Welcome
The focus of Wild Places, Wild Birds is the advocacy of birding and the protection of the environment we all share, all birds, people, and all the flora and fauna of the planet. I enjoy birding, nature, photography, making web pages, and educating people about the environment, so WPWB is the result of blending those interests into a product I hope will spark more interest and involvement in the conservation of all natural resources.
With the new and improved 2026 version, Wild Places, Wild Birds is now a platform for birding and conservation news, featuring special features such as “bird of the week” and a weekly bird news summary, along with information pages on birder resources, birding ethics, photography, North Carolina and Michigan bird sounds, and occasional guest authors. Occasionally, we also post about our latest outdoor and birding adventures.
There are dozens of great birding websites and organizations. eBird from CLO(Cornell Lab of Ornithology), ABA (American Birding Association), and CBC (Carolina Bird Club) are all excellent resources. Many more are listed on the Birding Resources page.
. There are hundreds of “birding” organizations, birding websites, and birding blogs. The goal at Wild Places, Wild Birds is to present the art of birding, especially to beginners, in a way that does not overwhelm them, does not make them feel minimized, and excites their inner bird to get out, go birding, and get involved. In my experience, many expert birders lose touch with beginners. Most have good intentions but may be too wrapped up in the finer points of birding to relate to beginners. Even I forget how exciting it is to see, hear, and identify the first Catbird, Tanager, or Hooded Merganser. Experienced birders need to consider how they interact with other, less-skilled birders and the general public. Beginning birders, too, have a responsibility to study up on birding ethics and common courtesies.
Birding Ethics
Let’s quickly review good birding ethics, bird photography ethics, and audio playback guidelines. The best we can all do is exhibit good, ethical behaviors and politely encourage those who do not. Park in approved areas, close car doors quietly, pick up trash, and do not move in for a photo that causes the bird to move. At one time or another, we all make mistakes. Once, I drove up on (as in, almost ran it over) a Snowy Owl at Ft. Fisher because I mistakenly thought the group of birders off in the distance was looking away from my direction, not toward it. I did get some great pictures for my mistake, but I felt terrible about it later.
And then, there is the non-birding community. Educate them. We need landowners, farmers, and hunters to help us protect birds. Giving negative ammunition to those who might prefer nature not be protected is like shooting ourselves and the birds in the foot. Information needed to make birding enjoyable for all, for the ultimate benefit of birds and the environment.
Wild Places, Wild Birds hint: many postings about bird sightings use species acronyms, such as GBBG, Great Black-backed Gull. Here is a link to all the codes.
