Professional observer and documenter of people, places, and things for 32 years. Now doing it for citizen science.

Completed UC Davis ANR California Naturalist certification (via Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District) in 2020.

Aspiring wildlife photographer perfecting the art of taking quality photos with just enough defects to ensure NatGeo will never call me with an expedition offer. Most photos taken with a Nikon D7100 with either a Nikkor 200-500mm or Tamron 150-600mm (1st gen). Macro photos with a Nikkor micro 105mm 2.8 lens, or Canon SX620HS pocket camera, or just my iPhone.

Birding as a hobby since about 2008.
Favorite birding destinations: Texas (High Island for spring migration is amazing), Southeast Arizona (sky island areas near Sierra Vista), Oregon, Washington, and Costa Rica. But I am most familiar with Southern California from the coast to the inland deserts.

Active participant in City Nature Challenges, Audubon Christmas Bird Counts, Great Backyard Bird Count, and any other bio blitz projects.

My (mostly bird) submissions here are for ID purposes and documenting local phenology. I try to get different profiles of relevant markings, but I may miss something on an unfamiliar taxa. If there is a question about an ID, and another photo may help, please ask. I may have one I didn't post because I didn't think it was relevant. I will happily discuss IDs and defer to the experts.

Any local Monarch submissions are not reared in any way other than support via a mostly native plant pollinator garden and copious amounts of planted milkweed (predominately a. fascicularis with some a. tuberosa). I realize there are differing points of view on rearing Monarchs. I will leave that discussion to the experts. My practice is to provide a suitable environment and letting nature happen.

Food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices are simple to do even in the smallest space if you are able.