SpiralStrix

I am fascinated by birds! It's a fondness that emerged in the last decade, but really blossomed during some Ornithology courses a few years ago. I majored in Zoology at the University of Vermont. I enjoyed courses such as Environmental Studies, Anthropology, and Ecology and Evolution. However, my favorite by far was Ornithology. I looked forward to that class every time. One day we took a field trip to a wildlife biologist's place to observe and help as he caught and banded birds. I had never witnessed something like that in person before. It was both bizarre and fascinating. Alas, that exciting course came to an end. It was time to continue with the more mundane required courses of my program. Chemistry, calculus. You get the drift. Still, I was eager for more bird experiences. I even conducted a research study on bird vocalizations for a Biology project. I squeezed birds in where I could. I eventually transferred to CCV. During my enrollment, I was able to take another Ornithology course. The field experience was definitely worth it! I still have my observation journal, sketches and all. After that semester, I moved to Montana, but continued to take courses online until I completed my Associate's in Liberal Studies in 2011. It is merely a stepping stone toward a B.S. in Biology. That's a dream that has yet to be realized. For now, I am just an amateur birder or citizen scientist, but would love to be an actual Ornithologist some day. It doesn't seem possible, but you never know. I have gone bird-watching every now and then over the past couple years. I am hoping to get out more consistently, participate in more events, and contribute to bird research in some way. I notice my birding skills do improve a lot with practice. I aim to be more involved.

February 2014