I have a long-standing tradition of going birding on New Year’s Day. Ok, I go birding all the time. But I celebrate the new year with some extra special indulgence in birding.  I think a lot of birders have this tradition.  I started mine almost 15 years ago, while finding myself in South America a few years in a row, and wanting to savor every morning of tropical bird action. Now I continue the tradition in New England.  Rather than staying up til midnight to watch the apple drop, or drinking champagne and singing “Auld Lang Syne” (which is, of course, a great song), I go to bed early, get up well before dawn, and experience the first dawning of the new year. Why not kick off a new year doing what you love most?