- “Run Birding” 2018 Challenge – The RecapIt all started with a simple question: How many species have I seen while running? I’m relatively list adverse compared to other birders; state, county and yard lists are common … Read more
- A “Running” List of Birds in 2018I started birding when I was five years old, about (mumble) years ago. I’ve also been a serious runner for well over a decade, and will continue as long as … Read more
- Swallow-tailed Gull: An ABA Rarity for the AgesChasing rare birds is rarely convenient. Unless you’re single, unemployed and avoid human interaction, jumping in a car at a moment’s notice to drive likely hours away will definitely impact … Read more
- Montezuma’s Revenge: A Quail of a TaleIn the Davis Mountains of remote west Texas, I finally overcame a multi-year bout of “Montezuma’s Revenge.” Eight years, in fact. I first succumbed to the ailment in Southeastern Arizona. … Read more
- Cold-blooded Volkswagens: Seeking Leatherback Turtles in TrinidadIt was a warm evening even though the sun had disappeared behind the marine horizon hours prior. Thickly vegetated trees—faintly illuminated by the incandescent porch lights—swayed gently in the sea … Read more
- Trading Juncos for Jacobins: Birdathon Goes South in 2015“Oh, you’re trying to find as many species as possible today?” I was a bit stupefied when these words came out of the mouth of our Trinidadian guide. It was … Read more
- Flight of the (California) CondorsWhen I was a child, the California Condor made me cry. Not due to physical trauma, mind you. I wouldn’t have stood a chance against a bird that stood nearly … Read more
- Birdwatching in CubaCuba lies fewer than 100 miles off the Floridan coast and despite being just the size of Virginia – or half of Utah – the country holds twenty-seven species of … Read more
- White-tailed Ptarmigan, Nemesis No MoreNemesis bird. Some may think this refers to the antagonist in a Finnish smart phone game about “ill-tempered” avians. But it’s a term (painfully) familiar to most birders. A nemesis … Read more
- “Super Moon” at Robin LakesIt was our first backpacking trip of the year, and we knew there would be a few cobwebs: an obese backpack, forgotten necessities, atrophied quads, and sore heels. It was … Read more
- A Clam’s Throw from North KoreaSpotted Redshank. Terek Sandpiper. Dunlin. Lesser Sand-Plover. North Korean Border Guard. Red-necked St—wait, North Korean what? I was at the northern most point of the Yellow Sea, scanning an extensive, … Read more
- Birdathonin’ it up – Terns to TurnstonesIt’s been a few years since I’d gone out to tally as many bird species as possible in twenty-four hours—not since I left my position at Seattle Audubon to move … Read more
- Chasing Spoonies in South Korea (#4) – Saemangeum SeawallRead all posts from this expedition to South Korea It is difficult to convey size with the written word. On the west coast of the Korean peninsula, the Saemangeum (say-MAHN-gum) … Read more
- Chasing Spoonies in South Korea (#3) – More Time On YubuRead all posts from this expedition to South Korea Are you a birdwatcher who doesn’t like to get up early? This is roughly the equivalent of a baker who’s allergic … Read more
- Chasing Spoonies in South Korea (#2) – Yubu IslandRead all posts from this expedition to South Korea “What’s your favorite bird?” It’s a frequent question posed to birdwatchers and I stumble for an example that people can relate … Read more
- Chasing Spoonies in South Korea (#1) – Nakdong EstuaryRead all posts from this expedition to South Korea “It’s just to the left of that red ramen container.” I found the piece of trash on the beach with my … Read more
- The Non-Cruisers Guide to CruisingPoint A and Point B can both be exciting, but often times the best part of traveling between two points is the vehicle. And I’ve experienced a few: an elephant … Read more
- Birding By Ear: Urban Birds of EuropeThere you are: jet-lagged and in a park near your hotel, before dawn, binoculars in hand. It’s the beginning of your European vacation and your family is still passed out … Read more
- Wild Goose ChaseYeah, it’s cliché, and I am certainly not the first birdwatcher to use, or perhaps abuse, this phrase. But when one travels to The Netherlands in winter to look for … Read more
- A Birder in Paris (2012 Recap)When my eyes met binoculars in 2012, they were likely in pursuit of the feathered occupants of Paris, from tits to creepers. My wife and I moved to the capital … Read more