#Audubon Day

[arthistoryanimalia]

Today is #AudubonDay, commemorating pioneering naturalist and artist John James Audubon who was born #OTD (26 April 1785 - 27 January 1851). I put together this overview of the 5 now extinct and 3 other possibly extinct birds whose images are recorded in The Birds of America for the blog:

Plate 26: Carolina Parrot, 1827 (Carolina Parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis) Plate 62: Passenger Pigeon, 1829 (Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius) Plate 66: Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 1829 (Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis) Plate: 185: Bachman’s Warbler, 1834 Bachman’s Warbler, Vermivora bachmanii) Plate 186: Pinnated Grous, 1834 (Heath Hen, Tympanuchus cupido cupido) Plate 208: Esquimaux Curlew, 1834 (Eskimo Curlew, Numenius borealis) Plate 332: Pied Duck, 1836 (Labrador Duck, Camptorhynchus labradorius) Plate 341: Great Auk, 1836 (Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis)

All plate images courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Montgomery County Audubon Collection, and Zebra Publishing. The entire digitized collection is available for viewing and downloading here.

[delicatelysublimeforester]

A Symphony of Songbirds: Audubon Day Launches City Nature Challenge

Spring is in the air, and on April 26, 2024, nature enthusiasts and bird lovers alike will have their binoculars and smartphones ready for Audubon Day – a celebration that spreads the wings of opportunity to enjoy the beauty of birds and wildlife. This year, Audubon Day coincides with the kick-off of the 2024 City Nature Challenge, a four-day blitz to discover the diverse wildlife that calls the…

[amomentoftimeandword]

Aug. 13, 2023- Sandbar Shark (aka Roughskin Shark or Brown Shark)

[strawberrystepmom]

me and my collection of aquarium sweatshirts against the world

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Audubon's Shearwater

Photo: Niall Perrins

"This small seabird is widespread in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, mostly in tropical waters; in North America, it is regular over warm waters off the southeastern coast. At sea it is usually solitary or in small groups."

- Audubon Field Guide

[mrsterlingusa]

Valentine's Day Kisses

[everydayesterday]

as my local nature center is out of stock (potentially forever--/stares blankly at the wall), I have switched to using the Canadian roaster that I used for my parents' xmas gift last year for my coffee needs -- birds and beans.

it is certified as bird-friendly by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (the specific criteria are kinda interesting), and is organic, fair trade, shade-grown, small family farms/cooperatives, compostable bags, etc.

the roasters have recently partnered with Audubon (their online bird guide is the best one out there) to sell within the U.S., donating a portion of the proceeds, which is convenient for me.

I'm trying the light and medium roasts. I'm still too scared of the Starbucks-ification of dark roasts, so I'm staying away from that for now. [their Canadian site still has a greater variety of roasts than the Audubon selections, so maybe I'll order directly from them in the future and just make a donation to Audubon myself.]

[I have a coupon if you want one]

[this is not an ad. I just like coffee, birds, and supporting charitable organizations and small businesses.]

[[square brackets]]

[rabbitcruiser]

Audubon Day

We greatly admire people working towards conservation activities and this factors into our celebrations of Audubon Day on April 26 each year. Held to commemorate the birth of John James Audubon, a brilliant illustrator, conservationist, ornithologist, and naturalist, this day also recognizes the crucial work done by The National Audubon Society.

WHEN IS AUDUBON DAY 2024?

John James Audubon’s brilliant work and legacy are celebrated on Audubon Day on April 26.

HISTORY OF AUDUBON DAY

This day is celebrated in honor of (and marks the birth of) John James Audubon, a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter who was well-known for his extensive studies on American birds and their habitats. Born in Saint Domingue (now Haiti), Audubon was raised in France by his father and stepmother. He began studying and drawing birds after moving to America, continuing to do so even as he moved to Kentucky with his wife, Lucy. He began delving deeper into his hobby of bird illustrations after the store that he owned went bankrupt, even sailing down the Mississippi River on a flatboat to find new birds to paint. He was so successful that he took his work to England and published it there. This work, Audubon’s greatest work, “The Birds of America,” is now widely considered as one of the most noteworthy examples of wildlife illustration. It set the tone for future wildlife illustrations; even today, artists are measured against this book’s standards.

Years after Audubon’s death on January 27, 1851, one of Audubon’s wife’s students, George Bird Grinnell, went on to co-found the National Audubon Society in John Audubon’s memory. This society promotes and protects the habitats that support the world’s birds, and also sponsors National Audubon Day. Located in the United States, this society is one of the oldest such organizations in the world. Today, there are many branches of the National Audubon Society all over the U.S., connecting John Audubon’s name to bird conservation forever.

AUDUBON DAY TIMELINE

1803

John Audubon Arrives in America

Audubon arrives at his family estate in Pennsylvania, America, where he studies and draws birds.

1820

Illustration Glory

Audubon floats down the Mississippi River on a flatboat so he can paint new species of birds.

1827–1838

“The Birds Of America” is Published

Audubon's exceptional work is published during this period, containing more than 700 North American bird species with 435 hand-colored, life-size prints of 497 bird species.

1905

The National Audubon Society is Born

A student of Audubon's wife, Lucy, establishes the first Audubon Society to protect birds and their habitats.

AUDUBON DAY FAQS

Is Audubon reliable?

The National Audubon Society emphasizes science as their basis for sound policy and action, which shows they are reliable and effective.

What is the bird society called?

National Audubon Society. Their official website states, “The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. We protect birds and the places they need.”

Who helped found the Audubon Society?

John Muir, George Bird Grinnell, T. Gilbert Pearson, are the founders of the National Audubon Society.

HOW TO CELEBRATE AUDUBON DAY

Go bird watching: Bird watching is a very fun pastime enjoyed by around 45 million people, as per data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Step outside for a quick (and safe) walk and observe the birds around you. You can look up details of birds you don’t recognize on the Audubon website. You can even take the fun one step further by learning about their names, habitats, and migration patterns.

Create your own bird-friendly space: Have some space in your backyard? Go ahead and design your own bird-friendly locale with native shrubs, trees, pedestal birdbaths, and more. You can hang bird feeders that you've created from plastic bottles, coffee cans, or even milk jugs for a better environmental impact. If you want to try your hand at more professional-type bird feeders, there are various woodworking tutorials online for making such feeders.

Draw, paint, and sketch birds; By all accounts, John Audubon loved illustrating birds. Take a feather out of his book and immortalize your neighborhood birds too. Grab a pencil and notebook and head to your bird-friendly backyard to draw the birds you see. Add in pops of color using paint or colored crayons.

FUN FACTS ABOUT AUDUBON DAY

Audubon introduced the concept of bird banding to Americas: The process of attaching a small tag to the wing of wild birds to make identification easier was first introduced by Audubon in North America.

His book is worth A LOT! In 2010, the first edition of Audubon's book, “The Birds of America,” sold in London for a whopping $11 million.

Audubon was an exceptional taxidermist. So he could sketch birds, then, if they died, prepare, stuff, and mount them too.

You might recognize a particular student of his: Famous naturalist, geologist, and biologist Charles Darwin sat in on one of Audubon's demonstrations of his methods, as a student.

Audubon made his money selling animal skins. A noted hunter, Audubon's practice of selling animal skins was his primary source of income for much of his life and even funded the printing of his book, “The Birds of America.”

WHY WE LOVE AUDUBON DAY

It brings us closer to nature: Many of us live in concrete jungles where the only brush of nature is a faraway tree, a kitchen garden, or a small shrub. Observing Audubon day brings us closer to nature and to what it means to be human in this world.

We can give back to the environment: The climate crisis reminds us that most of us aren't that mindful when it comes to nature or conservation. Perhaps learning about Audubon's conservation attempts and the Audubon Society's efforts to study and help birds and their habitat will inspire us to make more hands-on contributions, starting by simply being more bird-friendly.

We make some feathered friends: Who says no to making more friends? Only this time, we're making friends with some feathered buddies. All our conservation attempts, creating bird-friendly spaces, and even simply increasing our awareness bring us one step closer to making birdie friends and embracing Mother Nature.

Source

[muirneach]

eee look at my new calendarssss i’m so excited

[floristusa]

Flower Delivery Audubon New Jersey by Creations By Jenn Florist

Creations By Jenn- your local florist offers Flower delivery Near Audubon for all of your floral needs. We have a wide variety of flowers and gifts to choose from, perfect for any occasion! With our same-day flower delivery in Audubon New Jersey, Creations By Jenn makes sure that every order is delivered with love and care, no matter where it is sent. Send flowers to Audubon and dazzle your loved ones with farm-fresh flowers delivered right to their door!

[arthistoryanimalia]

#BookRecommendation for #AudubonDay:

Audubon's Aviary: The Original Watercolors for The Birds of America (2012)

[murderousink23]

04/26/2024 is Frontier Guards Day 🇦🇲, Day of Remembrance of the Chernobyl Tragedy 🇧🇾, National Audubon Day 🐦🇺🇸, National Help a Horse Day 🐎🇺🇸, National Kids and Pets Day 🧒🐶🐱🇺🇸, National Pretzel Day 🥨🇺🇸, National Richter Scale Day 🇺🇸, National Arbor Day 🇺🇸, National Hairball Awareness Day 🇺🇸, Football Shirt Friday ⚽️🇬🇧, International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day 🇺🇳, World Intellectual Property Day 🇺🇳

[amomentoftimeandword]

Aug. 13, 2023- South American Sea Nettle & some other kind of jellyfish

[inhernature]

[Image ID: Two wood peckers on separate branches face on another. Text reads "friendship is not a patch of mutual admiration placed over the broken parts to make them beautiful but the continuous goodwill to be entire with one another curving the mouth of being with the possible"]

An Almanac of Birds: Divinations for Uncertain Days