I first learned about the concept of 5MR birding from Emma at Flying South; in one of the first blog posts of hers that I discovered, she mentioned this idea of focusing her birding efforts within a 5-mile radius of her home. I was traveling very far from my home 5-mile radius at the time... Continue Reading →
My goodness, it has been awhile since I have written a blog post! Excuses, excuses, excuses....but no sooner was I back to birding (with a Varied Thrush) than I was sidelined again! A shoulder surgery had me down and out for quite some time; by the end of the first month post-surgery I was managing... Continue Reading →
"In real life, Goshawks resemble Sparrowhawks the way leopards resemble housecats. Bigger, yes. But bulkier, bloodier, deadlier, scarier and much, much harder to see. Birds of deep woodland, not gardens, they're the birdwatchers' dark grail. You might spend a week in a forest full of gosses and never see one, just traces of their presence.... Continue Reading →
I realize I am abusing my Beak of the Week privileges by posting two in the same week, but I have so much catching up to do and this incredible sequence of moments just couldn't wait! I am currently in the Mammoth Lakes area, scouting out UCSB's Valentine Camp Reserve, as part of my sabbatical... Continue Reading →
I am currently in northwestern Ohio reveling in my first warbler migration and Magee Marsh experience. But, before I share those stories and photos, I want to briefly fill in the gap of how I arrived in Ohio from the Southern California deserts. Actually, Ohio was the furthest thing from my mind as I drove... Continue Reading →
I loved every moment of our Arizona adventures, but as we headed home my thoughts began to refocus on some other spectacular mountains - the Sierra Nevada. I was jonesing to head north, but needed to spend a few more days in the desert. Don't get me wrong, I love the desert and in Southern... Continue Reading →
Although I have primarily been using this blog to document my travels and adventures, I would like to also occasionally highlight an interesting bird behavior, or interaction, or a particular species that piques my interest or curiosity. I will call these posts, "Beak of the Week". First Beak of the Week: the Sage Thrasher. Sage... Continue Reading →
The San Diego Bird Festival was a fantastic few days of exploring San Diego and its birding hotspots. Despite living just a short distance north of San Diego, I seldom explore this portion of Southern California (instead, tending to indulge that constant northern pull on my heart strings). I arrived just in time to hop... Continue Reading →
"For most of my life, I didn't pay attention to birds. Only in my 40s did I become a person whose heart lifts whenever he hears a grosbeak singing or a towhee calling and who hurries to see a golden plover that's been reported in the neighborhood, just because it's a beautiful bird, with truly golden plumage, and... Continue Reading →
We spent the New Year holiday at the Salton Sea. The morning of New Year's Day was a lazy one but we discussed, with great anticipation, what our first bird of the year would be - an important omen for the upcoming year, according to many birders. I jokingly warned that I would close my... Continue Reading →
Feathers & Flora 