1. What is the coolest bird you have seen from your home?

I would have to say this one is a toss up. The summer I had the Indigo buntings at my feeder was great, but I get such a thrill every time the Sharp-shined hawk comes down to the feeder for a snack.....

2. If you compose lists of bird species seen, what is your favorite list and why?
I mostly tend to keep little lists, what we saw on this trip and so on. I do keep a life list but I have never actually counted how many I have on it.

3. What sparked your interest in birds?
I would have to say that my neighbors bird feeders were responsible for that when I was a little girl. I can remember standing under the feeder for hours with a long stick so that Long John (a chickadee with one leg) would stand on it and eat from there, and he did! After that I had lost of people who taught me to love nature and birds but mostly I have my parents (and step-dame) to thank for that.

4. If you could only bird in one place for the rest of your life where would it be and why?
I think I would have to say Hawk Mt, PA. I haven't been many other far away places and I know that there are many better places to see a variety of birds. Hawk Mt is special for so many reasons though. First and foremost, I love raptors, and in the fall there is no place better to see them then in the woods of PA with the trees blazing in all the beautiful colors of autumn. Second, lost of the best memories, sitting with my husband on our very first anniversary, for eight hours in the misty rain so we could see one osprey and one sharpie. Then a day of wonder as we could not keep count of the raptors as they flew over in such high numbers.
Yep that is the place, and some may say there are better palces for more birds, even for better hawk watching but not for me.

5. Do you have a jinx bird? What is it and why is it jinxed?
Well, I don't have one per say...The closest thing I would have to say was a belted king fisher that I used to see on my way to work. Almost every day for an entire summer I saw this bird along the river as I drove to work, but if my husband was in the car....no bird.

6. Who is your favorite birder? and why?
My Dad, just because he is my dad! He is the one I call when I see something cool and I love to share stories with him.

7. Do you tell non-birders you are a birder?
I don't avoid it. I am geeky in so many ways that I tend not to be shy about it. If it comes up sure I will share my love of all things wild, especially birds.

Thanks to The Wandering Tattler for this great meme. Now to tag Birding mom, ugly and birding girl...will any of them actually read this?