2 Bright Birders

Why a Sonoma County Birding Blog?

Basically, the answer is a simple one. Though Sonoma County does have several websites about local birding, a blog has the ability to offer up-to-the minute information and also enables readers to contribute their own bird watching stories, notes and questions. A blog will allow our birding neighbors to learn about birding, and also, to communicate with us. We’re a husband-and-wife team who spends pretty much all of our free time (and some of the time when we should be working) watching birds. So often, we’ve looked online for local information about birds, and have been unable to find a resource that is kept updated, or has in-depth explanations about how to find, identify and study the birds in this beautiful region of the world. Because we run a web design company out of our home office, we get to be in an environment we’ve made bird-friendly, all day and all night long. Luckily for us, this means that watching birds is an every day pursuit, even if it’s just out the window at the feeders.

And then, there are the days when we power off the computers, throw a picnic together and head for the hills. Sugarloaf State Park, Jack London State Park, Hood Mountain, Willowside Creek, and Shollenberger Park are all within an hour’s drive from us. On a day when we’ve got more time, a drive out to the Pt. Reyes National Seashore is well within our grasp. All of these Bay Area locations, and a host of others, are truly prime birdwatching spots. We feel blessed by the abundance of birds that are busily living their lives all around us - giving freely of the joy they seem to bring to the hearts of many.

For us, the best times we’ve had on this planet have been those hours of slowing down, speaking in whispers to one another, walking softly along hidden paths with our ears alert for the calls of birds - be they old friends or a new species for our lifelist.

The Birding Sonoma County blog exists so that we can share our studies of our local birds with anyone who is trying to learn a bit more about bird watching. Whether you simply need to identify a new bird, or want to read more about the habits and behavior of birds you share a yard with, this is the place to be. We will also be posting up-to-date birding alerts when migratory fowls arrive, or when we discover a good location for birding locally.

The Birding Sonoma County blog is a family-friendly site that you can feel good about sharing with your children. By the time one of my nieces was 2 years old, she could identify 20 local birds. Think of what you can teach the little ones in your life, and what you can learn yourself from 2 Sonoma County neighbors who have always got their eyes on the birds.

*The wild bird illustrations of Miriam Ellis that appear on Birding Sonoma County are fully copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the express, written consent of the artist. Miriam Ellis is the resident bird artist for the Coastal Post.