Bird Watcher’s Digest is joining friends around the world in The Global Bird Weekend, and we’re inviting you to join us, too! WHO IS INVOLVED Tim Appleton of Rutland, England, was the beloved face of the British Birdfair for more than 30 years, and his vision, spirit, and energy inspired its success for decades. Because our world has changed due to COVID-19… Read more »
While a depressing number of birding festivals have been canceled this year, don’t despair—there are several virtual birding festivals occurring this fall that you won’t want to miss. We know of four scheduled in September—including the Puget Sound Bird Fest this weekend!—and another four in October. Check out these links, and register for one today!… Read more »
by Marion & Rich Patterson Sometimes, when one is hustling to get to work or an appointment, a streak of feathery color zips in front of the car and perches in a roadside tree. Or an unusual raptor circles the highway. Perhaps a different-looking duck is cruising the edge of a distant pond. Dedicated bird… Read more »
The evening news seems to be too-regularly reporting another major new wildfire somewhere, each one more horrific than the previous one. Wildfires are devastating, destroying tens or hundreds of thousands of acres, burning countless homes, wiping out entire towns, uprooting and terrorizing families. And they seem to be getting worse and more frequent every year…. Read more »
I didn’t look up right away when I heard the familiar squeaky seal barks off to my right. I was busy muddling my compost bin’s contents and knew that I’d see a red-bellied woodpecker when I managed to tear my eyes away from the earthy mess. Once I finally straightened from my swamp hag stance… Read more »
August is one of the quietest months of the year for birders. I have a handful of regular visitors to the yard—mainly jays, robins, cardinals, song sparrows, and downies, plus an eastern wood pewee somewhere out there calling day in and day out. Always a welcome sight (and sound), but not super exciting. Things will… Read more »
Seven species of woodpeckers reside in Ohio: red-bellied, downy, hairy, pileated, and red-headed woodpeckers; yellow-bellied sapsucker; and northern flicker. Until recently, I checked six of the seven on my backyard list and had photographed them all—all except the red-headed woodpecker. Knowing the preferred habitat of that species, I figured I might never have one visit… Read more »
In an alternate version of 2020, I would be in Rutland, England, this week, attending my first British Birdfair (not to mention my first visit to England!) with our publisher, Wendy Clark. Responsibly managing travel and public health safety during COVID-19 resulted in cancelation of the physical event, which normally draws about 24,000 attendees from… Read more »
At the outset of 2020, there were seven international birding tours on my personal calendar, and as the new year dawned, I was looking forward to an exciting year of travel ahead. I would have been on the road 185 days in 2020, adding four new countries to my life list, and dozens of new… Read more »
By Jerry Uhlman What a strange and surreal time we’re living through—and it may be far from over. Yet, in nature’s realm life goes on, seemingly with little awareness of the angst that we humans experience in our daily lives. While illness has been an overarching concern, the ripple effect of the pandemic’s disruption seeped… Read more »
