Hello — it’s Brian here to give you an overview of the Birding with Ian & Brian website. I’ll confess right away that we’ve added some members‑only features, but there is still plenty of content for everyone to enjoy.
Let me start with the stories. Our lead story describes my encounter with a Great Gray Owl in the highlands of Yosemite National Park, with late‑fall snow on the ground. My life took a huge leap for the better as a result of that moment.
Next, I might ask if you’ve ever slept in the bunkhouse on Tiritiri Matangi Island in New Zealand. We have — in our quest for the Little Kiwi — and we had some memorable adventures along the way.
On another occasion, after birding the Panti Forest in southern Malaysia near Singapore, I ran into difficulties getting to Sulawesi, the primary reason for my trip.
Other interesting events unfolded when I stayed in a youth hostel near La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica.
And you might ask how going to look for the Andean Cock‑of‑the‑Rock in Ecuador has anything to do with Zen Birding. The first chapter of Zen Birding will tell you exactly how.
Or even more incredibly, you may ask, “How does the Sermon on the Mount have anything to do with birding?” That’s the second chapter of Zen Birding.
The rest of the sections provide factual details about the specifics of my birding journey. On the My Birding Trips page, I describe my introduction to birding in Hawaii and then my introduction to international birding in Australia — including a memorable encounter with kangaroos. I also recount my first experience with Neotropical birding in Mexico over a Christmas holiday break.
On the page entitled Bird Families, arranged in taxonomic order, I explain my goal of seeing one member of every bird family in the world. A visit to South Africa provided the Ostrich, while my earlier trip to Australia provided both the Emu and the Southern Cassowary in the “Cassowaries & Emu” family.
Finally, on a page called Global Birding Background, I describe my journey from earning the Boy Scout Birding Merit Badge to becoming an international birder. I also provide detailed information about the tools and services I’ve used along the way, including reference material for those who want to dig deeper.
And yes — we’ve added a Birding Store for your convenience. It offers easy access to many of the products you’ll need for your birding adventures. It’s currently an Amazon‑only store, but we’ll expand in the future to include specialty products and services.
I hope you’ll wander through these pages, explore the stories, and enjoy the journey as much as I have.
