I have a few dozen older blogs from the old East Texas Naturalists site that I will slowly bring over to this one. These are not from the newer site but rather the one from a few years ago. They will also soon appear in print. . . maybe.Â
Also, do you blog about birding in East Texas or would you like to do so? If so, contact me.
In The Woods WIth Michael
Birding
Blogs
Field
Notes
Photo
Blogs
Birders Don’t Make a Trek to Mecca – They Go to High Island
 Few places can put a faraway look in the eyes of birders, like the mere mention of High Island and bird migration. Talk quickly turns to hopes of making the trek this year. For some, it is an annual event. For others, it is a treasured destination—almost a rite of...
A Bald Eagle Sighting Warrants an Elbow in the Ribs
I'm in my normal morning spot sitting by the lake camera in hand, coffee cooling quickly on the table beside me. This is like so many mornings that I have sat here. Various species of birds keep flying past. The sun is rising and has lit the entire lake now. Off in...
Finding More Than Just a Pretty Bird in the Woods
Obviously, most of the people who are in these birding groups find joy in seeing and learning more about birds and birding. When I say "these groups", I mean the Tyler Audubon Society, Birds of East Texas, Birds of Lake O the Pines, and Bald Eagles on Lake of the...
Wrapping Your Hands Around Spring
We had a big storm blow through the Lake O' the Pines area last night. For a while the winds were rather fierce accompanied by a drumming rain that brought a bit of hail and just a touch of thunder and lightening. It was "interesting" for a little while, but nothing...
Birding Field Trips to Begin Again Soon
**Exciting Updates for East Texas Birding Enthusiasts!** For the past four or five years, I’ve had the privilege of leading birding trips right here in East Texas. These outings later became official Tyler Audubon Society trips, which many of you joined after seeing...
Birdbrain Brian’s Blog
Welcome to the new home of Birdbrain Brian's Blog. Here, you'll find a delightful collection of drawings and insightful notes on bird observations, all sprinkled with a generous dose of humor. All of my observations are recorded in the fun, birding journal The Big...
Birders Don’t Make a Trek to Mecca – They Go to High Island
 Few places can put a faraway look in the eyes of birders, like the mere mention of High Island and bird migration. Talk quickly turns to hopes of making the trek this year. For some, it is an annual event. For others, it is a treasured destination—almost a rite of...
Can You Be a Birder Without a Degree in Accounting?
Just as I started to type the first sentence of this blog a pair of Wood Ducks flew past. As usual in the mornings, I am sitting outside by the lake and watching the birds and listening to all their songs. Bird calls are echoing from almost every direction excepting...
I Found a Baby Bird! What Should I Do?
HELP! I Found a Baby Bird! What Do I Do? Every Spring I start getting calls, texts, and posts in my Facebook groups from people who have found a baby bird. Almost all of them fall under the category of "OMG! What do I do?" For the most part, the answer is pretty...
I Saw the Greatest Nature Show Ever (And Not on TV)
I have always been a big fan of nature shows on TV. My DVR records them daily. This morning I got to see the greatest nature show that I've ever seen. My DVR didn't record this one, but it is recorded where it will never be forgotten. Â Many of my mornings start...
Spring in the Lost and Found Box
We had a big storm blow through the Lake O' the Pines area last night. For a while, the winds were rather fierce accompanied by a drumming rain that brought a bit of hail and just a touch of thunder and lightning. It was "interesting" for a little while, but nothing...
Appreciating Spring Can’t be Done on the Computer
With the arrival of Spring, even after not much of a winter, my life changes. I am not crazy about being inside all the time anyway, but with Spring, it is all I can do to spend any time inside. After all, how many Springs do we have in our lifetimes? Maybe 70 good...
A Typical Morning Photographing Birds
I began September on this day in my somewhat normal routine of going out to my gravity chair that sits about 10 meters, 30 feet, from the water’s edge. This is where I typically spend the first part of the day if I don’t have early morning obligations. Normally that...
Photo Workshops
We Offer Small Class Size Workshops Workshops are offered on an irregular basis and are advertised in a variety of online locations. We also send notices via our mailing list. You can request a workshop at just about any time. If you would like to schedule a...
Animals Just Won’t Say “Cheese” – Taking Better Nature Photos
(Revised 01-24-20. Originally published 04-18-15) As should be apparent from this blog, I love taking pictures. I always have. At times I have gotten rather serious about it. At one time I had a color darkroom and owned nearly a dozen nice cameras...
Taking Pictures of the Common in Uncommon Ways
I am big on making lists and setting goals. That really does not extend itself to New Year's Resolutions for I Â basically perform the same function on no less than a monthly basis. It is sort of how frequent drinkers look at New Year's Eve. They may not go out that...
