Margaret Robbins, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Brookfield, will be the featured speaker at the upcoming meeting of The Garden Club of Newtown. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 26, beginning at 1 pm, in the lower meeting room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street in Newtown.gardenclubofnewtown.com or find the club on Facebook.

Ms Robbins will share some of the more outrageous bird myths and old wives tales - such as "You can't touch baby birds," "If you feed birds in the summer they won't migrate" and "Swallows survive winter by burrowing in the mud," among others - in her presentation entitled "Bird Myths Debunked."

According to Ms Robbins, birding is the fastest growing hobby in North America and is second only to gardening in Connecticut. She states there are more birders than hunters.

The typical birder has changed from the individual interested in ornithology to include children and families interested in learning about the many inhabitants of nature. Birding is a hobby that one can practice anywhere, anytime at parks, forests, while on a shopping trip or in your own backyard.

No equipment is needed although a pair of binoculars and/or camera, an identification book, and a notebook to record sightings are recommended.

Ms Robbins has accumulated a personal "life list" of over 450 different species. She started her lifelong love of bird watching as a child accompanying her father on weekend walks together. She has continued to build her knowledge of birds through classes at the well-known Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology and has taught bird biology, nesting, feeding and identification classes.

Ms Robbins is a frequent speaker for environmental and wildlife groups as well as leading workshops at schools and for scouting organizations. She also holds informational programs at her store which is well-stocked with feeders, bird houses and baths, bird feed and all the supplies to assist birding enthusiasts in attracting all varieties of birds into their yards.

Before opening her store in 2007, Ms. Robbins was employed at The National Audubon Society's Greenwich (CT) Center as the office/store/gallery manager. She has led Audubon-sponsored birding cruises along the New England coast and the Baja in Mexico and has also guided tours in the Tucson, Ariz. Area, which she calls a "birding mecca" because of the numerous species found there including some that can only be seen within the US in that particular area.

Ms Robbins also organizes family-oriented bird walks around the local area at locations such as Tarrywile Park, Bear Mountain Park and Brookfield Nature Center as well as in the Stratford area along the shoreline, to name a few. During these educational walks she helps other birders identify the particular species that inhabit these different habitats based on the bird's needs for food, shelter and nesting.

Ms Robbins notes that she has recognized changes and trends in local bird populations over time due to changing environmental conditions.

"Bird Myths Debunked" is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but additional information is available by contacting Marilynn Klepfer at marilynn.gardener@yahoo.com or 203-775-7063.

For further information about The Garden Club of Newtown and its many activities and programs, visit

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