I started bird watching in 1970. Now, these 50+ years later, I’m pretty good at it. I still see new bird pop up in my own yard from time to time that I can’t identify. Then it’s off to the Internet I go to see if I can track it down.

My advice is to bird watchers or want-to-be bird watchers, is to check your local news source (or Google World Birding events in your area), and pick a World Day Celebration to attend. And, if you haven’t been a bird watcher, I suggest you start being one. Anyone who ever goes outside or has a window from which to see out, can be a bird watcher. and guess what? The price is right.

Enjoy a Saturday, Mary 13, 2023 Audubon Wold Birding Day Celebration somewhere near you.

World Migratory Bird Day Event

On Saturday, May 13, Lower Nehalem Community Trust (LNCT) hosts a World Migratory Bird Day celebration. The event will be held at LNCT’s Alder Creek Farm (35955 Underhill Lane in Nehalem) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oregon Shores will join other local organizations with an educational table at the event.

More about the event:

“This is an inclusive event for all ages, abilities, and identities, with birding opportunities for all. We will have some pairs of binoculars to loan and spotting scopes set up to observe birds in different habitats throughout the farm, from both easily accessible locations and further afield.”

Schedule of Events:

10:00AM: Get to know your N. Coast Birds – Bird walk and talk with expert local birding guides
11:30AM: Native Plants and Bird Connections – Guided tour of the Nehalem Ethnobotanic Teaching Trail
1:00PM: Community Science for Conservation – Bird Walk and Talk with coastal community science biologist
2:00PM: Grand Tally!
Throughout the Day: ‘BIG SIT’ – Bring something comfy to sit on (or pull up some grass) and join one of our three ‘Big Sit’ stations, where seasoned birders will help point out species by sight and sound and will keep a running tally of birds throughout the day. Participants may arrive and join for any portion of time between 10 am and 2 pm. Spotting scopes will be available to help locate and observe migratory and resident species.

This free event is open to all. Please RSVP here to help LNCT plan for the day.

https://oregonshores.org/events/world-migratory-bird-day-celebration

New Jersey Audubon Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the

World Series of Birding ® on May 13th, 2023

A New Jersey Original

Cape May Court House, NJ–Apr. 28, 2023–On Saturday May 13th, from midnight to midnight, some eighty teams of birdwatchers will devote the better part of the day to identifying species of birds throughout New Jersey. While looking at birds, they’ll also be raising money for bird conservation.

Its humble beginning so many years ago was driven by a simple quest; to identify over 200 species of birds in 24 hours in the state of New Jersey at the peak of spring migration. No one had done it before and those interested thought adding the element of competition would get folks to take it more seriously – and they were right. In 1984, 13 teams carefully planned their routes, mostly starting at midnight in north Jersey, listening for owls and night calling birds at Great Swamp, for example, then making their way all the way to south and ending up at the Lighthouse in Cape May, with a lot of stops along the way.

Over the years, with the right weather conditions, competitive teams have tallied over 230 species by covering the whole state. Other birders wanted to participate but were not keen on the full 24 hours and driving the length of the state. Now, there are numerous categories, ie. “Ways to Play,” from staying in one carefully chosen place, to staying within the boundaries of one county, to riding bikes or paddling. There is also a Youth Division, sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sport Optics, which includes a Carbon Free Kids competition, for kids on foot and other non-motorized forms of transportation.

You can join the fun by visiting www.worldseriesofbirding.org and perusing the teams. Pick a favorite team and make a pledge or donation. Then on May 13th, you can watch as the teams report their totals by clicking on the RESULTS button in the upper right corner. There, you can watch as the list of “Completed Teams” teams grows as they submit their counts for the day starting around 6 pm, all the way to the last few moments before midnight.

A festive Awards Brunch follows on Sunday, April 14th at the Grand Hotel of Cape May. Remarks begin at 10 am sharp. Tickets to the brunch are available on the World Series Website under “Participate.” – Continued – New Jersey Audubon thanks its major corporate sponsor, Carl Zeiss for sponsoring the Youth Division, and the many organizations that sponsored individual teams, including Zeiss, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ernst Seeds, DSM, Hudson Farms, PSEG, Atlantic City Electric, the Montclair Bird Club, and Rey Financial Group. Well over $1 million conservation dollars have been raised in the 40 years of the event.

The 2022 World Series of Birding was featured on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO, which first aired in June of 2022. For more about New Jersey Audubon visit www.njaudubon.org