Blog

163 posts

Birding Tours in the Lone Star State

Why Texas as a birding destination?  Due to its large size, varied topography, vegetation and climate, its Gulf coast and geographic shape, it serves as a funnel for migrations to and from central America. At 674 species, Texas has the second most bird species of any state in the U.S. […]

Yard Bird Lists:  A Form of Gratitude

A flash of brilliant yellow with black accents cuts through the gloom of the darkest time of the year.  These dramatic colors belong to the Townsend’ Warbler that just landed on our feeder.  We acknowledged the arrival of this charismatic bird to our yard by adding its name and the […]

Trash Talk

There is trash talk… and there is literal trash talk.  While I am not known for the former, I have been known to discuss the latter.  What got me started?  The desecration of our beloved Seattle Parks by trash, drug paraphernalia and grafitti.  Fed up with the parks’ demise, I […]

Winter Solstice Birding

                                                 It seemed like a recipe for failure:  birding on the shortest, darkest day of the year in the rainy Pacific Northwest.  If you were looking for […]

Tiny Bird, Massive Migration

Pick up a pair of dice. Now put one down and hold the other die in one hand. The weight you are holding is roughly equivalent to that of a Rufous Hummingbird! Now, imagine that tiny bird making an annual 8,000-mile round trip from central Mexico to as far north […]

If an Exceptional* Tree is Felled in Seattle, Will Anybody Care?

Fortunately, Yes! But not the majority of Seattle City Council or our Mayor. Only Councilmember Alex Pedersen spoke out about the proposed removal of “Luma” – an exceptional Western Red Cedar in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood: “The chopping down of such exceptional trees is additional evidence that city hall is failing […]

Serengeti Safari: Endless Plains, Endless Nature

  It took time for the safari experience to sink in. Not until we were staring into the eyes of Massai Giraffes browsing the tops of Acacia trees 20 feet from our jeep, their long raspy tongues extended, and their ears perked with curiosity, did I comprehend that we were […]

Israel: Birding Between Borders

                                          Bluethroat, European Stonechat on borders of Jordan & Egypt  Birding Between Borders and So Much More Finally, after a two-year Covid delay, Lori and I were able to take the inaugural […]