After gaining an interest in feeder birds in my backyard near Boston at the age of sixteen, I began studying my first field guide nearly every day. The Black-and-white Warbler stood out as a bird of unusual beauty, and it was hardly two days later that I looked out the window to see a stunning male in the red maple in the yard. This lit the spark in my birding passion, and began my interest in finding unusual birds in usual places.

I love to travel but my favorite birding is often local; there is nothing like finding a rarity in your patch. My passions include graphic design, bird banding, photography, kayaking, drawing and painting birds, and rock climbing.