Birding Is Fun!: New ABA Bird of the Year!

Meet the BiF Contributors!

Robert Mortensen

Meridian, ID

Founder and Host of www.BirdingIsFun.com
About Me

Robert on Twitter
Robert on Google+
Robert on Linkedin
Public Presentations

If you're interested in advertising on BirdingIsFun.com or having Robert or any of the other contributors review your books, apps, or other cool birding products, please email me

Heidi Ware

Boise, Idaho

"I've always loved animals, but my strongest memories of a specifically 'bird' interest are from my 4th grade science class. Our science book had a whole chapter on bird species we could see in our yards and how to feed them. I also brought in a Northern Flicker that hit my grandma's window, and my teacher let us dissect it in class. I remember thinking it was so pretty, and so cool to see how its tongue wrapped around its skull so that it could be extra long. I got my first field guide about age 10, and started a life list after seeing my first Black-crowned Night-Heron while visiting Seattle. 2008 is when I'd say I "officially" started birding. By that I mean: I got a good field guide, real binoculars, re-started a life list and started birding with other people in other locations besides my backyard."

Heidi recently graduated from Boise State University with a BS in Biology, emphasis on Ecology. She is now working on her Masters in Biology studying the impacts of anthropogenic noise on the foraging and vigilance of migratory songbirds.

Website: Idaho Bird Observatory
IBO on Facebook
Heidi's Birder Profile on Birding is Fun!

Rob Fergus

Union Township, Hunterdon Co, New Jersey

Blog: The Birdchaser
Other: Urban Birdscapes
Rob on Twitter

Pat Bumstead

Alberta, Canada

"I was born in northern Canada too many years ago to count – I remember flocks of whooping cranes flying overhead twice a year, for crying out loud. Growing up in the boreal forest region with a father interested in all beasts, birds and growing things in the forest, I naturally gravitated towards nature. I currently share my life with my husband, a dog, two cats, four computers, an iPod, a Kindle and a Blackberry. Hard to say which of these is more important…

I'm also an ardent birdwatcher, and have been known to book holidays around bird watching opportunities. Even a trip to Las Vegas requires binoculars, and a very productive trip to the sewage treatment ponds – fantastic birding! I'm fortunate to have a tree-filled yard, which is also filled with bird feeders, and therefore I have birds front and back every day of the year. As I often get rare species in my yard, I occasionally have a yard full of bird watchers as well."

Blog: Bird Canada
Other: Birds Calgary
Pat on Twitter
Pat on Google+

Tammy Karr

Rockledge, Florida

"I was fascinated by birds, particularly ducks, when I was a youngster. I was always looking for an opportunity to visit the lake or a pond to see them. I was introduced to bird watching in Florida about 12 years ago by a coworker, Pam, who was an experienced birder. She took me to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and that’s when my interest in learning about the birds in Florida was sparked."

Blog: I Heart Florida Birds
Tammy's Birder Profile at "Birding Is Fun!"

Robert Ripma

Carmel, Indiana

"I started birding when I was seventeen and have continued to enjoy it ever since. Photography is a relatively new interest of mine - one that I hope to continue to pursue and learn more about. Among my favorite birding locations are Southwest Florida, Southeast Arizona, and Crane Creek, Ohio. I have also birded extensively throughout Indiana and in most Midwestern states. In 2008, I graduated from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business with a degree in Marketing, and currently work for Wild Birds Unlimited. I am extremely interesting in getting more people interested in birds and birding. I love sharing the knowledge that I have gain with new birders and I believe that teaching people about birds helps them better understand why we must work to conserve their habitats."

Blog: Nutty Birder
Other: NuttyBirder.com
Rob on Twitter
Rob on Facebook
Rob Ripma's photostream on Flickr

Donald Morse Jr.

Cincinnati, Ohio

I started birding around the age of 12. I enjoy birds and the outdoors, especially showing young people and others the many wonders of nature."

Blog: Donald the Birder
Donald on Twitter
Donald on Facebook
Donald on Google+
Donald on Linkedin

Daniel Huber

Champlain Valley, Vermont

I enjoy observing nature in all it's forms, using sketching, and photography to help me learn more. I am particularly interested in birds, but enjoy learning as much as I can on all forms of life. I would describe myself as a naturalist wanna-be, but for now I get out when I can to observe what I can

Blog: Nature Observances
Daniel on Twitter
Daniel on Google+
Daniel on Facebook
Daniel's Birder Profile at Birding is Fun!

Hilke Breder

Battleboro, Vermont

Blog: One Jackdaw Birding

Twitter

Facebook

Google +

Linda Rockwell

Corrales, New Mexico

Blog: Photo Feathers

Twitter

Facebook

Google +

Greg Gillson

Oregon

Kelly Riccetti

Ohio

Blog

Facebook

Kevin Doxstater

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

My "day job" is working as a Park Ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park and I'm what could best be described as a semi-professional photographer (which means I make a little money here and there from photography). Birds are my main interest, but I love making images of the best and most beautiful that the natural world has to offer. My work has appeared in books, magazines, calendars, newspapers, other publications, as well as interpretive displays, and have twice been honored as a winner in the prestigious National Wildlife photography contest (2004 and 2005).

Blog: NaturalVisions Blog
Other: NaturalVisions Photo Gallery
Kevin on Facebook
Kevin on Twitter
Kevin on Google+

Don & Lillian Stokes

New Hampshire, USA

We fell in love over 30 years ago when Lillian, an avid hawk watcher, took a course on bird behavior at Mass. Audubon Society taught by Don. We have devoted our lives ever since to giving people a greater appreciation, enjoyment, and understanding of birds.

We have written 32 best-selling books on birds and nature which have sold over 3.5 million copies and include our newest, The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6 years in the making, and the most complete photographic guide to North American Birds ever published. We were the hosts and creators of our national PBS TV show, Stokes Birds at Home, which reached over 40 million people.

Our Stokes Birding Blog has been going for 5 1/2 years and features tons of birding information and bird photography by Lillian, an accomplished photographer whose images have appeared in BBC Wildlife Magazine, Birder's World Magazine and many other publications.

We reside, with our 2 Corgis, in NH most of the year, and winter on Sanibel Island, FL. "Bobolink Farm" is our 48 acre NH property that we manage for birds and we have attracted 195 species so far.

Blog: Stokes Birding Blog
Stokes on Twitter
Stokes on Facebook

Kathie Brown

Tucson, Arizona

Gus and I recently moved from Sycamore Canyon in Tucson, AZ to Andover, MA. I first started documenting the bird species I was seeing in Sycamore Canyon in 2007. I now bird all over the United States and submit all of these sightings to a program called eBird admistered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. My husband Gus and I both enjoy photography and we use the Nikon D80 and the Nikon D90 to capture images of birds and nature. The beauty of nature also inspires my art and poetry.

Blog: Kathie's Birds
Other Blogs: Sycamore Canyon, Sycamore Canyon Birds, and Kathie's Poet Tree
Kathie on Facebook
Kathie's Birder Profile at Birding is Fun!

Ken Schneider

Miramar, Florida and North Aurora, Illinois

"A lifelong birder and retired physician, I grew up and began my practice in New Jersey. After my career in the US Public Health Service, my wife Mary Lou and I retired to the mountains of New Mexico, where we led bird walks at Rio Grande Nature Center and the US Forest Service. The cooperative rosy-finch feeding project we initiated at Sandia Crest has developed into a major banding and research program. More recently we moved to South Florida, where we are working to create a Bald Eagle sanctuary to protect this species' first active nest in Broward County since before DDT was banned. We migrate to a second home in northern Illinois. I took up photography three years ago and enjoy finding beauty in birds and nature close to home."

Blog: Rosyfinch Ramblings
Other: Rosyfinch Website
Sandia Crest (NM) Birding Forum
Pembroke Pines (FL) Eagle Watch Forum
Ken's photostream on Flickr
Ken on Facebook

Kimberly Kaufman

Oak Harbor, Ohio

"Kenn writes: Kim is too modest to describe herself accurately, so I'm writing her profile. Kim didn't get into birds until the 1990's, but she goes at everything with beautiful intensity. She monitored eagle nests, ran a bluebird trail, then started banding birds for Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO). I think she's banded more than 30,000 birds! She is currently the Executive Director of the Observatory. In 2006 she started the Ohio Young Birders Club, a group for teens that has drawn national attention and inspired similar clubs in other states. Kim grew up on a farm in Ohio where she had to work hard and learned to be self-sufficient. I've been on field trips where the guys stood around and watched in admiration as Kim fixed a car's transmission, and got a truck unstuck from a ditch. For a petite little thing, she's amazingly tough. Did I mention that she's beautiful? And that she sounds beautiful? Kim has an amazing voice and is the lead singer in our classic rock band. In other settings, she's an inspiring public speaker. This can't fully describe my Kimberly, or what our life together is like. Read the blog and maybe it will give you an idea."
Blog: Birding with Kenn and Kimberly
Donate to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory

Scott Simmons

Central Florida

"When I was given my first SLR camera in 2001, I never suspected that it would change my life. Since that day, my main passion outside work and family has been the various kinds of nature photography--birds, flowers, insects, animals, landscapes, waterfalls, etc. In about 2004 I joined the Central Maryland Photographer's Guild, and especially after serving as president for a couple years, I have developed a strong passion for teaching outdoor photography as well. Lately I've devoted much of my photographic interests to birds. Birding has brought a great deal of fun, excitement and challenge to my photography, and it has renewed my love of the great outdoors. My blogging interests here will have to do mostly with the joy of photographing birds with modest gear--that is, bird photography you can accomplish while spending less than $2500 on camera equipment. There are great reasons to spend more, but there's a lot you can do if you're on a budget, like me."

Blog: Learn Outdoor Photography
Scott on Google +
Scott on Linkedin
Scott on Twitter
Scott on Facebook
Scott's Birder Profile here at "Birding is Fun!"

Laurence Butler

Phoenix, Arizona

"I started birding with my father when I was still a fledgling. It was more of a passing fancy, something extra to do on the family hikes, until maybe age 15 or so. While spending a week in lovely upstate New York, I saw a female rose-breasted grosbeak. Mr. Butler was pursuing some cerulean warblers, but I decided to stake out the female and see what happened. Within a couple minutes, the wonderful male grosbeak appeared in his full regalia, and doomed me to a world of birds, binoculars, and, more recently, cameras. Bird watching fosters in one an appreciation of the Small and the Delicate, of purpose and precision. It demands and develops an eye for detail and distinction, and can easily overwhelm the avid and adolescent watcher alike with the amazing array of beautiful subjects. It can be a doorway into our fabulous natural world, and a window through which we can observe the unsung triumphs of Form and Function that our winged friends embody. I love participating in this avian world, and look forward to sharing my experiences with as many people as possible."

Blog: Butlers Birds and Things
Laurence's Birder Profile here at "Birding is Fun!"

Richard Steel

Wirral, United Kingdom

"Most of my photography is undertaken locally on Merseyside, the Wirral and in North Wales but I always like to try and take a camera with me when I travel anywhere, just in case the opportunity arises. Please remember that the welfare of your subject should always be the starting point of any wildlife photograph."

Blog: Wildlife Photographic Journals
@RichSteel on Twitter
Rich on Facebook
Rich on Google +

Chris Petrak

South Newfane, Vermont

Academic background: History and Theology - Profession: Clergy - Status: Retired
Bird Watching is a hobby which my favorite companion got me interested in some 30 years ago. Initially I learned the birds with the help of a field guide. When I moved to Vermont, I met some excellent local birders whose experience and knowledge have been invaluable in improving my skills, and whose company in the field enriches my birding. Photography has long been an interest, but the cost of film and processing was a significant deterrent. The digital age has changed that. In 2009, I took the leap to good DSLR equipment. Photography is now integral to my bird watching, and has transformed my bird watching. I take time to wait ... and watch ... and hopefully capture images of birds (and other subjects) that are interesting, informative, crisp, and perhaps even artistic.

Blog: Tails of Birding
@TailsOfBirding on Twitter

Jim Braswell

Cass County, Missouri

"I am a life-long resident of Missouri and my wife Karen and I currently reside in rural Cass County, outside of Drexel, Missouri (the Show-Me State). I attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where I obtained a B.S. in Biology. For 31+ years, I worked for a major pharmaceutical company. I retired on February 01, 2007 and am now focusing on nature photography full-time."

"Although I photograph scenics, my main interest is wildlife. Through my images, I strive to convey the complex daily lives of the subjects I photograph. Whenever I photograph, it is always my intent to capture the actions and behaviors of my subjects. My objective is to educate others about the wildlife that surrounds us, including their behaviors, feeding habits, raising of young, and how they coexist in our complex world today."

Blog: Show Me Nature Photography
@ShowMeNature on Twitter
Show Me Nature on Facebook

Julie Gidwitz

Chicago, Illinois

"I have been a nature enthusiast since childhood. I am forever enchanted and captivated by nature's splendor. I hope to share my bird, wildlife and nature observations through photography and writings."

Blog: Nature's Splendor
@Hummingbird2 on Twitter

Eddie Callaway

northern Illinois

"Birdfreak has lived all his life in northern Illinois. While most people don’t plan a vacation to northern Illinois (unless they go to Chicago), birding is surprisingly excellent in this area. Birdfreak enjoys hunting, with a camera that is, but is still an amateur photographer. Birdfreak loves dogs, hiking, writing and travel but his biggest desire is to promote birding and conservation. He graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Marketing. Currently, Birdfreak works professionally in the marketing department for a local company that manufactures machine safeguarding and safety shields."

Blog: Birdfreak.com
@Birdfreak on Twitter

Vincent Mistretta

Connecticut

"My interest in wildlife or wild nature as I like to call it is the result of my passion for photography. In order to truly create a photograph that pulls on your viewers heart strings I believe you need to understand your subjects. Understanding wildlife takes a tremendous amount of research. In 2006 I began that research. The more research I did, the more fascinated I became with the earths wild nature and extremely drawn to photographing local bird species. Why did I select local wildlife for my focus? Simple, many people think wildlife only thrives in desolate locations. Alerting people to the fact that wildlife lives in and can be enjoyed from their backyard is my effort to start increasing awareness which I hope will lead to educating better stewards of our planet. My hope and desire is to pull on those heart strings with my images so that more and more people, young and old, will want to help preserve our planet and all life that call earth home."

Blog
Website
Birder Profile here at BirdingIsFun.com
@VinnieMistretta on Twitter
Google+
Facebook
Linkedin

J. Drew Lanham

South Carolina

"Man of Color wild about nature! ...a black man birding, hunting, seeking...being. My goal in life is to defy convention, maximize happiness and pass on a passion for nature."

Blog: Wild and in Color
Google+
Facebook
OutDoor Afro

Hilke Breder

Brattleboro, Vermont

"Born in Germany. Immigrated to USA. Practiced internal medicine for about 30 years, now retired, and have all the time in the world to do what I most like to do. I was a “naturalist” from a very young age. I am fascinated by birds. They are so utterly foreign to the way we must live our lives. Watching birds allows us to enter into an untamed, unregulated, natural world which still exists within our urbanized lives. It nourishes our primeval yearning for our place in nature."

Blog: One Jackdaw Birding
Google+
Facebook
Twitter

Tim Schreckengost

Delaware

"I am travelling field ornithologist looking to study migration in graduate school. I currently reside in Delaware and am working on my state and year lists. I have worked throughout the country on several bird research projects. In my free time, I enjoy birding, blogging, and taking a ton of photos. I’m interested in migration, radar ornithology, and keeping cats indoors."

Blog: Thermal Birding
Google+
Facebook
Twitter

Jeff Cooper

Pleasant Grove, Utah

Google+

Blog

Birds fascinated me as a young boy growing up in Lexington, Kentucky. I was amazed at their variations in size, shape, color, behavior, song and preferred habitat. I enjoyed drawing pictures of birds and I thought it would be really cool to fly like a bird. The world was a happy place when I woke up to the songs of cardinals, mockingbirds, and robins during summer breaks from school. My attention was drawn to other things as I grew older and took on new responsibilities. I went to college, spent 18 months as a missionary in northern Japan, married my wife in Los Angeles, and then raised three wonderful children in Utah.

My childhood fascination with birds was rekindled one summer night in 2009 while my wife and I were out on a date. We browsed in a bookstore while waiting for our turn to be seated at a restaurant. I picked up, thumbed through, and purchased my very first field guide to birds, the National Wildlife Federation's Field Guide to Birds of North America. A few days later my married daughter saw my new field guide and asked about it. We looked at some of the photos and talked about some of our favorite birds. About a month later my daughter gave me some very inexpensive 10x20 Bushnell binoculars for my birthday. I went for a walk with the binoculars along a canal near our home one Saturday morning and heard a strange noise coming from a thicket. It sounded like the cry of a mammal in pain. I walked with great curiosity toward the odd sound and beheld something I will never forget, a uniquely colored bird. I went home and drew a poor picture of the bird from my recollection. I then looked it up in my field guide and discovered that Utah has Spotted Towhees. Those deep red eyes blazing from a jet black hood, the pure white belly, and those rufous sides will be forever burned into my memory. I was hooked. I had to find out what else I'd been missing around me for so many years. Six months later, in the spring of 2010, I was armed with better binoculars and a Nikon D5000 digital SLR with a 70-300mm f4.5/5.6 kit lens. I have since upgraded to the AF-S 300mm f4 lens, but I am looking forward to the day when I can upgrade my camera body and lenses so they match the level of my passion for capturing beautiful and inspiring images.

I've spent over 25 years working as a supply chain, operations, and customer care management executive and I still have "a few" years left to work so birding and bird photography will remain only hobbies for now. People sometimes ask why I am so interested in birds. I think it is because they present themselves no matter where I go, they are diverse in their appearance and behavior, they come and go with the seasons, they sing, and you never know what they'll do next to surprise or entertain you.

Chris Rohrer

Tucson, AZ

I send you warm and happy thoughts from sunny Tucson, AZ! When I'm not playing the role of Spanish instructor, you will find me on the trails searching trees, rocks and water areas for our feathered friends. I have been travelling for over 20 years to incredible places around our planet. However, I just discovered the amazing world of birds! As you can imagine, this has made me look at things differently while planning for trips. I hope you join in on the fun as we discover hot birding spots around the world!

Ryan O'Donnell

Logan, UT

Facebook

200 Birds

"I'm a post-doctoral researcher at Utah State University and the USGS. I'm particularly interested in subspecies identification, beautifully illustrated trip reports from exotic locales, and I think my training as a PhD in genetics can lead to clear translations for the public on what are often tricky genetic issues."

José Miguel Grande Gutiérrez

BARAÑAIN, ESPAÑA (Spain)

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Monday, January 7, 2013

New ABA Bird of the Year!

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