Birds and Birding!

I am an avid birder and spend much of my time volunteering with various citizen science bird research projects.  These include counting migrating raptors every fall at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, contributing to Virginia's second Breeding Bird Atlas, coordinating a young birders Bluebird nest monitoring project, constantly contributing to Cornell Lab of Ornithology's online database eBird (which everyone should use!) as well as other projects.  I am a guide at the Biggest Week in America Birding Festival held every May in NW Ohio and as of 2016 I am proud to be a member of the ZEISS Sports Optics "Pro Team" traveling to birding festivals around the country for ZEISS!

One of the things I love about birds is that no matter where you go, there are always birds to see, and where there are birds there are fellow birders.  As I travel across the country I have discovered a community of people equally passionate about birds, conservation and the environment.  This shared birding passion has bonded us as a tribe of friends with a mission.  I am so grateful for this experience of belonging to this global community.

When I first started birding, it seemed like everyone who birded was much older than me, and while they were very generous with their time and mentorsing, I missed having kids to bird with.  To remedy this situation,  I helped found a local young birders club in 2012: the Blue Ridge Young Birders Club (www.blueridgeyoungbirders.org).  Over the years I have discovered young birders across the country who are as passionate as I am about seeing birds and it excites me to now mentor those younger than myself as they, too, discover the wonder of birds.  

Thanks to my friend, Scott Williams, for making this video of me birding at my home and around my neighborhood.  
The background music is by bensound.com

Below is a slide show of some of the favorite birds that I have photographed.  Enjoy!