Bird-Watching in Florida Keys

The Keys actually don’t end in Key West. Seventy miles farther west lies a national park, the Dry Tortugas, situated on a string of islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The park offers sparkling ocean views, bird-watching and a Civil War prison, Fort Jefferson. And although it’s easily reached by plane or ferry for a day trip or overnight camping, it is one of the least-visited of all national parks, with just over 61,000 visitors a year.

"It’s not a park you can just get in your car, load up the car, and drive to it. It’s got 70 miles of ocean between the last point you can drive to and the park," said Bonnie Foist, chief ranger of Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks.

...I'll make a note to go...

Pantagraph.com

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Bird-watching in Indiana Dunes Nature

By Lara Weber. Tribune staff reporter

Forget about the surrounding steel mills and power plant. Porter County, Ind., smack in the middle of industrial ick, is evidence of what a few determined conservationists can accomplish.

Step off the South Shore Line into the Indiana Dunes and let the hard edges of city life soften. Leaves rustle from towering branches, a creek wends through the woods and the dune sands shift underfoot. This is not Gary, Ind.

An overnight in the Dunes may surprise you, too, particularly if you think of the area as a late-night party spot for carloads of teenagers. The cleaned-up state park--a completely refurbished campground opened in 2005--now attracts more bird-watching naturalists and grandparents in RVs than wayward revelers.

...connect with nature to soothe and relax the senses

Nature, families retake Dunes | Chicago Tribune

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Bird-watching in Rock Meadow

Rock Meadow, the town's first open space, is a valuable and vulnerable piece of land. Connecting areas in the Western Greenway, Rock Meadow includes forest, meadow and wetlands as well as the original Victory Gardens. There are opportunities for active as well as passive recreation such as walking and bird watching. The relatively remote location of the property means the opportunity for misuse of the land is ever-present.

...Rock Meadow are wanting to pass rules and laws to protect their land and wildlife. I'll watch the progress of this story...so stay tuned folks

TownOnline.com - Opinion & Letters: Know rules of Rock Meadow

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Bird-watching in Manilla

THE lush environment, as well as its viability as an area of study for natural resources, makes the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) campus an important venue for the application of ecotourism.

The 5,000-hectare UPLB campus is home to premier institutions of research that continually produce breakthroughs in the areas of agriculture, plant and animal science, biotechnology, food processing and technology, and forestry, all under the watchful gaze of Mt. Makiling, where a significant tract of virgin rainforest is being preserved.

UPLB is also a gateway to Mt. Makiling, via the Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR), which is dotted by geological attractions like mudsprings, caves and peaks. The MFR caters to more serious hiking and other eco-friendly pursuits such as mountaineering, nature walks, biology classes, camping, and bird-watching, among others. Endangered and threatened species of animals – the Philippine deer, wild boar, civet, monitor lizards, cloud rats, different species of bats, doves, eagles, kingfishers, and parrots – roam freely, affording hikers closer examination of thriving local fauna.

...bird-watching in a different country would be fascinating...

Manila Bulletin Online

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Wetland Park Soon to be Opened to Birdwatchers

Thursday, July 6, 2006. Murrysville Star

Bird-watching can be added to the list of activities available at Murrysville Com-munity Park, even though the next phase of park improvements have yet to be deterimined.

Near the wetland area of the park next to Wiestertown Road, birdwatchers Sue Solo-mon, Doug Bauman and Shelly Tichy have seen a wide-variety of birds, including red-tailed hawks, yellow warblers, common yellowthroat, red-winged blackbirds, song sparrows, a turkey vulture, a northern mockingbird and barn swallows.

Once completed, the birdwatchers expect that the wetland could attract bluebirds, woodpeckers, orchard orioles, indigo buntings and ruby-throated hummingbirds.

The wetland isn't open to the public yet, but, once complete, it will consist of 4-acres of marshes, varied plant species, a crushed limestone walkway and deciduous trees.

There also will be a parking area, pavilion and Purple Martin house. Plans for the park will be available for public review at the municipal building on Sardis Road weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at Murrysville library.

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Bird Watching on Long Island

Nature Preserves The hectic pace of life on Long Island can make anyone yearn for a walk in the woods. Sanctuaries and preserves across the Island offer a chance to step back, see wildlife in a natural habitat and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Otis Pike Preserve and Peconic Headwaters Natural Resources Management Area. The name is a mouthful, and the park is equally large: 4,500 acres of forest, fields, wetlands and small ponds. The Peconic River runs through the preserve, making it a great spot for bird-watching, fishing and canoeing.

...make a day of it...

Newsday.com - Explore Long Island brings you all things to do on Long Island - Including Jones Beach, The Hamptons, Montauk Point, and Long Island Wineries.

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Early Morning Bird Watching at Salt Lake

RED BUTTE GARDEN ACTIVITIES/CLASSES Walking for Fitness with Peak Academy is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. or 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 1; Strolling for Fitness for Moms and Babies with Peak Academy (801-585-7325) is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 1; and early morning bird watching starts up again on July 13 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. For information, cost and registration, call 801-581-4747.

...be there, or be square...

Salt Lake Tribune - Things to do this week and beyond

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Bird Watching on Bate Island, Ottawa River

Visitors can enjoy improved facilities and refreshments at new chalet on the island.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) invites residents and visitors to rediscover Bate Island, a popular site for viewing the spectacular scenery of the Ottawa River and for walking, picnicking, kayaking, fishing and bird watching. The 3.5-hectares island is six kilometres west of Confederation Boulevard and is accessible to the public from the Champlain Bridge, either from the Ottawa River Parkway in Ottawa or the Aylmer Road in Gatineau.

The NCC invites everyone to enjoy this unique natural asset in the nation's capital and asks that care is taken by all to avoid damaging the fragile ecosystems and natural environments of Bate Island.

For more information on the NCC’s management of parks and green spaces in Canada’s Capital Region, contact the NCC at (613) 239-5555 or 1 800 704-8227 or consult the NCC website at www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca.

...what a wonderful way to connect with nature...

THE NCC INVITES YOU TO REDISCOVER BATE ISLAND A GEM OF THE OTTAWA RIVER | Ottawa Start

Bird-watching near Avon yields stunning finds

Meanwhile, I’ve been doing my usual birdwatching with some unusual results.

In the Avon area, there’s a bald eagle that seems to have appropriated a “nest” of enormous proportions: I have seen the bird several times, perched atop a loose haystack the size of a small house.

It may, of course, just be lurking there in wait for a nice tasty rodent, but it looked a bit too comfortable to be in predator mode.

If it is nesting, I wonder if it’s taking credit for the construction work.Redwing blackbirds attract mates by having the best, safest nesting spots in the cattails. Bower birds lure mates into a carefully decorated “parlor.

...much better viewing that t.v :-)

IR // News // Bird-watching near Avon yields stunning finds

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Kids to get help in bird watching

With the help of a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act with support from the Cayman Island Department of Environment, the National Trust has released a bird identification card which will be given to every school child in the country.

One side of the card depicts 28 of the 46 breeding land birds with 24 migratory birds portrayed on the reverse. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the Cayman Islands. The card is made of durable plastic for long life and water resistance and will be distributed to schools with a presentation on local birds called "Do you know me?" which includes the common local names for many resident birds.

"The cards are a colourful depiction of the numerous beautiful birds which inhabit these islands" said Trust GM Frank Roulstone. "It has been the mission of the Trust to better educate the public on the unique plants and animals here and this card is a small but significant step in the right direction. Well-known local ornithologist and Trust Council member Patricia Bradley designed the card and we are truly appreciative of her efforts."

"We hope that these beautifully illustrated ID cards will help build a knowledge and appreciation of our wild birds, and encourage youngsters to get out and about, looking for interesting local birds, and the exciting migratory species which travel thousands of miles to over-winter here each year." 

The bird ID cards will also be available for purchase by the general public from the Trust and will also be used during bird-watching trips organized by the Trust.

...this is a great idea to educate our kids and show respect for our wildlife...

Cayman Net News: Kids to get help in bird watching

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America’s real pastime: bird-watching

By BILL CLARK Special to the Tribune

The National Football League claims to be "America’s Game" today, but it is a distant second to America’s real game - bird-watching!

To the NFL fan, watching means a beer, nachos, a comfortable chair and a TV remote to eliminate any hint of physical activity.

To the birder, watching means getting on two feet then walking anywhere from a few yards to several miles, battling the heat, cold, snow, sun, poison ivy, ticks and America’s bird - the mosquito.

There are more birders - well over 50 million - than football couch potatoes, and they are 100 percent more active and productive. They find their beauty in birds, not in Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

...suprising statistics...

America’s real pastime: bird-watching

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