Still More North American Bird Blogs—An Update

In May 2006, I was aware of 90 known North American bird blogs. The number of such blogs had increased to 122 by November 2006, and to 138 by December 2006.

Since my last update, I have added 63 blogs (including the 42 listed below that have been added since the first of the year) and deleted 6 blogs that are no longer available. As a result, my blogroll currently lists 179 known North American bird blogs; including 30 that, while still available, are considered "inactive" (i.e., no entries posted in the last 90 days).

To be included on this list, sites must meet the following criteria: (1) the subject matter is primarily or consistently about birds, birding, or birders; (2) the authors are physically located in North America, or write about birds, birding, or birders on that continent; (3) it was active in the past year (i.e., at least one entry); and (4) it is structured in the format of a blog (i.e., dated entries in reverse chronological order).

There are many wonderful bird blogs out there, folks. As great as they are, you are definitely doing yourself a disservice if you limit yourself to reading the the "13 best" North American blogs mentioned here. I urge you to go out and explore some of the new (and not so new) blogs that I have listed below; they offer a great variety of incredible photographs, wonderful writing, and as many points of view about birds, birders, and birding as there are blogs on those topics.

NEW BLOGS (42):

2 Birders to Go – “This is a journal of our birding/photography trips,” by Bob and Cynthia Kaufman in South Pasadena, California (August 2006)

Antshrike’s Birding Page – “Bird diary of South Texas and beyond” (November 2004)

Audubon’s Daughter – A collection of stories previously published elsewhere by the author, Jonathan Perez (February 2007)

Avian Tendencies – Adventures of Michigan birder Caleb Putnam (January 2007)

Beginning to bird - “For people who are new to bird-watching, and those who want to learn about people who are new to bird-watching,” by dguzman in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania (June 2006)

Bell Tower Birding – “Birding adventures in the heart of Ann Arbor,” by Jochen in Ann Arbor, Michigan (November 2006)

Betsy’s Bird Journal – “Just a beginning birder’s journal,” by Betsy True in Alexandria, Virginia (February 2005)

Bird Advocates – “We are advocates for the preservation and enjoyment of our native wildlife. It has been proven our wildlife is especially vulnerable to the millions of feral and roaming cats because they evolved separately. A reality based forum.” (December 2006)

Bird Couple – Love … birds – by Warren & Lisa Strobel, the BirdingCouple, on the Chesapeake Bay (November 2006)

bird QUIZ – “Take the challenge," by mon@rch (January 2007)

Birdfreak Birding Blog – “Building a conservation community, one birder at a time,” by Birdfreak.com (December 2006)

Birding on Broadmeade – “Supplementing my neighborhood birding column,” by Mikael Behrens in Austin, Texas (February 2007)

Birding Sonoma County – “Identifying and studying birds in Sonoma County, CA, and neighboring regions,” by 2 Bright Birders (December 2006)

Birdspotting – “Birding around southern Vancouver Island for the most part, but really I’ll write about wherever the wind takes me . . . I’m skinny, but I don’t literally mean the wind takes me places!” by Jeremy Gatten in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia (December 2006)

Born Again Bird Watcher – “Sharing the joys, discoveries, quandaries, and other psychological phenomena arising from encountering anew as an amateur something I have done professionally for years,” by John Riutta in Scappoose, Oregon (February 2007)

Bur Oak – “A biologist living on the edge of the Canadian Shield, in the shade of a Bur Oak, at the side of a lake, on the cusp of graduating…,” by Michael (October 2005)

Chickadees, Juncos, and Jays Oh My! – “Backyard bird watching in northern California” (February 2007)

Citizen Science Projects—Ornithology – “In this weblog, I’ll try to point to interesting projects and bits of news related to the work being done by citizen scientists—and the organizations that support them,” by Terrie (September 2004)

Duncraft’s Wild Bird Blog – “for nature enthusiasts,” from Duncraft.com. (November 2006)

East Bay Birders – *Photos and observations of the birds and other animals that frequent Olympia, WA’s East Bay, by Rupert Grove in Olympia, Washington (August 2006)

Feathered Ghosts – “Notes from the swamp (ramblings about my participation in the search for Ivory-billed Woodpecker),” by Mark VanderVen in Bellingham, Washington, and De Funiak Springs, Florida (January 2007)

Florida Big Year – A journal of one man’s big year quest, by Andy Bankert in Brevard County, Florida (January 2007)

Geobirding – “The infusion of birding & geography,” from the Birdfreak Team (January 2007)

It’s a bird thing – Musings by “a passionate birder from Albuquerque,” New Mexico (January 2007)

Ivar’s Birds – “This blog describes the portion of my life devoted to birds and photography,” by Ivar Krafts in Circle Pines, Minnesota (March 2007)

Ivory-billed Septic – Humor and sarcasm, by an acrid birder (February 2007)

Midwest Birder - "This blog will periodically chronicle the findings and travels of this birder who spends the majority of his hear in Michigan now, but who grew up in SE Wisconsin and still spends at least a month of the year there," by Sean Fitzgerald in Grand Rapids, Michigan (November 2005)

Mobile Search Team Travel Log—IBWO – Periodic updates on activities and findings of the Cornell Lab or Ornithology’s mobile Ivory-billed Woodpecker search team, winter 2006-2007 (December 2006)

Natural History Artworks – “A blog on natural history art—especially birds,” by Benjamin M. Clock (November 2006)

News from the 2007 Search—IBWO – Periodic updates on activities and findings of David Mennill’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker search team from the University of Windsor (January 2007)

Recent Bird Reports from Quebec – “Rare and interesting bird sightings from Quebec made available to birders by Bird Protection Quebec” (January 2006)

Remembering New Jersey – “A doctor-birder remembers New Jersey and other scenic landfills,” by Ken Schneider (September 2006)

Search and Serendipity – “A birder’s blog,” by David J. Ringer in Dallas, Texas (December 2004)

The bird nerd’s avian adventures – “In the Napa Valley,” by Lisa Kohler (September 2006)

The Brownstone Birding Blog – “Bits and pieces of information from a novice birder living in Portland, Connecticut, ‘home of the brownstone quarries,’” by Larry in Portland, Connecticut(December 2006)

The Egret’s Nest – “My thoughts about my life, my family, my world from my own nest in the redwoods,” by Liza Lee Miller in Boulder Creek, California (July 2006)

The Leica Birding Blog – “sponsored by Leica Sport Optics, USA, and hosted by Bird Watcher’s Digest,” by Jeff Bouton in Florida (January 2007)

The Nemesis Bird – by Drew Weber in Pennsylvania (December 2006)

The QUBS Review – “Scientific findings based on flora and fauna at the Queen’s University Biological Station,” by Katie Langin in Kingston, Ontario (September 2006)

Updates from Florida—IBWO – Periodic updates on Auburn University’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker search team, by Geoff Hill in Auburn, Alabama (November 2006)

Vagrant – “Ruminations on birding,” by Tom Auer (January 2007)

Whooper Happenings – “What’s happening in the world of the endangered Whooping Crane” (January 2006)

INACTIVE (30):

A View from the north
Bird Notes from West Houston
Bird Traveling
Bird Watching for Birders
Bird Watching: How to Study Birds
Birders on the Border
Birds of Plymouth gardens
Birdtography
BirdWatching
Brinkley Birding
Carolina Ivorybills
Chicago Bird Watching
East Bay Birders
Falconstars
Fluidfive Birding
For Elect Eyes Only
Hamilton Birding
Home Bird Days
Home Bird Notes
Home Conservation
Migrateblog
Ornitholature
Ornithology
Stercus
The Chronicles
The Incorrible Birder
The Blover Warden Diaries
The Rookie Birder
Veracruz Hawkwatch
Windy City Birder

DELETED/No Longer Available (6):

Birding Mania News
Daniell’s Den – Birding & Nature
Nick K’s Weblog
RaddBlog
Vermont Bird Tours
WPBO