Miles Tuffli and Teresa Tuffli

Our Guest Post for The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library

Back in January, we received a “Thank you for your recording contributions” auto-generated email from The Macaulay Library. The email reported that we’d submitted 320 audio recordings during 2018. Continue reading “Our Guest Post for The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library”

Red-winged Blackbird at Shollenberger Park, Petaluma, California

Petaluma Wetlands Alliance Monthly Bird Survey at Shollenberger Park (2/11/19)

Last Monday was the bimonthly bird survey at Shollenberger Park for the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance (PWA). We scored a break in the rain before the atmospheric river arrived and enjoyed a chilly but calm day of counting birds.  Continue reading “Petaluma Wetlands Alliance Monthly Bird Survey at Shollenberger Park (2/11/19)”

Northern Rough-winged Swallow nesting pair

The Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Story of Billy Gene and Billie Jean, Our Nesting Pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows

While birding, we typically only get to see a snippet of a bird’s life. In the spring of 2018, however, we had the privilege of observing a pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows for two months while they nested in our dryer vent. Our keen interest grew into emotional investment as we watched the course of their nesting cycle unfold. But as uplifting as this intimate view was for us, the story ultimately ended in heartbreak. Continue reading “The Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Story of Billy Gene and Billie Jean, Our Nesting Pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows”