I interviewed Ben, a fellow bird nerd and real deal Ornithologist, this fall about exciting expeditions he’s taken in the name of science. Enjoy! Ben Winger is a graduate student in the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago and the Division of… Read More
An ornithological collection is not a bunch of stuffed birds. Devoid of 15-some data points, dutifully transcribed on individualized tags, they would be merely wonders of preservation. Every bird has a unique number, date of collection, a preparer, a locale, standard name (Latin name), and… Read More
I decided to write a review of the movie instead of listening to someone “uh-huh” me while they played video games. After watching a documentary about an extinct bird, the last thing I wanted was to have the message fall on deaf ears and I… Read More
After visiting the Ara Project (www.hatchedtoflyfree.org) near San Jose my family and my friend Tiffany (we both studied at La Selva Biological Station in 2006 through a program at The Evergreen State College) headed out towards Monteverde. All of us except my mother had traveled… Read More
The landscape of presentation, the selective facts that drive inquisition, and the visual stimulus, combine in the best cases for endless learning. It can be overwhelming, for it’s easy to walk away with the impression of comprehending little and feeling exhausted for it. People blame… Read More
Migration happens once every year. And then again maybe 6 months later. Really it depends on an number of factors, but around here, starting in late July and extending through late September many birds are on the move away from their breeding grounds. Some are… Read More
“Holy Shit, there’s a fucking Lewis’s Woodpecker in the backyard. I gotta call you back.” I was talking with my friend Ryan on the phone about birding, standing in my parents’ jungle of a suburban backyard. A few less usual birds, including a Yellow Warbler… Read More
As the nighthawks fly with lazy, yet determined wing beats I know the road to Hart Mountain is approaching. I’ve been greeted by nighthawks here before. I watch them as I turn onto Hart Mountain Road and consider them my welcome home as they wheel… Read More
While I write my next excerpt from my recent trip to Costa Rica I couldn’t help but post this photo of a male Gyrfalcon. I was able to sit with this bird today, on my fist. As I looked at the way his feathers overlapped… Read More
(Quick note – I always strive to use either my own photos or those of my contributors but sometimes you just don’t have the photos you need!) Two Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) in a week! With an English binomial such as this – you wouldn’t… Read More
Wingtrip 