#birder

a very fat little dark eyed junco based off this picture I took

made in 2025

​Winter Visitor: The Golden crowned Sparrow Species: Golden crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

​Today’s highlight was an up close encounter with this beautiful Golden crowned Sparrow. This individual is likely in its immature or non-breeding plumage, which you can tell by the more muted, "smudged" yellow on its forehead and the brown (rather than bold black) stripes on its crown.

​The "Weary Willie" of the West

Sharing these little guys again now that they're in the new fundraiser shop. They can be found here and here on shirts, scroll down for stickers and other options.

As always EVERYTHING I EARN from my shop is for my best friend, a Palestinian PhD student studying in America. The money is sent home to support his friends and family in Palestine and around the rest of the Levant who are being hurt directly and/or financially by the genocide in Gaza, the raids and economic devastation in the West Bank and the collateral damage in surrounding countries.

Between the big boost @todaysbird gave me early on and the amazing promotion from jabaddams on Instagram, bird lovers have driven a huge amount of the traffic my shop has gotten. I am forever grateful for this, and as a huge birdwatcher myself I am so touched by how amazing other people in the hobby are. Another bird lover on my Instagram suggested budgies so that's why I made these little guys.

Very excited to share the blue-headed vireo cover art I was commissioned to create for the Maine Bird Atlas, a project that has been many years in the making. I also spent very many hours counting birds and contributing data to this important effort.

After three years of editing by an incredible team—Glen Mittelhauser and Logan Parker (MNHO), Adrienne Leppold and Amy Meehan McLaughlin (MDIFW), Evan Adams (BRI), and Doug Hitchcox (Maine Audubon)—along with contributions from 75 authors, 69 photographers, and data from over 7,000 volunteers, the final draft has been submitted to the University of Maine Press for publication.

Huge thank you to the Maine Natural History Observatory, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Biodiversity Research Institute, Maine Audubon, and everyone who contributed to this fantastic project. It is a tremendous accomplishment for all involved, and I feel honored to be asked to create the cover art. Looking forward to holding the finished book in my hands.