows. While taking this course, I’ve seen chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, a mallard duck feeding at and below the surface of the water, a pileated woodpecker in flight at dusk that I only believed because the Merlin app confirmed it, red-bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, goldfinches, a house finch, an eastern bluebird, gray catbirds that I’d been hearing but hadn’t seen, and the list goes on. All this without going outside my usual routes for walking. I thought that current circumstances would mean putting on hold  my plan to become a better bird watcher. All praise to the Bird Academy for proving me wrong, and for making me feel less alone!

Great course that has made bird-watching even more pleasurable and fun. Wish I had done this a long time ago and now it has become a firm hobby favourite.

Activity 3- We have noticed a significant increase in eagles in our area over the years. In the winter, they are abundant on the Hudson! I can’t comment on any declining bird populations since I just really starting watching the birds! Activity 4- I can’t wait to be able go on official bird walks with these knowledgeable people from the local Audubon group. This class was so enlightening and I had plenty of quarantined time to put into it. I also want learn how to take great pictures of the birds I see- like some of my fellow birders have been posting! Thank you!

Activity 1 My story is that I retired in December as a Science teacher, snowbirded for 2 months south, and returned to NY at the height of Covid. Birding has been such a welcome escape from the doom and gloom around me! I have been doing Zoomed Bird Chats with the local Audubon chapter and getting out for birding walks. I am a newbie to everything but learning about birds and their lives has a been a real joy! The course was great- organized, planned-out well, great visuals! Activity 2 1. No pesticides on our lawn! 2. Native plants in front of my house 3. Definitely need to work on the coffee issue 4. My front window has vertical blinds that seem to help the window crashes. 5. Plastics are tough. My town recycles and we participate, but I want to try buying less and using less plastics. There is a pilot program that is called “Loop”, but I am not sure if we can use it in our area. The idea is to refill containers, like detergents, rather than buying a new one each time. 6. Citizen Science- Great to have these apps on my phone when I walk! They are so helpful!

This course has completely changed how I look at birds and how I feel about bird conservation. This course was great hope all of you fellow birders learned a lot too.

Activity 1:  All of nature matters to me - the environment, trees, plants, animals, fish, birds!  I already knew that birds are important to the environment; however, this course has made me get out and observe them more.  And, the more I observe and know about birds the more appreciative I am of them.  Activity 2:  I do all of the seven actions already except for having numerous native plants and purchasing shade-grown coffee for my husband.  I will certainly purchase shade-grown coffee from now on!  We are currently doing research on installing a rain garden in our backyard since we have pooling water, despite having put in yard drains a few years ago.  When we do, we will be sure to plant native Ohio plants, not the ornamentals.  We are also considering a bird bath to go along with our three feeders.  I listened to a webinar from the Ohio Historical Connection about bird migration, and the number one suggestion from the host was to plant native trees, especially oaks.  We have two oaks already, but I would be interested in planting another native tree to soak up all the water we get in the corner of our yard.  Activity 3:  We are in our early 50s and definitely have noticed a reduction in bird populations.  I remember seeing swarms of birds, especially during fall migration, growing up in eastern Ohio.   Activity 4:  We will be planting native plants in our new rain garden, purchasing shade-grown coffee, doing the eBird essentials class, and continuing to get out more to observe birds.  (My husband has taken so many pictures since we began our twice weekly bird watching at area metro parks since mid-April that I will need to make a Shutterfly album entitled, Spring Migration 2020!)  This course and the birding has really helped my mental heath during this pandemic.  Thank you!

Activity 2: Thinking about the Seven Simple Actions to Protect Birds, there are a few I’m doing already but more that I need to make a more concerted effort to practice. 1) Making windows safer. I’ve been shocked by the scale and scope of the problem with birds and glass (https://abcbirds.org/blog/truth-about-birds-and-glass-collisions). BirdNote also had a good episode on the problem (https://www.birdnote.org/birds-glass). The front window of our home is a culprit, so I’d like to try one of these products (https://abcbirds.org/get-involved/bird-smart-glass/). The Zen Curtain or  Feather Friendly solutions look promising. I’d welcome anyone’s thoughts or experience with these products. 2) Keep cats indoors. Not applicable in my case, but I sent some info around our neighborhood mail group, reminding folks to try keeping cats indoors or on “Catios” — especially during the spring nesting season. 3) Plant native plants. This has been an amazing (and fun) transformation for my back garden. Thanks to the course for the link to Audubon’s resources (https://www.audubon.org/PLANTSFORBIRDS). 4) Reduce pesticide use. Proud to say that I’m not using any. I’ve used neem oil in certain cases for pest insects on leafy plants (http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/neemgen.html). Collectively, I’m sure lawns must be one of the worst offenders. Folks dump all kinds of stuff on their front lawns and then (at least it seems to me) never use them anyway. I’m slowly shrinking the size of my lawn with native plantings and, otherwise, letting a variety of mosses, clovers, and wild violets take over. I keep them trimmed so as not to be a total social outcast! 5) Drink coffee that’s good for birds. Wowzers. This cuts close to home. I’d assumed my favorite Peet’s coffee was bird friendly or shade grown.. but, apparently not! Can’t find anything on their website about it let alone product labels. The Smithsonian has this useful resource for finding such coffees (https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/where-buy-bird-friendly-coffee)… needless to say, I’m looking for a new brand! 6) Reduce and reuse plastics. Hardly any plastics are recyclable in my area (only numbers 1 & 2). However, I’ve found a nearby town that accepts #5. For other plastic films/bags, I’ve found that nearby grocery chains accept these along with store bags. 7) Citizen science. This is definitely one of the more fun ones. This course has been a great introduction to eBird, Feeder Watch, and the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Activity #1: The course reinforced my feeling that birds are endlessly fascinating, and symbols of a healthy environment, wherever they are. I never want to experience a "Silent Spring." Also as a musician, I relate so intensely to birds' music...happily anyone can enjoy birdsong though!! Activity #2: I live in a sixth-floor NYC apt., so don't have garden or lawn. But if I did, I now have your lists of ways to keep them healthy. Bird strikes are not an issue because of the bars on my windows (but if I ever move to the country, I like knowing how to make sure my windows are not death traps, thanks to this course). I drink tea, not coffee, so I thought I was off the hook on this one -- HOWEVER, it turns out that my favorite brand of tea might use pesticides. So I'm doing the research, and if it's not organic pesticide-free, I'll change tea brands! My cats have always been indoor cats; and I shop with reusable cloth bags and recycle any kind of plastic (and paper and glass...). Activity #3: Yes, I've noticed bird populations going down; i.e., here were no chickadees or robins wintering over in my northern Manhattan neighborhood this year. Activity #4: Changes I'll make include (a) seeing about doing e-Bird (thanks for offering a whole course on e-Bird since I'm a bit of a luddite), (b) changing my tea brand, and (c) continuing to support conservation organizations like the Lab, Audubon, and EarthJustice.

Activity 1:  I initially found birds interesting as a purely photographic subject.  My parents started putting out bird feeders around the time I left for college 20 years ago and whenever I would visit I would love to try my hand at photographing the multitude of birds in the yard.  Eventually I found myself living back at home for a few months after finishing grad school and one day while I was writing out a job application I heard a thud against my window.  I went outside and found a downy woodpecker on the deck below the window, stunned and breathing heavily.  Having had no real knowledge of bird strikes at the time, I figured he was a goner, but I picked him up and brought him to a safe spot on the deck railing to give him a chance, come what may.  I tried to go back to work on my computer but every time I'd start typing I'd lose focus - I would run back out to the deck every two or three minutes to check on him.  I worried so much about this poor little bird that I eventually just stood by him for a few hours, shooing away a few cats, blue jays and crows that started snooping around.  Thankfully, he eventually got back on his feet, tentatively hopped around on the deck rail, and flew off onto a nearby tree. My whole relationship to birds and the natural world changed that day.  I stopped just seeing birds and started caring about birds.  My bird education has been slow - I moved to NYC shortly after the downy episode and was/have been very disconnected from the natural world on a daily basis ever since - but the last few years I have really started diving into birdwatching and conservation.  I like to think that little downy, and that stupid bedroom window of mine, opened my eyes to a vast world of natural beauty that I only had a surface understanding of before.  I had seen plenty of amazing landscapes before that on vacations - Yellowstone, the American Southwest, national parks in Italy, etc, all stuff that's easy to immediately see as grand and beautiful, but after that downy I learned how to find the smallest or easily overlooked parts of nature just as grand as those big landscapes.  Even sitting here in my apartment in Brooklyn for months on end during the coronavirus lockdown there's beauty all around that I'd have missed in my younger days - seeing the sparrows gather nesting material in the backyard, noticing the male cardinal singing from the same perch every morning and every evening, knowing what the mourning dove pair is doing when they preen one another, and on and on.  Just like this course says, birds really are a gateway into the natural world and into the rhythms and cycles of that world.  And they teach you to care more about it. Hence, Activity #2: I'm an architect in NYC and now I have a chance to right that wrong done to that poor downy woodpecker and countless other birds everyday.  Just this year NYC passed a new law requiring bird safe glass on the first 75' of a new building (the law kicks in at a certain square footage I believe too, I don't have the text of the law handy at the moment).  Last year I asked the NYC Audubon to give a presentation in my office on bird safe architecture - everyone who attended was shocked by the scale of the bird strike problem and very moved to do something about it.  Flash forward to a few months later and the bird safe law was passed, thanks in large part to the NYC Audubon's advocacy and some local architects, among many others.  For my part, I have been and will continue to push the use of bird safe glass  and I'm working to convince the firm to write it into our construction specifications as a requirement on all projects, above and beyond the base requirement of the new law.  At each opportunity I discuss it with our clients not so much as an option but as an investment in sustainability (always an easier sell with our institutional and educational projects than with developers).  Eventually I'd like to become even more involved in the bird safe architecture movement and either work directly with a company producing new materials and systems to deter bird strikes or perhaps design a project as a test case to help develop new methods. Sorry for the long post, but this class got me thinking about so many topics and it's helped push me further down the road of advocacy and I just wanted to share that.  Thanks!

How do I share my experience? I can't find where to post... Please help me!

Activity 1: There's this saying in the introduction in my field guide: "Birding is not an escape from reality. Birding IS reality!" (Kenn Kaufman's Field Guide to Birds of North America.) Birding helps me see the good in the world. For a long time I've seeking escape into other worlds (which is very far from a bad thing!). This shows me that I can still find a lot of good without having to look very far. Activity 2: I'm already beginning to practice citizen science, and I don't even drink coffee. I want to get into citizen science more seriously now after what I have learned. I want to plant more native plants in my family's garden for sure. Single use plastics, get ready to be reused! Activity 4: This course has inspired me to delve into citizen science. I enjoy watching birds and learning about them, so why not use what I learn to help them! As soon as this whole virus thing is over, I'm going to attend the Wasatch Audubon meetings whenever I can. I need to find some people to go birding with.

1. Birds are important to me for many reasons. However the greatest reason for me is that they are accessible as a manifestation of nature and the outdoors. They have a natural beauty that I find hard to explain and give me great joy when watching them. 2. I practice all seven to a greater or lesser extent but can always do better I guess. 3. There are less small birds. 4. The course has motivated me to do more bird watching and surveys. I will use Merlin and ebird more. In particular I will do more deep observation. A great course! Thank you for making it available.

Activity 2: I like to reuse all my shopping bags, and I think it's important to bag up trash before putting it in a dumpster. I've noticed that a big source of litter in my town is when the automated garbage truck moves trash inside its different compartments. Especially if it's windy, loose trash blows right out and ends up in ditches which lead to bigger waterways. I would love it if there were biodegradable garbage bags, but at least I can bag something up tight to keep it from blowing around. Yard fertilizers and pesticides are harmful to ocean fish after rains wash the chemicals eventually to the oceans. Does a yard really have to be free of weeds and covered with water-hogging unnatural grass? I let my backyard grow a little wild, and the birds love it.

#2 - There is much more I could do to protect birds.  As a big coffee drinker, I will definitely try to find shade grown/bird friendly coffees.  I sometimes order from Gimme Coffee right in Ithaca and found out today that they carry a bird friendly variety.

Activity 4: I started taking more bird pics, while walking my dog. We are fortunate to have a large number of marshes, lakes and mountains. My dog is young and impatient. I decided today that i need to visit some hotspots on my own. It is so much fun to sit quietly in the woods or marshes and watch; rather than walking around. I am still working on finding birds by song, and i want to further my education. I have shared a lot of pictures with friends, and i am also discussing with them what we can do for birds. What's the next course? Cheers

Activity 2: I have always been environmentally conscious; recycling, reducing waste, natural cleaners, vegetarian, spreading the word. I am working on shopping more locally, to reduce environmental impacts. I contribute to nature groups. My new birdbath hasn't attracted any new friends; the new bird feeder is ready to go up. It's fun sneaking into the bushes to get a peak at the birds. It's a new game; who is that birdie? I am connecting with birders out and about. Children and adults ask what I am taking pictures of. Fun!

Activity 1: It is no surprise to me about the decline of bird populations. I knew about the increase in Bald Eagle populations. While a symbol for the U.S., Canada has alway had more Bald Eagles (to my knowledge). My love and interest of birds goes back at least 3 generations. My life slowing down has meant more time outdoors, where I have always felt peaceful. I restarted my interest in photography a little while back, and this has added to my awareness of birds. Learning to take pictures in flight is fun; the birds, not me. Lol. In British Columbia already this spring I have seen many migratory, returning, breeding and hybrid varieties that I knew existed. I am working on recognition of bird song and sound; hard work! I had always wondered about the different feeding habits and variety of birds. To my delight I have discovered I have many friends who are enthusiasts. During this time indoors for friends around the world, many friends have let me know how much my bird pictures cheer them up. Each time I post a picture I look up information on the bird in Merlin. I remember more birds when i was young. I was sad to see so many migrate last winter, and sadder still to see them in decline. This Mallard is looking at us sideways; wondering where things have gone wrong with his home.

Activity 1 - I've always loved birds and watching them outdoors. I knew they were important for most of the things listed in this lesson but during the self-isolation of the pandemic their importance has helped me be positive and able to enjoy the nature that goes on and on around me (I've been able to stop and smell the roses or watch the birds in this case). The humans may have pulled an all stop and might be going through a life changing event but the birds and all of nature keep on moving even when they go through similar things constantly and come out the other side sometimes a little worse for wear but still there and living their lives. Activity 2 - I try to keep my windows reflection free and have stuck pictures on some of them to prevent the birds from hitting them. My cat stays indoors (safer for her - no owl, raptor or other predator can scoop her up or having her be hit by a car and safer for all the birds that grace the yard although she can keep away all the mice she wants!) Activity 3 - When I was just a kid (mid 1970s) the Canada Goose population was seriously endangered. To see a flock migrating was quite an event! Now they are everywhere often considered a nuisance! This is also happened with the Wild Turkey - it is one of the most successful reintroduction of a species in our area! Activity 4 - I don't think I'll change my bird watching ways or have any life changing experiences, but I will watch more carefully and appreciate the sight of a bird more than before. Happy Bird Watching everyone!

I noticed this year our classroom bird feeders were visited predominantly by sparrows ( I think they were tree sparrows). Previous years we have had a lot more goldfinches, chickadees and juncos.

Activity 1: Good question! I think birds matter to me in the same way that all nature matters to me. It is our world. Without it, we can't survive and thrive. We are just one species in this vast and diverse (though alarmingly less and less diverse) world. I find birds beautiful and awe-inspiring, but no more than when I see mammals or fish or trees that really speak to me. I guess birds offer a way to observe wildlife that is much more present in our world than mammals and easier to observe than fish. I'm not sure this course has changed my way of thinking about birds, but it has given me food for thought as I've been out on my walks and on the balcony watching for birds. I've really enjoyed the course! Activity 2: I've become a big user of ebird, so I'm contributing to citizen science. I also try to use as little plastic as possible, and reuse where I can. I'm not using pesticides in my garden and do buy some organic foods. What could I do better? For sure I could buy more organic food and eat less meat, which would likely mean less forestland turned into pasture. I could use even less plastic than I do today. I could turn my garden into a place more welcoming for birds. I could look for coffee that is shade grown. One thing not mentioned in the list of actions to help birds is getting involved in a local organization with an aim to protecting or even expanding wilderness areas for animals. Activity 3: I've always been interested in nature around me, but I have to say I've never paid close enough attention to observe changes in bird populations in my vicinity. I've also moved around over the course of my life, so I haven't had the opportunity to observe the same place for the whole of my life. Activity 4: I'm pretty much brand new to birding, so there are so many things that I want to do 'next'! The pandemic has made it impossible to travel, even to nearby regions. When that factor disappears, I'm looking forward to exploring new regions and habitats to find new birds and to spend more time in wilderness-heavy zones. I haven't yet had the chance to go birding with anyone aside from my immediate family, all of whom are even newer to this than me. So I'm looking forward to getting out with more experienced birders sometime soon to learn from them. And I'm looking forward to taking my kids on some organized activities with birds -- I've found one nighttime owl session near our place that I'm excited about! So many things to explore.

I moved to my current home, on a farm in Virginia, 24 years ago.  Every evening, Spring through Summer, Bobwhite Quail could be heard.  We would occasionally see flocks of Quail in the pasture and fields, or in the orchard.  Over time, the numbers of quail declined and I haven’t heard or seen one in the past 3 years.  In 2011, I was noticing the declining numbers of quail and attributed it to the rising number of coyotes in the county.  I ordered and released 2 dozen quail on our farm hoping to see the population recover.  We planted Lespedeza, blackberries,  and Purple Hairy Vetch along our hedgerows to encourage the quail to live on the farm. Sadly, the sightings of quail continued to decline and I have not seen or heard any for the past 3 years. On the other hand, 24 years ago it was rare to see a Wild Turkey on the farm and today we have a very large flock of turkeys that roam the farm.  I often see more than 2 dozen turkeys in the back pasture.  They are also often seen foraging in the hedgerows around our fields.

Activity 4 - I will explore different habitats, this course has motivated me to do so. Will also study migratory birds in Bharatpur bird sanctuary this year. This course will add a lot to my hobby. Actually this course will help me to take my interest beyond hobby.

Activity 3 - I think I have observed population of house sparrows go down drastically during my lifetime. Also , in my village when was 10 there were many vultures, now one rarely sees them. Though I am also noticing the House sparrows are bouncing back :) .

Activity 2- Seven simple actions : - More tress, increase wild lands, no kite flying, setting up clay water pots, less carbon footprints, avoid pesticides and fertilizers and promote bird friendly bird watching. Will do these more aggressively : -Setting up of clay water pots, less carbon footprints, plant trees. What else can I think of ?  - I think Indian schools must take children to bird sanctuaries.

Activity 1 - They matter to me because they are not things for me. They are like kids playing in the ground and I feel happy watching them. Yes, they are important for ecosystem but I love them unconditionally. As the name of the course goes they are actually a bundle of joy, they are nature at your doorstep even in the urban setup. Thank god the population of house sparrows is bouncing back was feeling so empty without them.

Yes, I’ve noticed changes in bird populations over my lifetime of sixty years. I’ve been fortunate to live most of my life in southwestern Ontario, near Georgian Bay, part of the Great Lakes.  As a child, I remember asking my Dad how common bluebirds were when he was a boy. “ Oh, it was nothing to see bluebirds,” he replied. “They weren’t as common as robins, but you didn’t think anything about seeing a  bluebird.” I was at the end of my twenties when I saw my first bluebirds, and I recall it vividly. Building nesting boxes helped bring back bluebirds. Bald eagles and turkey vultures were unknown in this area decades ago, now they’re quite common. I remember the call of whip-poor-wills as a child, but seldom have I heard them since. We didn’t have cardinals around our place growing up, but they’re common in this area now, and I often seen them at our feeders. I suspect a pair have a nest near the front of our house. Meadow larks and bobolinks can certainly be found, but they’re not as common as they used to be. Farmers are keen to get their hay off in June instead of July, and many nests don’t get the time needed to fledge. And, there’s certainly less insect life than there was fifty years ago. I remember sniffing apple blossoms years ago- the tree would be alive with buzzing, flying insects. You had to be careful not to sniff a bee! Now, the wild apple tree behind the house will only have a few insects visiting on a sunny day. Great egrets nest around here now; they are a fairly recent summer resident. I miss the intense birdsong that used to happen on early spring mornings. Oh sure, it’s still there, and I realize my hearing isn’t as acute as it used to be, but I believe there are fewer birds now. So, all in all, I’ve noticed many changes in our local bird life over the years. Still, this time of year brings great joy as migrating birds return. I’ve noted 25 species of birds in my backyard this spring and I’m anticipating the pleasure of seeing rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore orioles, indigo buntings and hummingbirds. It never grows old!

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?