(Return matching records with ALLANY of these words.)    ................................................................ state Choose State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illiniois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississipi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia    regions Choose region Pacific Southwest Midwest Southeast Northeast Mountain-Prairie Alaska California-Nevada All Regions    ................................................................ ................................................................ Journal Entry   Back Visitors to Silvio O. Conte NFWR's Montshire Museum on IMBD Treated to Sibley, Kroodsma, Raptors! Northeast Region, May 14, 2005 Print Friendly Version The first visitor arrived at 7:00 am and hunkered down to wait for the museum's 10:00 am opening to make sure she would get to see ?the God of birding,? David Sibley at 1:00 pm. That set the tone for the celebration of International Migratory Bird Day (May 14) at the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge's Education Center at the Monshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont. Soon, she was joined by many other passionate and dedicated birders as they fledged from their homes and migrated from all over for the day's events, which also kicked off ?Wings Over The Watershed?, 18 months of programs about migratory birds sponsored by the Silvio O. Conte NFWR, its Friends, and many partners. The birders and many museum members were thrilled by the events and pleased to learn of the refuge's presence at the museum. Visitors were greeted by the friendly Teddy Roosevelt Bear, with his fuzzy mustache, small bifocals, and big hat, as well as the vivid and vivacious Blue Goose, in the morning. Families were quick to snap a few photos with their children standing next to the mascots of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Wildlife Refuge System. Almost immediately, a large crowd started to form when they heard the loud, continuous shrill of the American kestrel coming from the outdoor amphitheater where the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) was giving a live raptor program. Families had the opportunity to get a first hand look at this small falcon, a turkey vulture, and a majestic golden eagle. Visitors clutching the green tickets that guaranteed them a seat in one hand, and books and posters for signing in the other, eagerly awaited the two well-known authors. A line formed an hour before the doors opened to the large room where Sibley and Kroodsma presented their talks on observing birds and bird songs. The talks both had similar themes - slow down and really look and listen! The audience was fascinated as Kroodsma showed sonograms and then played the various songs that matched the visuals. Sibley talked about his life-long fascination with birds and showed how his art improved over years of keen observation and practice. The soft and eloquent voice of David Sibley was drowned out by the applause of the audience when Sibley closed his talk by giving a pitch for continued habitat protection. He stated, ?It's no surprise that the ivory-billed woodpecker was rediscovered on a National Wildlife Refuge?. The day ended with a final rush at the bookstore and both authors generously signing autographs for nearly 2 hours. ?It was a great day for birds and humans? one visitor said. ?What a wonderful idea to have a day set aside specifically for migratory birds? another member of the audience stated. Repeatedly, you could hear visitors genuinely thanking both David Sibley and Donald Kroodsma for everything they do as they sat behind a table signing piles of books, posters, and even someone's binoculars! International Migratory Bird Day is held on the second Saturday of May every year and is an invitation for people to celebrate and support migratory bird conservation. The most successful vehicle for public awareness and education on migratory birds is International Migratory Bird Day. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge looks forward to having another successful event next year! Contact Info: Jennifer Lapis, (413) 253-8303, jennifer_lapis@fws.gov Send to: From: Notes: ..........................................................................................

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