Birding in a Winter Wonderland.

While wintertime may seem a strange time to go bird watching, there is nothing more beautiful then going on a cross country ski and seeing eagles and other non transitory birds or on a moonlit snowshoe hike and calling for owls and then returning to curl up in front of cozy fire and hot cup of cocoa or cider at the 6' House Pub,

Some activities of interest for bird lovers.

Taking Flight: Audubon and the World of Birds

January 21 – June 17, 2012

Berkshire Museum’s new exhibition Taking Flight: Audubon and the World of Birds centers on John James Audubon and his passion for birds, which drove him to create The Birds of America, a revolutionary work of science and art that launched Audubon’s reputation as the world’s most renowned wildlife artist.

More than thirty original Havell prints from The Birds of America paired with bird specimens from the Museum’s collection comprise the centerpiece of the exhibition. Learn how Audubon’s obsession drove him to extremes to produce the watercolors for the engravings that comprise the most valuable book in the world. Experience Audubon’s rugged wilderness existence while researching for The Birds of America. Understand the science of feathers and flight, the many different bird habitats, the highly-evolved senses of birds, bird intelligence, and bird behavior in a series of galleries containing a wide array of photographs and video, art, objects, specimens, and samples of birds, eggs, and nests.

From http://berkshiremuseum.org/exhibitions/taking-flight-audubon-and-the-world-of-birds/

Berkshire Museum

39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield, MA 01201

http://berkshiremuseum.org

Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Also check out events going on at the area Autubon centers, Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox is a short hop from the 1896 House.  http://hilltownfamilies.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/hf-341/

A bird banding demonstration and Eagle watch at Quabbin Reservoir is coming up in February as well as a Full Moon Snowshoe Hike - February 7 http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Pleasant_Valley/news.php?id=1833&event=no

Download and print a bird checklist http://www.massaudubon.org/PDF/birdchecklists/checklist_PValley.pdf After your visit, you can use your checklist to contribute to the sanctuary's knowledge of birdlife at their wildlife sanctuaries. Submit your observations at www.massaudubon.org/ebird.

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, MA 01240

http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Pleasant_Valley/