Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

It's officially two days into 2014 and this snowstorm is terrifying! Well not really, but I can happily report my choice for bird of the year 2013, as well as, my resolutions (nature wise) for the year! This past year I failed to reach my goal of 350 species and only managed to reach 338, but that's still impressive for spending most of the year in New Jersey and having access to some of the birdiest areas in the country. I was graced with a few good rarities this year and with the Snowy Owl ( Bubo scandiacus ) invasion coming into full swing, it provided a nice finish to the year indeed. So many species to choose from, but ultimately Hedwig herself won me over! In case you didn't see, here are some photos of the immature bird that would become my bird of the year. Resolutions wise, I'm keen to begin practicing my outdoor teaching skills once more with my new job in Pennsylvania. As for my goals they are as follows: 1. Be creative. That can mean drawing, wri...

Short second entry this week. I'm always up for a challenge when it comes to birding. Species identification, habitat recognition, and song memorization are all tools of the trade in the science and challenge of birding. This coming year, I'm going for the big 4-0-0. That's right! I made it to 300 in October and with some luck, a lot more of them warblers, and a few good rarities. I spent much of this afternoon compiling a list the likely species I would need to see in order to reach the goal. Thanks to many of the winter finches that have arrived in recent months have helped to pad my life list a little further. I'm now up to 313 and can't wait to get started on this new challenge! I'm also planning a year list starting on the 1st with the first species I see in the new year and throughout. It'll be interesting if I can find many of the new species that I was able to find for my goal this past year. That's all I really wanted to say. Have a fantastic ...