Good morning all! I am the Connecticut Coordinator for the 2015 Rusty Blackbird Blitz, and I want to ask for your help this upcoming spring migration season in aiding a species in the midst of one of the most precipitous declines of any North American bird: http://rtpi.org/rusty-blackbird-blitz-2015/ To identify migratory hotspots, understand migration timing, and inspire the public to support Rusty Blackbird conservation, the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group developed and launched a three-year Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz in March 2014. While rangewide Blitz dates span the beginning of March through mid-June, each state and province focuses efforts during peak Rusty migratory activity for its region. Here in Connecticut, our peak Blitz dates are mid-March through April, when the majority of Rusties will travel through our region. To participate, birders scour the landscape for Rusties and report their data to eBird (www.eBird.org) under the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” observation type, allowing the Blitz to tap into an existing network of citizen scientists and to encourage new supporters to use a broad-based conservation tool. These data will be used to identify Rusty Blackbird hotspots across the landscape and assess whether critical stopover areas are adequately protected. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Rusty Blackbirds have access to high-quality habitat throughout a journey that is energetically costly and already fraught with peril. If you run a local Audubon chapter or group, publish bird and conservation news in Connecticut, or would like to help get the word out on your own, please pass this on and feel free to use this article! Please email me for more information or with any questions and again, please see the article for more details and photos: http://rtpi.org/rusty-blackbird-blitz-2015/ Additionally, this is the 2015 Areas of Interest map for Rusties, places we want surveys and results from as much as possible: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/ Let's see who can tally and enter the most Rusty Blackbirds in 2015. Thank you! Scott -- Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History 311 Curtis Street Jamestown, NY 14701-9620 Tel. (716) 665-2473 ext. 224 skruitbosch@rtpi.org RTPI website <http://www.rtpi.org> RTPI Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roger-Tory-Peterson-Institute-of-Natural-History/64893237046> RTPI Twitter <https://twitter.com/RTPInstitute>