In 1912, a Rhode Island woman began recording every day's bird sightings on Block Island; she continued for more than 50 years and left behind one of the island's longest wildlife records

In 1912, a Rhode Island woman began recording every day's bird sightings on Block Island. What started as a personal habit continued for more than five decades,creating a remarkable record of the island's birdlife, migration patterns and seasonal changes. Her name was Elizabeth Dickens, a self-taught naturalist who would later become known as the “Bird Lady of Block Island.” According to the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, which documents her life and work, Dickens' observations became an important contribution to the study of birds on the island and the wider Atlantic migration route.

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