Vermont's Birding Community
By Pat Phillips
In recent weeks, I have had the pleasure of leading a number of Green Mountain Audubon Society bird walks at sites in Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties. Participating in each of these outings have been birders with all levels of experience. Chatting with these novice-to-veteran bird watchers has made me reflect upon my own growth as a birder and the gratitude that I have toward those from whom I have learned.
Birders generally tend to be a generous and enthusiastic group who derive as much pleasure from seeing a given species as they do from sharing it with others. This characteristic is invaluable to new birders, eager to listen, learn, and persevere in their pursuit of getting a grasp on the diversity of avian species and their characteristics. Virtually all outstanding birders had to start from zero and surely benefited from such support as they improved.
Today, emerging birders have the advantage of multiple outstanding field guides, both digital and in print, the extraordinary Merlin app, assisting in identification by sight and sound, and a wide range of video resources and podcasts designed to hone birding skills. Many of us can recall the early days of poring over Peterson’s guides in an effort to identify a bird that we had spotted. Hours spent listening to cassette tapes, repeatedly playing calls and songs, and memorizing mnemonic song devices, further assisted our efforts at improving our aural identification skills. However, one of the most valuable resources in this effort has been the assistance of experienced birders in the field.
Here in Vermont, we are fortunate to be members of an active and growing birding community that welcomes and encourages novice birders in their efforts. Throughout the state, experts in the field regularly donate their time and knowledge as they share their love of nature, and birds in particular. All one really needs to do is to visit a spot frequently visited by birders to avail themselves of such assistance. Individuals are also encouraged and welcomed to join Audubon Vermont and any of the Audubon chapters that serve their county or school. These include not only the Green Mountain Audubon Society, but Otter Creek Audubon; Rutland County Bird Alliance; Ascutney Mountain Audubon; Southeastern Vermont Audubon; Queerbirders.btv; the UVM Birding Club; the Swan Society at Vermont Law School; and others. Each of these groups frequently offer free guided outings through which folks new to this activity can participate side-by-side with true experts.
Other groups and institutions providing opportunities to gain further knowledge include the Birds of Vermont Museum; the Mad Birders; the North Branch Nature Center; the Vermont Institute of Natural Science; the Friends of Missisquoi; Shelburne Farms; the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife; Outreach for Earth Stewardship; and others.
Vermont is rich with opportunities to enjoy our natural world, but it has an even richer resource in the people who generously share their appreciation of it with others. Our birding community is a natural extension of this ethic and provides everyone with a myriad of possible ways to learn, enjoy, share, and appreciate the wonders of birds. Whether a novice or veteran birder, please consider participating in a bird walk or joining one of these groups, and know that you will be welcomed.
Finally, I want to call to the community’s attention a thought provoking op-ed piece that appeared recently in The Shelburne News. It’s written by Meredith Barges, a PhD student and member of our local birding community, and it addresses the need for bird-friendly buildings, specifically the new Perry Center that is under construction at the Shelburne Museum. I urge you to read it. https://www.vtcng.com/shelburnenews/opinion/opinion_columns/museum-building-is-dangerous-to-the-birds/article_188f6969-7bf7-47da-b60b-0874f200d4b7.html.
Photo credit: iNaturalist user er-birds licensed under CC-BY