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?