Bird & Nature Blog

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Learning from #BlackBirdersWeek

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Have you been following #BlackBirdersWeek? The events of the week have come to an end, but the discussion that this movement prompted is far from over. This week on the Entryway to Birding blog series, I’m setting aside time to reflect on what I’ve learned as I’ve followed the week’s events.

Read on for some highlights from #BlackBirdersWeek that you should be sure to check out, and for some reflection on the important actions that the birding community needs to take to ensure that everyone can enjoy birds—safely and without fear.

Photo from @BlackAFinSTEM

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The Road Paved with Good Intentions

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I doubt that many or, more probably, any Madison Audubon member is an overt, conscious racist. Probably most of us have the best of intentions with regard to race and our hopes for a just and fair society.

So my question: Where does the road paved with good intentions run?

Madison Audubon photo

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A Beginner's Guide to Finding Birds

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This week’s Entryway to Birding post is for those of you who are feeling pretty comfortable with your backyard bird IDs and are itching to see a new species! Maybe you’re eager to test out your ID skills, or maybe you want to venture to a new destination in search of a little more variety than the backyard can hold.

Where do you start looking? How do you know where to go? What might you expect to find at this time of year?

On one hand, the answer to these questions is as simple as getting outside and seeing what you find! On the other, it gets a little more complicated as issues of habitat, range, and migration patterns come into play. Getting a sense of what you might see, where you might see it, and when you might see it can feel like a big challenge to a new birder who is still learning the ropes.

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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The Missing Link

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I have been able to be outside a lot — walking the neighborhood and fishing close to home. Folks are careful and friendly in the neighborhood. Lots of new tricycles, puppies, training wheels, and princess outfits. Folks are paying close attention to otherwise ordinary things. Jeff, my neighbor, loves birds so I wasn't surprised to find him stalking through his backyard with a camera. He was trying to photo the catbird at his feeder. He said it was the biggest, fattest catbird he had ever seen. I saw it the next day and Jeff is right. What is Jeff putting in that feeder?

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

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Bird With Me! A Virtual Field Trip at Cherokee North

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Are you missing field trips as much as I am? When you are a new birder like myself, field trips and group bird walks are like gold. You can absorb so much from experienced birders that share tips and advice they’ve accumulated over many years of birding. Nothing quite compares to having someone ID a tricky bird song in the field or point out a field mark that you can recognize right then and there.

I can’t promise you all the joys of a real field trip here on the Entryway to Birding blog, but I’ll do my best! I am not nearly as experienced as Madison Audubon’s many other field trip leaders, but I hope the little bit of direction that I can share will help open your eyes to a few birds that you may not have noticed before.

So where are we off to? Last week, I wrote about my experience birding at Cherokee Marsh for our office’s relay-style participation in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. This week, I’m heading back to the marsh … and I’m taking you with me!

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt