[Birdtalk] 2007 - a good year for birds

[Dave Hanscom]

I want to thank all of you who have posted information about the birds 
you've seen this year.  With your help I was able to get my life list over 
400 in 2007!  Not much of an accomplishment for many of you, but pretty 
exciting for this relative newcomer to birding.  With your continuing 
inputs, and with sons living in Baltimore and Seattle, my list will 
hopefully continue to grow.

On a related note, I received the December issue of the Salt Lake Birders 
newsletter today.  It was sad to learn that the organization will be 
shutting down at the end of 2007, and I wanted to particularly thank the 
people who have put so much time and energy into it over the years.  I've 
enjoyed reading the newsletter and attending field trips with you, and 
appreciate all that you've done to help me learn about birds and birding.

When I learned about the Salt Lake Birders several years ago, I could find 
very few alternatives for birding field trips in the Salt Lake area.  At 
this point, the several Audubon Society chapters along the Wasatch Front 
are scheduling lots of trips each week, and many of you are reporting your 
interesting sightings in a really timely manner, so there's much less need 
for another birding organization.

I wish you all the best in 2008, and look forward to seeing many familiar 
faces hiding behind your binoculars and scopes in the coming year!

Dave Hanscom