I’m fortunate that I live in a land of green, with lush vegetation year round to support and nurture birds and other wildlife. Of course, some birds blend into that vegetation with their own green plumage, and one of the…
Love Those Easy Lifers
For many birders, adding a new lifer to their list means chasing and long hours in the field searching for a rare bird or a lost vagrant, or else extensive travel to remote corners of the world for birds you’d…
Bird of the Week: Common Nighthawk
Despite its name, this week’s featured bird is not one seen commonly, and my very first encounter with the species was uncommon indeed. It’s a shame that many of these birds are declining from our skies, but with luck and…
Flight and Florida
Birds have many characteristics we admire – we wouldn’t be birders if we didn’t admire something about the birds we seek – and while not all birds share all desirable traits, one of the most admired is the ability of…
Bird of the Week: Northern Mockingbird
It’s hard to believe that one year ago today, I crossed the border into my new home state. In those 365 days, I’ve come to have a great appreciation for my new state bird and its bold personality, never-give-up attitude…
Bird of the Week: Sanderling
Not having ever been a birder along oceanic beaches (or extensive beaches of any kind, for that matter) before moving to Florida a year ago, I’ve never been particularly good with shorebirds – identifying, counting or even just seeing. That…
Flying With Wings Over Florida
Many birders I know, myself included, keep a variety of lists – life lists, yard lists, year lists, seasonal lists, trip lists, species family lists and more. Most lists are just for our own entertainment, study and enjoyment, but there…
Bird of the Week: American Avocet
This week’s featured bird holds a great deal of nostalgia for me, as I remember so clearly where and when I’ve seen it. Of course, that’s not hard to do with such a distinctive bird, and the American avocet has…
Bird of the Week: Blue Jay
Mondays might be days to get the blues, with the weekend gone and the work week beginning, but there’s no reason for sorrow about this week’s featured bird. When you see a blue jay, that bright bit of blue color…
Saving Water, Saving Birds
Water is critical to all our lives – our bodies are 55-60 percent water and our planet’s surface area is 71 percent water. Water is in our air and food, is great for entertainment or relaxation and is essential for…