Best Bird Memory Project
As part of the Rockingham Bird Club’s (RBC) 50th anniversary, we want to make a collection of the best bird memories in the last 50 years in Rockingham County. Please be part of this. It is not a contest; just a collection of memories. To participate, fill out the form you will find by clicking the link at the bottom of this page. Only one submittal per person.
Basically, we want to know the what, when, where and why of your best bird memory. The what is what one species of bird made your memory. It can be more than one bird, but it is limited to one species.
The when is on what date since January 1, 1975 did this occur. If you can get as precise as the hour and minute that’s great. If the best your recollection can come up with is a year estimate, that’s fine too.
The where is where in Rockingham County or Harrisonburg this happening occurred. Again, please be as precise as possible (town, park name, road name or number, your yard, friends yard, etc.). Whatever location details you can recall and are comfortable revealing are fine.
The why is what made this your best bird memory. It’s your choice on how you define “best bird”. What is it that spoke to you, got you excited or was meaningful? Perhaps the beauty or the behavior of the bird. Here’s a couple of made-up examples:
- perhaps it was the most uncommon bird you’ve seen
- perhaps it was the first bird you saw in Rockingham Co. after moving here
- maybe it was that Crow whose sweet melody treated you while on a first date picnic with your significant other
- perhaps you were taken in by a huge European Starling murmuration
- perhaps that duck that dabbled and nested one spring in your birdbath
- the observing of a robin feeding her day-old chicks in that tree you had planted 5 years ago
- the behavior & devotion of a pair of hawks bringing nesting material to a nest box
We’re asking you to write a few sentences as to why this memory/event/happening was special. If you can include all 4 W‘s in the narrative that would be great, but you will see on the form there are separate questions for each W too. If this was part of an RBC event it would be great if you could mention that in the narrative.
The opportunity to submit will end June, 30, 2025. Then the narratives will be summarized in a document that will be given to the James Madison University Libraries Special Collection for archiving. Also, they will be posted on the RBC website for all to enjoy. Here’s an example of what a submittal may look like in the summary:
Great Blue Heron Paul Heron, Bridgewater, VA
In June 2010 I was hiking in Wildwood Park in Dayton and 2 Great Blue Herons flew over. The way they stood out in the sunlight was quite spectacular. They landed in the North River there and I was able to get great looks and watch them fish for a while. Some children asked me what I was doing and I was able to share the experience with them which also made it memorable.
This is not limited to RBC members or residents of Rockingham County, so please encourage friends and family to submit. Anyone can participate as long as the memory was in the last 50 years in Rockingham County. If you need any clarification or have other questions, feel free to contact me (art.fovargue@gmail.com).