Virus keeping birders close to home

Hard to believe but this pandemic has kept us in various stages of lockdown for nearly a year now. A common refrain heard around the world is that as a result of spending more time at or close to home, more people have a much greater appreciation for their natural surroundings. Increased awareness of the birds around us is one of the things most cited, regardless of where COVID has us holed up. This piece in the February 24th issue of a local newspaper on the mainland recounts stories of how the need to stay close to home has broadened the horizons for lots of birders around the country, including one ("MT") from Honolulu. According to the article, MT "learned about how white tern chicks are raised around the perimeter of her favorite park during quarantine. Those active nests were reported, put in a database, and the trees flagged to warn trimmers for purposes of conservation. This made it a win-win situation for both birders and nestlings." To MT - Welcome to the growing number of folks on Oahu that the White Terns have helped make it through the past year!

​To read how birds have helped others endure the pandemic, check out the article here: https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/lifestyles/birding-today-virus-keeping-birders-close-to-home/article_6e7ea477-7b33-5802-8f1a-a1fe70e26b9d.html