  Contests & Activities
This week: The Big Year Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week!
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That special day of the year
Late December brings quite possibly my favorite day of the year, and I'm not talking about  Christmas*xmas*! 
The third Sunday on December is my local birding group's Christmas Bird Count Day! It's actually hosted by the Audobon Society and is held all over the world! (Local groups pick one day to count birds in their designated area)
This was my second year taking part, and I had been looking forward to it since last year's count day. I got together with a few others, including an expert, around 5 am to go "owling." We played owl calls to see if any would answer, and we heard three of them! It's totally worth standing out in the freezing cold in darkness, I swear! Highlights of this year's count included hearing two types of owls, seeing four Redtail Hawks, two Bald eagles and at least 200 Horned Larks! 
I got into birding a few years ago when I was looking for a new hobby. While I was growing up, my Dad always kept a bird book and binoculars next to the rear window of our house (which backed up against a forest), so I invited him on a guided bird walk in a local state forest. From then on, I was hooked! This past year I even kept track of how many different species I saw. I'm currently at 135 and with only a week or so of the year left, that will probably be my total for the year. It's nothing like a "Big Year" (Have you seen that movie? It's about birding starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson) but I'm proud of it.
What does this have to do with writing, WDC, and contests & activities? I'm glad you asked! 
I think it can be a good thing to keep a written (or typed) account of your activities whether it's a hobby, your dream or your career. I kept a journal of the birds I saw this year. I plan to do the same next year, and maybe I'll beat my 135 number in 2018!
On the left side of your screen on WDC, you'll see navigational tools. Click on "My Account" under your name, and click "My Activity." From here, you can see your WDC involvement, like forum posts, reviews, group memberships, etc. Take stock of your activity this year and see if you can beat it next year!
From the "My Account" option, you can also look at other things like your Merit Badges and Trinkets. You can also track "My Submissions" here which can keep track of contests & activities you've entered! For more on that, visit: "Submission Tracking System" or click on the links in your "My Submissions" tab.
The key is always balance. Maybe it's not good to be too goal oriented that you forget to enjoy yourself, but having goals can also help motivate you to try harder. Have yourself a "Big Year!"
As always, keep on writing!
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Know of some gems that deserve exposure? Submit them in the feedback form or submission form at the end of this Newsletter, and I'll put them in my next one!
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My last newsletter, ("Contests & Activities Newsletter (November 22, 2017)" ), discussed ties.
My apologies, Spidey, I had no idea my forum had been featured here until Elycia Lee fan'd it. My belated thanks to you; it is no easy task getting a new forum off the ground, and every little push is greatly appreciated!
Read well, and write better,
 Jack "Blimprider" Tyler ~ blimprider
You're quite welcome!
Feel free to send your thoughts on this newsletter, ideas for future newsletters, or items you'd like to see featured! 
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Contests & Activities: December 20, 2017 Issue [#8665]
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