I began my birding year in December with winter already upon us. I didn’t realize it at the time, but winter is really the best time for a new birder to start, because most of the trees have no leaves! Bare tree branches make bird spotting quite a bit easier than I imagine it will be come spring and summer when I’m forced to forage through the local foliage. Winter’s myriad shades of gray and its ice-glazed branches have also afforded me some lovely photo opportunities, the results of which you can browse by clicking the Winter Box below. As the seasons change here in Rhode Island, so will the kind of birds and the look of the bird plumage and the landscape. This page will change with the seasons.