The Adirondack Core: Bird Watching is Having a Moment and it's NOT Just for Old People
Channel: Hike Long Lake
Date: 2023-08-22

If you look, there is an incredible diversity of colorful and fascinating birds to be seen, no matter where you live. You don't need a lot of special gear, and you don't need to be in great shape, just get outside and look. And it's not all just fun and games. Birds can and do adapt quickly to changing conditions, so they can help us spot changes in ecosystems that might otherwise be too subtle for our dull senses to see. 

To get started, there's a TV show, An Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper produced by National Geographic or visit the New York Times Go Birding website. 

Bird guides exist for the entire United States or you can also find guides that are region specific. In the Adirondacks the goto guide is, Adirondack Birding, by M.C. Peterson and Gary Lee. This is a terrific book with information on where to go and what you will see. 

Online, look to the Cornell Lab or Ornithology website at https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/. This is the ultimate online resource with all the information you need to get started or improve your skills.