My Journey with the Birds.....

is almost through! I have enjoyed the past 6 months working for the DNR and I have gotten to see so many wonderful sights of nature. I may be done surveying birds, but I will never cease to enjoy their presence in my life! I continue on my journey as a massage therapy student and I will still be working for the birds as a research aid for the a waterfowl biologist with the IDNR!

There is nothing like...

catching your own dinner to add excitement to the weekend! On Saturday evening I caught my first trout, learned a quick way to clean it and then threw in on the grill! It was very satisfying and it couldn't have been a more beautiful weekend! My boyfriend met part of the family for the first time and we all had fun camping and sitting around the campfire!

A Whimsical Warbler

This photo of a yellow warbler inspired this blog. Not only do I have an interest in birds, but I also love to sing like the birdies do!

For the birds....

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang the best.

~Henry Van Dyke

I decided it was time to give this blog thing a try. It is hard to know where to begin though. As a recent college graduate I am now working as a bird surveyor doing bird point count surveys on grassland and wetland sites. I am finding this work rewarding and fun! Especially as I add new photos of birds to my ever growing collection! Photography is continuing to be an interest and birds are my most favorite subject. It's not easy though...birds are busy creatures and tend to not sit still for very long! I am learning tricks and constantly surprising myself with lucky shots and perfect timing! This photo is of a recently fledged barn swallow that was taking a rest from flying. My guess is that this young bird had not been flying for very long! See the downy feathers!