Happy New Year: Here’s our best bird stories of 2016

May 2017 be filled with many more victories for the birds we love. [National Audubon Society] Newsletter | Best of 2016 [Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons.] Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons. [2016 Audubon Photography Awards] This year’s annual contest brought out all of the best bird photography and came down to a true photo finish. Whether you missed them the first time around or want a second look, check out the 2016 Photo Award winners as well as the Top 100. [Read more] [Leucistic Anna's Hummingbird. ] [Rare White Hummingbird Steals the Spotlight at California Garden] This fall, a California arboretum hosted a leucistic Anna’s Hummingbird. Rare and arresting, the bird, which was almost entirely white, captured the attention of bird lovers across the country. [Read more] Leucistic Anna's Hummingbird. [Bald Eagle and Ospreys.] [Watch This Video of a Bald Eagle Attacking an Osprey Nest] An Osprey nest on the coast of Maine was raided in a dramatic Bald Eagle attack and our live cam caught the drama on film. Watch this rare video to see just how fast and powerful a raptor attack can be. [Read more] Bald Eagle and Ospreys. Big Wins for Birds [Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. ] [More than 260 Million Gallons of Water Began Flowing Into the Parched Rio Grande This Month] A big win for birds and for people! In a historic collaboration between Audubon New Mexico and Native American tribes, much needed water was released to help habitats along the increasingly dry Middle Rio Grande. [Read more] Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. [Whooping Cranes.] [First Wild Whooping Crane Hatches In Louisiana Since WWII] This spring we celebrated the birth of the first wild Whooping Crane in Louisiana in 75 years. Conservation efforts have brought the Whooping Crane back from the brink of extinction so this chick is definitely cause for celebration. [Read more] Whooping Cranes. New Resources for Backyard Birding [Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a butterflyweed.] [Plants for Birds] Find the best plants for the birds in your area with Audubon’s native plant database. Growing bird-friendly plants will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for, and better for the environment. [Explore all of our native plant resources here.​​​​​​​] Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a butterflyweed. Photos (from top to bottom): Bonnie Block/Audubon Photography Awards, Brad R. Lewis, Explore.org, Scarlett Howell/USGS (left), Sara Zimorski/Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (right), Dave Maslowski. Did you receive this message from a friend? [Sign up for the Audubon Newsletter here→] [Donate Now] Your tax-deductible donation can power our work to protect birds and the places they live. [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram] National Audubon Society, 225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014 USA (844) 428-3826 [audubon.org] © 2016 National Audubon Society, Inc. [unsubscribe]