An April Fool

All last month I was an April fool -- a birding fool, that is. In the past few weeks (and I'm including the first week of May in the update), I've taken two birding press trips to review outstanding field locations, purchased a new and better digital camera for better birding photos, welcomed at one new yard bird, added at least 48 birds to my life list, and been in more airports than I can care to count. On the home front, I've also started working with our landscapers again to put plants and trees into the empty flowerbeds this year, choosing native species that are highly bird-friendly.

As if that all isn't birding foolish enough, I've also hit different trails, renewed my National Audubon Society membership, and upped the frequency of my feeder refills to accommodate the growing backyard flock. Hopefully, however, this frantic place will slow a bit in the next few weeks, so I don't have to be quite so foolish and frustrated. Work-wise, I'd dropped some of my most aggravating, non-bird-related work, and I can already feel the difference.

More updates and details are to come, including life list updates, trip reports, and more. For now, I'll leave you with one of the most memorable lifers of my recent travels - the Jamaican tody. Yes, Jamaica... And that's just the start of the birding adventures.

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