Don’t you hate it when you’re forced to recognize you’re not quite as slick or savvy as you thought? I just had that realization thanks to my friend Duncan of Ben Cruachan Blog. You see, back in Dec 2006 I was pretty proud of myself for finally persuading Duncan to host I and the Bird. This [...]

Blog carnivals traditionally place the emphasis squarely on the contributors. The role of the host is to respectfully curate the contributions, adding sufficient panache to their presentation to encourage enthusiastic exploration of all linked posts. But this seems a perfect time to remind readers not to ignore the rest of what a host has to [...]

Being part of an international cabal of inspired bird bloggers can make the world feel like a cozy, congenial community yet every so often, one comes face to face with how HUGE this planet really is. No, I’m not talking about the endless hours you needed to schlep to wherever you spent your yuletide holidays… [...]

Certain developments in this last month lead me to believe we may be entering a Golden Age of nature blog carnivals. Nature bloggers can boast a number of vital carnivals covering a variety of important topics but there have been, until recently, some glaring absences. But Santa came early this December, delivering news of an [...]

We never know where I and the Bird will take us, or who we’ll meet through its travels. For example, IATB is seldom hosted from the Southern Hemisphere and even more rarely hosted by the author of a fantastic field guide. Yet the newest edition of our mighty bird blog carnival has at its helm [...]

Birds serve as an endless source of inspiration, feathered muses that motivate sublime verse (not to mention way too many pre-dawn excursions!) The new release Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds, which Corey recommends highly, offers a sweeping selection of bird poetry and prose. Then again, so does the newest I and [...]

I and the Bird is logging a lot of frequent flyer miles these days. In the past two months alone, we’ve peregrinated from New York to India to New Mexico to Minnesota, some odd geographic choices to be sure. Believe it or not, we’re back to India, courtesy of Thomas of Walk the Wilderness. The [...]

If quality of blog output is any indicator, Minnesota stands out as one of the epicenters of American birding brilliance. The quality and quantity of outstanding nature blogs out of the North Star State never fail to impress. Case in point is Kirk Mona’s Twin Cities Naturalist blog, a consistently creative and enjoyable read. Of [...]

One of the most exhilarating aspects of life online is its fluidity. For example, if you’re a blogger, take a moment to think back to July 2005, the month we launched I and the Bird. Were you even blogging then? If so, I wager your online presence has evolved considerably since you started. You may [...]

If a blog carnival kept a year list, I and the Bird would undoubtedly leave the rest in its well-traveled dust. One week, IATB watches the sun set in Saratoga Springs, NY and just a fortnight later sees the sun rise on the Subcontinent. Yes, we’re in India and in good hands too; Ambika of [...]

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 52 million people in the United States regularly feed wild birds, spending US$2.7 billion on food plus an estimated US$800 million on feeding accessories. The United Kingdom is another leader in outdoor feeding with an estimated expenditure of US$200 million. Considering that these statistics [...]

Now that we’ve acknowledged that I and the Bird is “four years young” as Corey put it, we have to evaluate this endeavor for signs of life. Is IATB still vital? All signs point to yes, and I’m not getting that response from my trusty Magic 8-Ball. My proof that I and the Bird is [...]

It seems like a very long time since I last went actually birding - my excuses include moving house, a series of trips to the Middle East where the temperature was hotter than Satan’s underpants and I stayed in the hotel rather than fry, general apathy etc etc - but just two days ago I [...]

Birding is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’ll get (also, things might get a little messy!) The random wonder that following one’s bliss can result in is captured perfectly in the bygone adventures of one Heathcliff P. Sharpe, as expertly recounted by Christopher of Picus Blog. Enjoy the very worldly wanderings [...]

South America boast over 3200 bird species but only a handful of bird bloggers. I suppose that explains why we’ve never had an edition of I and the Bird hosted from that continent… until now. At last, we’ve swept the Americas! We’ve done it in style too, thanks to our avifaunally adept, technologically savvy host, [...]

Every interest and avocation admits to a continuum of enthusiasm. Some people simply like surfing, dancing, stamp collecting, etc. while others are freaks about their passions. Birding is another one of those activities that elicits varying levels of passion. We’ve got our casual browsers, backyard baronesses, weekend warriors, amateur ornithologists, and professional birdspotters. Then we’ve [...]

Whenever I think of Amber Coakley’s engaging blog Birder’s Lounge, it gets me to wondering what a true birder’s lounge might look like. I imagine an old explorer’s club motif minus the taxidermy, probably overlooking a jungle canopy or rich mudflats. Obviously the room would be well-stocked with field guides, reference books, and robust multimedia [...]

Almost a year ago I began a post describing a visit to the UK by one of the best bird bloggers on the net (the wonderful Carrie Laben of Great Auk - or Greatest Auk?) with the words. “If I visit a blogger somewhere and they don’t write about it within a few days I [...]

Now that we’ve surpassed 100 editions of I and the Bird, let’s get the next century (metaphorical, although it may feel literal) of the world ’s best bird blogging started in style. Our host is none other than GrrlScientist of Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted), a most fitting curator indeed as her carnival credentials [...]

Today marks a major milestone in birding and nature blogging: the centennial edition of I and the Bird. Isn’t that amazing? My habit is to introduce a new edition of IATB by praising its host. However, my immense respect for Nate of The Drinking Bird is already very well-documented (you’re awesome, man!) On this occasion, [...]