An afternoon walk in the 'burbs

I set out to photograph dandelions in all their invasive glory. I ended up with a snapping turtle in my hands!

Life has taken me to many places: rainforests, urban jungles, rural hillsides, and now, the suburbs.

American Robin, suburbanite

Birds of Agahozo Shalom Photo Gallery

Welcome to the gallery! This post features photographs of birds that visit or live at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) in Rwanda, on the eastern edge of central Africa.

All of these pictures were taken at ASYV. This page contains 91 species, about 70% of the roughly 130 species recorded at ASYV from December 2010-November 2011. For a more in-depth guide to the birds of ASYV, check back soon for the upcoming photographic guide.

The colorful lives of tanagers

Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola) near Maquipucuna Reserve, Ecuador

If you can see them, tanagers will make your eyes pop.

A migrant’s hello from Ecuador

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
near Santa Lucia Bosque Nublado, Ecuador

My favorite time of year in New York was always the first two weeks of May. Early mornings before work, afternoons after work, and pretty much every minute of the weekends were spent combing Central Park for migratory birds that were passing through on their way to their breeding grounds.

Chicken dinner...

Usually it's the chicken being eaten...

Chickens are the most abundant bird on Earth. Obviously this number would fluctuate any time dinner was being prepared, but in 2010, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates there were 19.4 billion chickens on the planet. Thanks to the ease of production, the taste of fried chicken, and the flexibility of any-way-you-like-it eggs, there are more chickens than any other type of bird.

The joy of a new bird

Sometimes a seemingly boring little bird can be the highlight of your day.

Diary of a birding princess

April 22, 2011: Magamba Forest, Tanzania

Dear Diary,

It´s 2 pm. I´ve been hiking in a drizzle all morning. It’s cold, it's muddy and I ran out of Pepto-Bismol hours ago. All I want is a hot shower and a clean, dry set of clothes.