Jeremy

How did you become a birder? Did you have a spark bird or an experience that got you hooked? 

"I started off when I was in the Navy. First day in Alaska, a lady came up to me and said "we have to go explore! You could come with me, I'm just going to be birding."

I said that's fine, I'll go out birding with you.

I couldn't tell the difference between a Blue Jay and a Cardinal at that point. 

She's getting all excited about an Emperor Goose. I had no clue what it was.

She showed me hundreds of Bald Eagles, Chickadees, all sorts of stuff.

I told her when I get home, I'm going to try this.

She laughed and said, "No you won't". 

I got home a couple of weeks later. I borrowed a pair of my dad's old binoculars. 

That was two years ago. I haven't stopped. 

Birding is...

Birding is all I want to do. It sounds cliche, but it's all I want to do. 

If I'm not out birding, I'm reading about birds, I flip through field guides a lot.