Travel

A new month brings a fresh start for those who decided to join in on the Bird-a-Day Challenge. The official challenge, taking place on birdaday.net began on New Year's Day. Since then I have been trying to play along, just for fun, counting how many days in a row I can find a “new” bird. (New = recorded for the first time in this game.) So far, I’ve lasted five weeks. Making it this far has already been tough, and it’s only going to get harder.

Plenty of people are playing along, some from as far away as the UK. And a number of new people recently started counting from Feb 1.

A Laysan Albatross flying in air. (Michael Lusk, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Whether he was searching for fame or just wanted to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood sign, a Laysan Albatross somehow made his way to sunny Los Angeles, CA. After his weekend trip (catching some rays, hopefully) with members of International Bird Rescue, the Albatross was brought a half mile by boat from the California shoreline and released back into its Pacific Ocean home.

Image: Delancey Underground Project

From the time New York City’s High Line Park opened in June 2009, it’s caused a stir. In a city that can feel packed with people, any new nook for trees is a blessing. This park in particular was a reminder of how an aging urban space—in this case, former freight train tracks—could be reused and recycled into something new. Two new proposals for NYC could provide more inspiration.

“That was the thing about Levantin: He loved the birds, but he really loved the places they brought him. When you spend your career in the confines of a gray suit, the pipits at dawn above timberline are even more wondrous,” wrote Mark Obmascik, author of The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession.

I am not obsessed—not even a little. But I get what Obmascik was saying. For some birders those little feathered creatures fluttering in the bushes are a tick in their notebooks. For others, they are a reason to take in the spectacles that most of us miss.

Despite my tradition of renouncing New Year’s resolutions, I’ve made several this year. Yes, the normal lose five pounds, get organized, consume less caffeine, exercise more often… but also to beat last year's record: 80 days. That’s how long I lasted in 2011’s Bird-A-Day challenge, a contest to see a new bird species for every day of the year.

The Bird-A-Day Challenge is off to a strong start. A New Year's Day trip to the coast yielded one of the birds best known for its haunting calls. Day two produced a bird nicknamed the bluebill. Can you id these birds?

Whether you fancy yourself a serious “lister,” a novice birder, an outdoor enthusiast, or a hard-core competitor, you may be interested in a challenge that is about to begin when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.

It’s called “Bird-A-Day.” The objective: Count how many days in a row you can find a “new” bird. (New = recorded for the first time in this game.) The rule: You must never repeat a species, nor go a day without seeing a new one. If you do, you are out of the challenge.

Researchers and conservationists have helped to raise a bumper crop of scarlet macaw fledglings in the forests of Guatemala. Credit: WCS Guatemala Program
 
A record number of scarlet macaw fledglings took flight over the forest canopies of Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve this fall. The 29 brilliantly colored birds fledging is a major conservation victory, say researchers and conservationists who monitored 24 nests. In stark contrast, only one fledgling from 15 monitored nests took flight in 2003.

Amidst the traffic and chaos of New York City, it’s easy to forget the planet’s non-human inhabitants. That may be why the appearance of an enormous blue kiwi beside the 72nd street subway is such a shock.

The Big Year, a star-studded, endearingly quirky look at the world of competitive birders, hits theaters Friday. Here at Audubon, film-fans and birders alike are all aflutter. Click through to watch the exclusive interview with the film's stars Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson...