Something I have always wanted to do (and at age 55 it is now on my “Bucket List”) is white-water-raft down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon (located in the State of Arizona in the USA)! My husband, Paul, and I have rafted down approximately 15 miles of the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam access to Lee’s Ferry. It was a beautiful, peaceful trip, broken up by some mild-to-moderate rapids. Besides the beautiful water, a highlight was seeing a Golden Eagle sitting on its nest! But, what I really want to do is an, at least, 8 day trip which would cover approximately 277 river miles, negotiating approximately 200 sets of rapids! Yeah, that’s what I am talking about!
I have gone online to see just what is offered…one provider ranks this trip up there with a safari to the African Serengti Plain (this is on my “Bucket List” also) or a trek through the Himalayas (too cold for me!) An eight day trip goes for approximately $2550 per person! It would take some serious saving before I could accomplish this! But the things you would see! The excitement! The experience!
I am a wildlife lover! I want to see the bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyotes, and ringtail cats that you might be able to see on the Grand Canyon walls, on the riverbanks, or down the tributary canyons! You could also see hawks, golden eagles, falcons, blue herons, and egrets–some of my favorite large birds! But the ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors of the Grand Canyon walls themselves! I know what those stunning walls look like from both the South Rim and the North Rim, but imagine seeing them from the river! How small a human must feel when looking up at those towering cliffs!
I would give praise to a Grand Creator for the animal and bird creation and their design and the effects of water and erosion that He put into existence! Would you?
Michelle
P.S. By the way, while you are on my site please feel free to check out my shopping page. There are 50 online stores from which to buy and choose. There are items from books, printing needs to jewelry. It also includes Home Depot and Amazon for all your shopping needs.
I hope this finds whoever is reading this well and your loved ones too!
Loving wild birds began for me when I was about 5 years old and my Dad brought home a robin’s egg. He gave it to me to take care of it. I put it in my dresser’s drawer amongst a lot of soft clothing items and was so careful with it. I thought that I would be able to bring it to birdhood, but it broke! I was inconsolable! I began to notice that birds were special to me, especially robins!
When I was around 8, an owl flew overhead. I tracked it and it landed on the TV antenna of a house close by. I was on a hill and could see for quite a way–and everywhere I looked there was an owl or a bird of that size on each house’s TV antenna! Later, when I was going on a trip to my grandmother’s–I was around 9 or 10–I noticed owls on almost every fence post (we were in a rural area) for a mile or so! As a result, I became very “into” owls and started collecting items in the shape of owls or that had an owl on them! Then when my friend started counting how many owl objects I had, he quit when he hit 1,000! I still have a lot of these owls, but I have branched off to include other birds and birdhouses in my collection!
The birds I love to see at my feeders are American Goldfinches and Lesser Goldfinches! The American Goldfinch male, in his spring plumage is a sight for sore and winter-weary eyes! I think the House Finch, with his orange/red markings, is striking too. All of these finches are very social and vocal too! From dawn to dusk, my back yard is full of bird song and I LOVE it!
I will post more about my favorite wild birds and back yard birdwatching soon!
In addition to the “adult” bird watching books, there are a number of excellent books written especially for youngsters to help them get starting bird watching. These helpful and kid-friendly guides feature the birds that are easiest to find.
The Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds Eastern Edition covers birds of the eastern United States. Written by Donald and Lillian Stokes, this 211 page guide is organized by the bird’s colors, and features full color photographs of more than 100 species with separate photographs of male and female wherever plumage differs. Recommended for children 8 years and up.
The Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds Western Edition includes birds of the western half of the United States. This 189 page guide is organized similarly to the companion book Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds Eastern Edition.
Taking a Backyard Bird Walk by Jane Kirkland includes funny birding stories, tips on finding birds around your home, bird identification information, full color photographs of birds commonly found in backyards, and a journal section for recording details of your observations. Recommended for kids 8 years and older.
The Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Hummingbirds is packed with information about hummingbirds and how to attract them to your backyard. Includes full color photographs and range maps. Another great book for kids by the popular nature authority team of Donald and Lillian Stokes.
Alphabetical Birds in Color by Lawrence Hohman. Features 26 different birds in full color, each shown in their native habitat. This is the perfect introductory book for younger children.
P.S. By the way, while you are on my site please feel free to check out my shopping page. There are 50 online stores from which to buy and choose. There are items from books, printing needs to jewelry. It also includes Home Depot and Amazon for all your shopping needs.
Another in the “For Dummies” series of reference books, Bird Watching for Dummies is actually one of the best bird watching books for the beginning “birder.” This 464 page book lays out all of the basics that you’ll need to get started in this fascinating hobby that has captured the hearts of millions of bird watching enthusiasts worldwide.
Includes tips and advice from the pros for finding and identifying birds. You’ll also find helpful information on creating a bird-friendly yard, how to choose and use field glasses, buying or building bird feeders, organizing your field journal for recording your observations, finding the best bird clubs to join, and more.
Written by Bill Thompson III and the helpful staff from Bird Watcher’s Digest, this is a great book for novice and seasoned birder alike. Includes tips on dealing with pests and other bird feeder problems, gardening tips to create a more bird-friendly yard, the right and wrong clothing to wear on a field trip, identifying birding hot-spots, calls and non-vocal identifying sounds, and 32 pages of full color photographs.
Bird Watching for Dummies is an enjoyable and easy to read single volume reference containing just about everything you need to know about birding. As entertaining as it is informative, this the one book, besides a good field guide, that deserves a place on every birder’s bookshelf.
Author Bill Thompson III is the editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest. His other published works include The Peterson Field Guide, Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, and Identify Yourself: The 50 Most Common Birding Identification Challenges.
Bird watching is one of the most popular hobbies in the world, and there are hundreds of bird watching books available for you to choose from. When choosing your first field guide, look for a book that provides detailed color photographs or illustrations of the birds. If you’re a newcomer to bird watching, poorly illustrated guides that miss the sometimes subtle details can cause you to misidentify your observations.
One of the most popular field guides on the market are the Sibley guides. Written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley. The Sibley Guide to Birds contains over 6,600 illustrations total and descriptions of 810 species and 350 regional populations. This easy to use guide is arranged to make comparison easy for beginner and veteran “birder” alike.
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is a great reference work with complete information on avian life, including evolution, body structure, life cycle, nesting, and flight dynamics for the 80 families of North American birds.
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America includes 650 species plus regional populations that are found east of the Rocky Mountains. There are more than 4,200 finely detailed illustrations with accompanying text. Each entry includes information such as nesting, frequency, behavior, feeding, vocal description and the key identification features.
For birders west of the Rocky Mountains, there is The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America with updated range maps, and detailed illustrations for 703 species found in the western United States. Includes information for western Canada, Alaska and Baja California.
Something I have always wanted to do (and at age 55 it is now on my “Bucket List”) is white-water-raft down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon (located in the State of 
Arizona in the USA)! My husband, Paul, and I have rafted down approximately 15 miles of the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam access to Lee’s Ferry. It was a beautiful, peaceful trip, broken up by some mild-to-moderate rapids. Besides the beautiful water, a highlight was seeing a Golden Eagle sitting on its nest! But, what I really want to do is an, at least, 8 day trip which would cover approximately 277 river miles, negotiating approximately 200 sets of rapids! Yeah, that’s what I am talking about!
I am a wildlife lover! I want to see the bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyotes, and ringtail cats that you might be able to see on the Grand Canyon walls, on the riverbanks, or down the tributary canyons! You could also see hawks, golden eagles, falcons, blue herons, and egrets–some of my favorite large birds! But the ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors of the Grand Canyon walls themselves! I know what those stunning walls look like from both the South Rim and the North Rim, but imagine seeing them from the river! How small a human must feel when looking up at those towering cliffs!
