Blog & Photo Archive

This is the start of a weekly birding blog/reflection, where various members of Birding for Beauty include a photograph they’ve taken or an art piece they’ve done of a bird, along with a caption about what it means to them.

Birding is about finding beauty in the everyday birds; the thrill and passion comes from the backyard species as much as it does the once-in-a-lifetime bird, as does the responsibility to protect them.

Species List

Allen's Hummingbird – December 28, 2024
Double-crested Cormorant – January 5, 2025
American Herring Gull – January 12, 2025
Black-billed Magpie – January 19, 2025
Cedar Waxwing – January 26, 2025
Eastern Bluebird – February 5, 2025
Purple Finch – February 12, 2025
Mourning Dove – February 19, 2025
Snowy Egret – February 26, 2025
Royal Tern – March 6, 2025
Chipping Sparrow – March 12, 2025
Carolina Wren – March 19, 2025
American Robin – March 26, 2025
European Starling – April 2, 2025
Tufted Titmouse – April 9, 2025
Rock Pigeon – April 16, 2025

01 – December 28, 2024

Allen's Hummingbird

I saw this bird for the first time in San Diego. My wandering eyes caught on the sun that reflected off its feathers as I passed. Sometimes, I feel very small, like when I look up at a cloudless sky. Other times, I feel very large and powerful, peering down at the insects by my shoes. And then there are times I feel both—the weight of my own body in the presence of an insect-sized bird, yet seeing the strength that it must exert every day for its whole life. It’s a strange, paradoxical feeling, and this is why I love hummingbirds.

02 – January 5, 2025

Double-crested Cormorant

This photo was taken at Murphey Candler Park, here in the Atlanta Metro Area, in November. I’ve always thought that the feathers of cormorants were waterproof, but I recently learned that they aren’t, which does make sense. They need water to weigh them down as they dive deep to catch fish. The evolution of such distinct and diverse ways of utilizing one aspect of nature, a lake, is fascinating to me.

03 – January 12, 2025

American Herring Gull

I saw this Herring Gull in near Acadia National Park in Maine. My family and I stopped on the side of the road beside some cliffs to look at the view, and this gull was standing at the very edge of a cliff. Of course, fear of heights isn't the same when you can fly, but its expression felt fearless. It wasn't afraid of me, either, and let me get kind of close to it for photographs. I wonder if this fearlessness is a result of a lot of human interaction like many gulls on beaches (despite this remote location) or if it was because it hadn't encountered many humans yet. It's interesting to see how two polar experiences can have the same outcome.

04 – January 19, 2025

Black-billed Magpie

My first time seeing a Black-billed Magpie was the summer of 2023 at Camp Colorado, a birding camp run by the American Birding Association. I associate this bird with kindness, intelligence, and community for several reasons. Corvids are extremely smart birds that are able to problem-solve using tools, and they are also capable of holding generational grudges, which is a testament to strong memory. More significantly in my mind, however, is how this bird greeted my entry into Camp Colorado and my exit. I met so many inspiring, passionate birders at this program, and I will remember the magpie as the bird who served as harbinger into a wonderful week of learning.

05 – January 26, 2025

Cedar Waxwing

This waxwing was part of a much larger flock one morning in my neighborhood. I was actually getting in the car to lead a bird walk for my school, so seeing all these waxwings with their feathers catching the light of the morning sun was a wonderful surprise. It showed me how beautiful moments can happen anywhere with any bird—even at the edge of your neighborhood in transit.

06 – February 5, 2025

Eastern Bluebird

It occurred to me after taking this photo that I have never thought to photograph Eastern Bluebirds before. They're so common, and I see them nearly every day. The common birds should not escape our attention, however, and I learned a valuable lesson about seeing beauty in mundanity.

07 – February 12, 2025

Purple Finch

The photo may have surprised you. It's not often a female bird of a sexually dimorphic species like the Purple Finch is presented without the company of a male. This may be partly due to the fact that males are often brighter and thus attract more attention. It does not escape my notice that sexually dimorphic species are often named after the male's physical attributes, either a result of human-based beauty bias or because of an underlying androcentric way of viewing the world that taints even science, a field typically associated with "fact" and "objectivity." Of course, it is known that science is inextricably a result of its social context. With this photo, I encourage birders to think more deeply about limitations within science and established "truths."

08 – February 19, 2025

Mourning Dove

We first noticed her a couple of days before. Her nest is right outside our front door. Every day without fail, she sits in her nest—even when it got significantly below freezing (a little uncommon for Georgia!). I admire the dedication of nature, and seeing this mother at all hours of the day makes me appreciate the inexplicable forces of the world and the universe that make a mother have such a deep connection with her to-be offspring.

(It is important to recognize that nests should not be tampered with, and we humans must maintain our distance. This photo was taken from across the porch with a wide-zoom camera to give this dove space, and we minimize foot traffic through our front door to avoid scaring her. We encourage readers to practice this respect in similar situations.)

09 – February 26, 2025

Snowy Egret

This Snowy Egret was at a pond in the middle of a theme park in Southern California. I think it's bittersweet to see instances of these—that birds have adapted to our human presence. On one hand, it is reassuring to note that these birds continue surviving despite our harmful impact on their environments. In turn, however, it is saddening that these birds must adapt in the first place—to our theme parks, our homes, our cities, the whole world we have built for our own comfort. I encourage readers to think more about other times they have seen nature adapt like this.

10 – March 6, 2025

Royal Terns

These two Royal Terns were part of a much larger group of terns. It was a very windy, stormy-looking day. The tern to the right looks almost identical to the one on the right, but it's actually a juvenile—perhaps one very close to adulthood. I really like this photo because of how it captures the dynamic between the juvenile and its mother. At the risk of anthropomorphizing the two, this image looks like a child asking their mother for food. Though it can't be seen in the photo, the mother doesn't give her child what it's asking for. I believe she wanted her child to learn to take care of itself—learn independence and autonomy. Seeing the two together was silly and sweet, but it also reminded me the price (and inevitability) of growing up. Being a high school junior means I, too, will leave this nest I call home. I don't feel nearly ready enough to do so, and I will seek out many more moments like these with my mother throughout my lifetime.

11 – March 12, 2024

Chipping Sparrow

Chipping Sparrows are one of the most common sparrow species in Atlanta. From my personal experience, they're usually found near pine trees or on grassy fields. I've always found Chipping Sparrows particularly interesting because of how close humans can get to them. I wonder if it's because their habitats allow for more human contact or if, perhaps, there's a more innate/biological "laid-backness" to them.

12 – March 19, 2025

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wrens have beautiful songs, and they're unusually loud in comparison to their small body size. :) I see them as the quintessential "underdog" of the birding world because of their feisty nature and seeming grit.

13 – March 26, 2025

American Robin

The American Robin was the first bird on my life list. Sometimes we birders forget to photograph the common birds, but this species reminds me of what remains constant in my life despite everything that has changed around me. It is important to continue seeing beauty in the mundane or else everything will become, in some way, disappointing.

14 – April 2, 2025

European Starling

The European Starling was introduced to North America, specifically New York, in the 1890s and is an invasive species. These starlings cause many ecological problems because they fight with native birds for resources. It is important to notice that these beautifully colored birds are responsible for the upheaval of natural balance all across the United States—they are the indirect result, yet again, of the damage that comes from humans overstepping their boundaries in nature.

15 – April 9, 2025

Tufted Titmouse

I saw this Tufted Titmouse in Central Park, and it was my first time birding in such a well-known birding spot—The Ramble. In contrast with the sobering message above about the European Starling, I think this titmouse photo is hopeful because it represents what conservationists and compassionate humans are doing to combat previous damage through consciously providing safe spaces—Central Park and many others—for birds and other wildlife. I saw my first black squirrel here, too!

16 – April 16, 2025

Rock Pigeon

Rock Pigeons are also an invasive species, introduced to North America from Europe like the European Starling mentioned a couple weeks prior. It's very interesting to see how much phenotypic (physical appearance) diversity there is within even one flock. Perhaps it came from artificial selection of pigeons long ago, as well as genetic variation due to regional differences that have now united in urban areas.