I and the BirdThe back-to-school season is fast approaching for those of us in countries who observe summer vacation during the months of July and August. Summer seems to be regarded as a magical time for vacationing, despite the fact that every destination is choked to suffocation with annoying vacationers (case in point: last year’s troublesome trip to Acadia!) Too bad, as the climactic volatility of this season threatens the tranquility of any anxiously-awaited holiday. For example, New York and New Jersey have been blanketed recently with a misery of mist, rain, and cold. My heart goes out to those poor souls who booked beach houses in the Hamptons or on the Jersey shore this week. And how about those tragic figures who scrimped and saved all year for an off-season excursion to the Caribbean or the Yucatan Peninsula only to face the wrath of Hurricane Dean? Some days, it’s better to stay home and watch the local brand of birds!

If summer vacations are all about luck, then Vern of Big Spring Birds wants to know how lucky you’ve gotten recently. His playful presentation of I and the Bird #56 is a response to that legendary back-to-school report topic: “What I Did On My Summer Vacation.” Even if you haven’t enjoyed a recent holiday, be sure to check it out and play along!

Summer isn’t over yet! Across the globe, birds have begun the next wave of migration. It behooves you (yes, you!) to get out there and observe their passage. Once you’ve accomplished that, how about blogging about the experience and submitting your link to the next I and the Bird? Our next host is none other than John of A DC Birding Blog, an experienced birder, blogger, and IATB curator, so don’t miss it. Send your submissions to me or John (empidonax AT gmail DOT com) by September 4th.

Written by Mike
Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.