Dear Birders, Today starts not only the New Year but also the Hartford County Big January of Birding. So off we go, to count as many species in Hartford County this month as possible. My FOY (first of year) bird is a cardinal, and just by looking out my kitchen window in three minutes I saw six species - a nice start with some favorites! Hartford Audubon awards certificates to folks -- and you do not need to be a member! -- who report in eBird the minimum number of species for their age group, as well as prizes in each category. We hope you'll all get out and birding this month. And Happy New Year! Sarah Faulkner, Past-President of HAS To participate, birders should enter their daily or periodic observations into ebird.org, the free birdwatching site maintained by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. At the end of the month, Hartford Audubon will retrieve all the data and award certificates and prizes. There are four categories: * Youth (ages 4-10) who must see at least 25 species to enter * Teen (ages 11-17) who must see at least 35 species to enter * Weekend Warrior (adults ages 18 and up who can’t get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 50 species to enter * Adults (ages 18 and up who can get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 60 species to enter. All entries that meet the minimum number of species for each challenge group will receive a certificate of achievement. A special prize will be awarded for the highest species count for each challenge group, and the coveted “Golden Grebe” award will be given to the birder finding the most unusual bird. Please see the HAS website at https://www.hartfordaudubon.org/ https://www.hartfordaudubon.org/trips-events/club-events/ for contest details.