Aug 14 2010
About Me
Photo by Liz Gordon
Welcome! Here’s a bit about me. Since this is a blog after all, I’m guessing you’d be interested in an annotated list of links that will give you an idea of some of the things I’ve done in the realms of multimedia and social media. If you’d like to see my résumé, look here.
If you only have time to look at one or two things in the list below, I suggest Before the Spark, especially the video at the end of the post, and Almost Like Resurrection. If you want to see me being interviewed, check out Horseshoe Crab Spawning with Host Our Coast.
If you don’t know how to adjust resolution on YouTube for the best viewing experience, please see the tip here.
Below are direct links to five blog posts of mine that I recommend as a starting point:
•Before the Spark: Here I tell the story of my own “spark” bird and a little about how I got started in birding. At the bottom of the post, there’s a video I did that I think you’d enjoy. I interviewed a number of birders at the Cape May Autumn weekend and got them to tell me the stories of their spark birds.
•Swainson’s Warbler: King of the Rhodos: A photographic essay about a wonderful encounter with a wonderful and weird bird.
•Horseshoe Crab Spawning with Host Our Coast: This post features a video of me on the Delaware Bay shore, talking about the horseshoe crab spawning and attendant shorebird migration.
•One and a Half Hours at Mindo Loma: Ecuadorian eye candy. Plus, giant earthworms!
•Here’s a guest post I did for the estimable 10,000 Birds, concerning a stellar morning with The Military Macaws (and people) of Jaumave, Mexico.
Peterson Video Podcasts A major project that I did with Bill Thompson III in 2008 was a series of 33 video podcasts for the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America. One of the things I’m proudest about is that these videos were almost entirely created from scratch by Bill and me, using home computers. It was labor intensive, but I think we produced a very good product. Here are 2 that will give you a nice sample.
•Almost Like Resurrection: This is a biographical sketch of Roger Tory Peterson from his birth up to the publication of his first field guide. Yes, that’s me doing the narration.
•Woodpeckers: This is just one of fifteen bird family overviews that we did—the aim is to paint a portrait of the group, not go too deeply into identification. There are portraits of lots of popular groups. If you like this one, try warblers, gulls, sparrows, owls. Heck, try the whole bunch.
Peterson Field Guides Facebook Page I maintain the Peterson Field Guides fan page on Facebook. I post lots of my own photography and videos there, share links, and comment on and answer questions about photos and videos posted by fans. Anything you see by “Peterson Field Guides” there is mine.
My Flickr photos: Lots and lots of pictures I’ve taken, plus one or two from other sources. Most of these, I’m happy to share for various uses, just drop me a line or leave a comment below.
My YouTube videos: A selection of odds and ends. Here’s a fun one—One-spotted Prepona discovery at NABA Park, Texas.
Delaware Birding Trail The Delaware Birding Trail’s web site is here. I’m quite happy with the online version, but I like the hard copy even more. If you enter your address on this page, they’ll mail you a free copy. I wrote the text for the guide, selected the photos (mostly by the amazing Kim Steininger) plus served as the coordinator for the whole project.
There’s lots more out there, but again, I believe this short list will give you a good idea of the kind and quality of work that I do. Thanks for looking!
A note about me as a blogger and social media user: I see a huge value in blogs. They provide a very personal, longer-form way to share information and images. I’ve loved having this one. When I think I have something really worth sharing, it’s here for me. But I’ve given up on trying to post very frequently.
I’ve tried doing the post-5-times-a-week thing and the post-every-week thing. My conclusion, for me only—blogging that often just isn’t something I want to do. In the last two years, I’ve found Facebook to be a much more interactive, exciting place to be on a daily basis than any individual blog. That could change at any time—I fully expect Facebook to sooner or later go the way of AOL, MySpace, and others that briefly dominated the online social landscape. For now, though, I think it’s where the action is, especially for the birding community.
As for Twitter, I’ve been on it for a long time (I was there before Oprah!) but I’ve typically found it more enervating than enlightening. I think I get it, I just haven’t gotten into it yet. If someone wants to get in touch and really show me the Twitter light, I’d love that. I do see how it’s potentially quite useful for people, e.g., birders, who are trying to communicate in real time in a certain region or at a particular event.
Great news for you and the ABA! On behalf of the Tricounty Bird Club and myself personally, I wish you good fortune in the new job, and hope to see you in the field.
Mike
Congrats Jeff! My name is Randy Kreager. I am a fellow birder, a member of ABA, and a member of the Black Swamp Birding Org. in NW Ohio. Kenn tells us that you are the right man for the job and I have complete faith in his judgement and therefore have complete faith in you. ( My friend, Chuck Bell, also sings your praises!). So, I am excited for you, for ABA, and for all of us fellow birders. Good luck in your new job. May God bless your move from the east coast to the Rookies. I look forward to meeting you some day. Again, congrats and best of luck to you!
Jeffery
I hope you do not mind me contacting you in this manner but I am looking for some US help with the identity of an Aythya duck that was found on my local patch Hatfield Moors UK on 2nd Jan 2011. The bird was at first thought to be probable hybrid but was then identified as a first winter female Lesser Scaup. After a few days the local bird information services began to publicise it as an Aythya hybrid or a Tufted Duck, and the person who had initially formally identified it as a Lesser Scaup changed his mind about its identity but rather than saying that it was a hybrid said he wasn’t sure what it was.
To date the only identification offered from the Lesser Scaup detractors has been the Tufted Duck one, though its plumage is incorrect for Tufted Duck and it is a considerably smaller bird than any of the Tufted Ducks present on the same lake.
A number of the Hatfield Moors Bird Study Group are not totally satisfied that it is not a Lesser Scaup but if it is not we would like an explanation of what the bird is, not simply what we see as the ‘cop-out’ of ‘oh it is just a hybrid’. If it is a hybrid what is it an hybrid of?
I was wondering if you would mind having a look at the various photographs on our blog at http://hmbb1.wordpress.com during the week or so following Jan 2nd and letting us know your thoughts either by commenting directly on the blog or alternatively via email direct to me.
Chris Robinson
Hatfield Moors Bird Study Group UK
Hi Jeff,
My name is Jim, would very much like to use one of your photos (of an owl) in a book we’re publishing. Could I ask you to drop me an email (I think my address is automatically sent to you) to discuss? Thanks and best wishes, Jim
Greetings Jeff from Bogota Colombia!!!!.
I am planning to go Mexico on feb., of next year and would like to make you a couple of questions regarding the macaws in Jaumame. Is it feb. a good time to see them?. Do you have any idea of where to stay in Jaumame or near that town?. I will appreciate if you tell me or give good suggestions, hints or tips about this trip. Thank you in advance. Best, Fidel
PD: Can I call you anywhere in the world?
Hi Jeff,
I sent a message via Flickr in-mail to you wrt to your images of Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl. I’m an editor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s site Neotropical Birds Online (http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu). We’d love to use your images of this species for the life history account (and any others that you might allow us access to use). Please take a look at my message in Flickr and/or contact me via email to let me know if you might approve our usage request (sjo22@cornell.edu). Thanks!
Cool stuff. = )
read more…
[...]just below, are some totally unrelated sites to ours, however, they are definitely worth checking out[...]…
Good morning Jeff,
I must say your work is quite remarkable. I am an avid birder myself and have traveled high and low in search of our flying friends. If ever you would like to share some birding adventures I would be happy to do so.
Cheers and Chirps,
Deedsy
Hi Jeff,
I’m the director of the environmental group out in Point Reyes California that organizes the annual Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival in late April each spring. I wanted to thank you for your support last year, and see if you’d be willing to support us again, perhaps two ways?
First, we’d love to have you be our keynote speaker at the Saturday evening banquet April 27, 2013. If you’re available, please let me know. I don’t know that we can afford you, but we’d love to try!!
Second, would you let us write a blog about our Festival again this January? I think it’s really helping us get the word out about the amazing place we live, the awesome birds that visit us each year, and the good work my group does to protect it all.
Thanks very much for your consideration! I look forward to talking with you at your earliest convenience. 415-663-9312.
Best regards,
Amy
Question about ABA Big year reporting:
My father just completed an ABA area big year in 2012, and came up just shy of 700 birds. He is a little reluctant to submit his results, so I thought I would ask about the steps, and make sure he made the deadline. Could you let me know what he has to do?
James
Payday lending is a form of credit where the borrower provides the creditor authorisation to create an automatic withdrawal
from their bank-account. This really is used as security for a short-term loan to be repaid, an average of, on the next payday.
Payday lending in the UK
Payday loans are an existing form of lending in america and they have been growing fast in britain market on the
last five years simply because they give you a relatively tiny amount of cash (usually up to £500) for a short term, around two weeks
(or until ‘payday’). The providers charge a charge for the loan usually expressed as a flat fee per £100 borrowed – often
around £25.
Payday loans are now a rapidly growing industry in britain, with four times as many people utilizing the loans
last year compared to 2006. Last year, 1 . 2 million people took out £4. 1 million in loans, with total lending amounting to
£1. 2 billion (1).
payday loans
In the UK, cash advance borrowers take out on average 3. 5 loans per year and the average size of an online payday loan in ’09
was an estimated £294 (1). You can find no restrictions on the interest levels pay day loan companies can charge, nevertheless they
are needed legally to mention the effective apr (APR).
Lately the market for pay day loans has growth rapidly, specially with online financial institutions. Research by the
Office for Fair Trading (OFT) suggests the demand for pay day loans could rise steeply later on (2). Utilizing the figures
using this research, IRN Research predicts the number of borrowers may potentially rise by 40-45 per cent
in the coming years (3).
Payday lending is just a form of credit where in actuality the borrower provides creditor authorisation to create an automatic withdrawal
from their banking account. This really is used as security for a short-term loan to be repaid, on average, on their next payday.
Payday lending in the united kingdom
Payday advances are a recognised form of lending in the USA and they have already been growing fast in britain market within the
last five years since they provide a relatively small amount of cash (usually as much as £500) for a brief term, around 2 weeks
(or until ‘payday’). The providers charge a charge for the loan frequently expressed as an appartment fee per £100 borrowed – usually
around £25.
Payday advances are now actually a rapidly growing industry in the uk, with four times as many individuals utilising the loans
in 2009 in comparison to 2006. In ’09, 1 . 2 million people took out £4. 1 million in loans, with total lending amounting to
£1. 2 billion (1).
payday loans
In britain, cash advance borrowers sign up for an average of 3. 5 loans annually and the average size of an online payday loan in 2009
was an estimated £294 (1). There are no restrictions on the interest rates pay day loan companies may charge, nevertheless they
are needed for legal reasons to mention the effective annual percentage rate (APR).
Recently industry for payday advances has growth rapidly, specially with online loan providers. Research by the
Office for Fair Trading (OFT) suggests the demand for payday loans could rise steeply in the future (2). Utilizing the figures
from this research, IRN Research predicts how many borrowers may potentially rise by 40-45 %
in the coming years (3).