Many years ago, I set up a small bird feeder outside of my kitchen window. Within hours, I had several visitors – beautiful, feathered creatures that I didn’t yet know how to identify. I was fascinated watching them, purchased my first birding guide, and was hooked. I soon found myself bringing binoculars and my new field guide on every weekend hike and bike ride. I then began to seek out other species, “lifers,” and would dedicate hours to building my life list.

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According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 45 million Americans enjoy birding. So, what makes birding so appealing? For some, birding is a form of outdoor recreation, much like hiking or playing golf. For others, it’s tied into a passion for conservation and the environment. And for many, birding is a type of treasure hunt – as addictive as it is enjoyable. Searching for elusive lifer birds, visiting known birding hotspots, sharing tips with other local birders, and checking eBird regularly – birding can become a consuming hobby, a favorite pastime. Birds are everywhere, living out their lives, from nesting and egg-laying to territorial disputes, feeding, hunting, flying, diving, and swimming – drama that plays out all around us if we only take a moment to notice it.

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For me, birding is about all of the above. But, more than that, it’s also about the meditative stillness you can feel when you’re out in nature. Those moments of connection in which time slows down and for a moment you feel a compelling sense of oneness with everything around you. Sometimes, I’d have a wonderful encounter with a bird or other animal. I wanted a way to preserve these experiences and eventually found myself drawn to photography. When I look through my lens, I see and appreciate my surroundings in a new way - the intricate structure of a feather, a small duck on the far side of a lake, the way grasses glow in late afternoon light. Photography has been a fulfilling way not only to record these experiences, but also to share them with others. I hope you enjoy these images and perhaps feel inspired to go outside today and connect with the natural world.