Bird Watching

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs."
- Joseph Addison

Because of seasonal migrations, the fall provides many opportunities to see a large number and variety of birds who are "just passing through". The Web is a splendid source of information on bird watching for the beginner and for the serious birder. Some of the major sites are listed below. Many of them have extensive lists of links that will allow you to delve more deeply into the subject. Don't forget to use a search engine like Google (www.google.com) to find information on a particular topic or to find a site that has changed its address.

Audubon Society
www.audubon.org
The official site of the National Audubon Society. Provides an Audubon Centers and Sanctuaries Locator, description of licensed products, a list of states and chapters, useful links, a link to the Audubon Magazine , and much more.

Maine Audubon Society
www.audubon.org/states/index.php?state=ME
Provides Audubon chapters, sanctuaries and centers in Maine.

MaineBirding.net
www.mainebirding.net
The variety of habitat and climate zones makes Maine a great place for birding - almost anywhere in the State. Maine is the only State where you'll find breeding colonies of Atlantic Puffins.

Gorp
gorp.com/gorp/activity/birding.htm
The Great Outdoors Recreation Page (GORP) is one of the best outdoors site on the Web. Their birding site provides "Expert Answers" to birding questions, regional and state guides, skill builders, photo gallery, and much more.

Birding.com
www.birding.com
This site provides a fairly comprehensive section on bird topography, a glossary of terms, many photographs, equipment, and many birding tips.

Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
www.birds.cornell.edu
This site features sound, bird, and slide of the week, samples of bird sounds from CD's available from the online Cornell Lab Birding Shop, publications, an online bird guide (with sound), and bird FAQs and tips.

Bird Topography
birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/all_about_birds/bird_id/bird_topography.htm
If you've eaten a chicken, you already know a few of the parts of a bird. Learn the rest.

Cornell University Library
rmc.library.cornell.edu/ornithology
From the library's rare books and manuscripts collection - "Beautiful Birds, Masterpieces from the Hill Ornithology Collection". The online exhibit features metal engravings and etchings, wood engravings and woodcuts, hand-colored lithographs, and chromolithographs by artists of the 18th and 19th century including John William Hill and John James Audubon.

Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter - USGS
www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/framlst.html
Photographs, songs, videos, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds.

Canada Goose
www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw/dfwgoose.htm
Everyone's favorite bird. The "poop" on Canada Geese from MassWildLife.

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