You are browsing the archives of iatb.

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 [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

Migration. Isn’t that what it’s all about? We’re all, by the standard definition of the word, migrating, moving from place to place, hither and yon. Atoms migrate within molecules. Teeth migrate within mouths (though we’d rather they didn’t). But of most importance, particularly to those of us attuned to the rhythms of the natural world, [...]

“Ramblings” is a loaded term, one capable of conveying a continuum of meaning. Some ramblings are aimless digressions, either physical or philosophical, while others are intentional excursions. I’ve always considered myself what the immortal Dicky Betts labeled a ramblin’ man — tryin to make a livin and doin’ the best I can — but I [...]

Know what’s great? Great Auks are great, or at least they were. Fortunately, much of the greatness of that late, great alcid is channeled, curated if you will, at Great Auk – or Greatest Auk?. Carrie Laben is great; not only is she a great writer but she’s also great to go birding with. After [...]

You know Rob Fergus, right? Every so often (okay, pretty much every day) this mild-mannered Audubon Senior Scientist exchanges his lab coat (I don’t think he wears a lab coat) for high-powered optics and a cape (I don’t think he wears one of these either) assuming his notorious alias, The Birdchaser. Rob is an established [...]

Are you a bird watcher? Are you a morning person? Believe it or not, the two types do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. Sure, the hours around dawn are often best for bird spotting activities but they’re also, to my hedonistic mind, the laziest, most luxurious moments of slumber. I’d much rather sleep in and get [...]

When the vagaries and viccissitudes of a temperate climate become decidedly intemperate, I begin to long for California. Most California dreamers conjure visions of that sun-kissed coastline from Santa Barbara south to San Diego. My mind takes me back to Northern California, easily one of the most magnificent and dramatic landscapes in the world yet [...]

We all know that blogging is an art unto itself, or at least we like to tell ourselves that. Birding too requires as much creativity and intuition as ornithological acumen and field prowess. This must logically mean that bird bloggers are doubly endowed with the artistic spirit, or at least we like to tell ourselves [...]

I’ve been shaking my fist northward for the last four frigid weeks. Actually, every part of me has been shaking from the brutal arctic assault. But at last, something great is blowing in from Canada! Seabrooke Leckie of the Marvelous in Nature seems to weather the harsh winters of eastern Ontario with enviable equanimity. Where lesser souls [...]

Can you believe it’s been almost a month since the last I and the Bird? Sho ’nuff, but our newest edition makes the long wait worthwhile. After all, it’s presented by that bold, brilliant, bird-loving traveler, T.R. Ryan of From the Faraway, Nearby. True to form, he’s turned out a tremendous travelogue-themed I and the [...]

Aren’t you ever just amazed at the skill exhibited by other naturalists? I’m often blown away by the concentration of sheer field ornithology prowess when I get together with fellow birders… and believe me, I subtract my own merely adequate aptitude from that equation! But then again, most of us can still feel humbled beside [...]