Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched The Birder's Report in September of 2007. His recent focus is on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California where he also monitors several bluebird trails. He is a BirdLife Species Champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts, being the webmaster for Wintu Audubon Society and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Bird Foundation. He is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Refuges with a Wildlife Conservation Pass.
I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve actually had this conversation with visitors from South Africa and Australia lately as we walked through the woods of NE Germany. Ravens were a sacred bird to the ancient Germans and while I am as far from a spiritual person as can be, it is easy to see why. At first sight, they are simply black big birds with a croaking voice. But their behaviour, their silent flights through the dark woods, and their calls – oh, their calls – are nothing short of magical. No matter how many ravens I have seen, and they are common again in most parts of Germany. I will take special note of every raven that passes me by. There is a clear difference between seeing a raven or seeing most other bird species. Amazing pictures.