Like many nature-based bloggers, I enjoy closing each year with a retrospective highlight reel. Ever since 2016, this personal countdown has taken the form of a Top 10 Lifers post, detailing the best new species I tallied during the preceding months. 2019, however, has been the undisputed biggest year of my life thus far. A pair of long-awaited dream trips … Read More
Birds We’ve Met Before
Knowingly seeing an individual bird that has been previously encountered is a special treat in the world of birding. Most birders would probably agree that the fascinating life cycles of these wild creatures are among the greatest draws that keep people invested in the hobby. It is a truly remarkable privilege to witness multiple chapters in the stories of specific … Read More
2018 Top 10 Lifers
At the end of every year, I like to take some time to reflect on the highs and lows of the year’s birding escapades. 2018 definitely had its rough spots, with a few painful dips and shortcomings scattered throughout, but on the whole it was a fantastic year chock full of great birds. Out of 526 species observed since January … Read More
Snowy Owl Season: Reflections on Winter 2017-18
Bubo scandiacus is a highly evocative species. As one of the largest, most striking members of the ever popular owl family, Snowies have a special magic that drives people wild. Wherever these Arctic predators go, excitement bordering on chaos usually follows. I’ve been hooked on Snowy Owls my entire life. I spent my early childhood dragging around a beloved plush … Read More
Fighting the Doldrums of Late February Birding
Birding is a year-round activity. It’s probably one of the best things about it. But without a doubt there are peaks of activity that ignite the fire in all birders and gets the masses out every morning. Obviously, I’m talking about migration. We all crave it; those warm spring mornings in early May, teaming with melodic songs and endless possibilities. … Read More
A Re-Education in Relocation
Much like birds, people sometimes have to move around in this crazy world – particularly in these modern times full of hyper-tech global markets and the ‘Very Big Corporations of America‘. Often the reasons for a relocation involve one’s work or career, and there are a plethora of variables and consequences to consider when such things happen. But given that … Read More
The Bird with…*Spots*
Fieldwork in a new locale necessarily brings with it a steep learning curve. Everything is foreign from the lay of the land to the host of simplicities that we all take for granted in a familiar location, like knowing where to find those mundane features of ordinary life: ATMs, groceries, and other various appliances (try finding a decent spatula around … Read More
Earth Day 2015: A Reflection and a Video Clip
Another year passes and another Earth Day comes and goes. One measly day. Twenty-four hours is essentially the blink of an eye. Compare it to the Earth as we experience it. Our planet took 4.54 billion years to get this way. For me, the attraction of Earth Day is the occasion to think beyond our day-to-day schedules and our short … Read More
Bird Beer
There are some combinations in our world that just make sense – Peanut Butter and Jelly, Salt and Pepper, Hall and Oates, and of course; Birds and Beer. For those of us in the birding realm, birds and beer is a familiar phrase, nay, idea of perfect bliss. Whether thine holy union is achieved at bird festivals, with birding buddies … Read More
eBird: Agreeing to agree
eBird has done countless things to revolutionize birding, not the least of which includes elevating birding to a scientific pursuit, where a once recreational activity now has meaningful implications. What was once relegated to a single day of birding for most regions over the course of the year – the Christmas Bird Count – now occurs on a near daily … Read More