Amidst all the frenzy of our recent summer activity, mostly work related, I neglected to observe a most auspicious date. On August 11, 10,000 Birds turned 4 years old!
That’s right, this blog has been kicking around for four fabulous years, which in blog years seems like four decades. And, if I may be so bold, the site is getting better every month. In the last year alone, we served up over 110,000 visits, roughly a quarter of a million page views, hundreds of subscribers, and hundreds, possibly thousands of links. I’ve also seen 39 life birds if you’re more interested in statistics like those.
10,000 Birds has changed significantly over the last year. The look and functionality of the blog evolved with the long-awaited move to WordPress. Even more momentous was the transition to a group blog; being able to share a milestone like this with Charlie and Corey makes it that much more profound. But ultimately, it all comes down to our readers. Those amazing comments, e-mails, field encounters… I’m sure I speak for my colleagues when I say we wouldn’t do this without you!
On August 11, 2003, I wrote the following:
Welcome to the very first posting of the 10,000 Birds blog. As thrilled as you undoubtedly are, I am even more so. This is my first web log and my first attempt to speak directly to the world regarding our great love of bird-watching. You will be kind, won’t you?
While we (The Core Team) have an enormous interest in birding, we have meager experience. We have a boatload to learn about bird calls, habitat, behavior, etc. We also have yet to meet members of the larger BIRDING COMMUNITY, of which perhaps you, the reader, are a part. This site promises to be a venue through which we can share all of the lessons and observations that accompany what promises to be a life-long learning process. We hope that those of you with experience will be generous with your insights. We also hope that those of you who are also new to birding, or perhaps just flitting around the edges, will learn along with us and share our enthusiasm.
Have 10,000 Birds remained true to that founding intention? And what’s next? What would you like to see more of in the next year?
Good times!
Congrats! Here’s to another 4-year term! I celebrated by going to our friend’s kid’s 2nd b-day party last Sat. I did see a nice Coop fly right over their yard, so that must mean something.
Congratulations!!
What I want to see in the next year?
Easy:
Charlie reporting from his first trip to Hawaii where his employer will be flying to regularly starting next months and where he always gets 3 full days off between flights.
Mike writing up his trip report of 4 weeks in Peru where he managed to see 950 species.
Corey’s report of his “Berlin to Beijing” trip that took him 3 months but where he managed to finally find the breeding grounds of the last Slender-billed Curlews somewhere in southern Russia.
Think you’ll manage?
I sure hope so.
Congrats on 4 years! I just linked to you. Here’s to 4 more!
Jochen, clearly we think alike since that’s what I’m hoping to see next year as well.
Thanks to all for your congratulations and your links!
Four more years!
Happy belated! Keep up the awesome work!
Wow. Four years, in blog years that’s like, really old. Luckily none of the posts are really old, and 10000 Birds just keeps getting better and better.
I’d like to see a joint report on a trip to the High Arctic by all three of you. Think you can swing it?