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.

• 

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.