Our birding obsession began when my wife saw a white-headed American Robin out the bedroom window.  Everything else was normal except for the head.  In the process of looking for it again, she noticed that, much to her surprise, "every bird is NOT a robin!".  Even in our tiny (at the time) backyard, there was an amazing diversity of birds.  Up went some feeders and that was that...

Birding actually has a lot in common with DXing...and a few contrasts.
Albers Towhee

Albers Towhee

Alpine Swift

Alpine Swift

American Avocet

American Avocet

American Bittern

American Bittern

American Kestral

American Kestral

American Redstart

American Redstart

American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

American Wigeon

American Wigeon

Anhinga

Anhinga

Annas Hummingbird

Annas Hummingbird

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Goose

Bay-Breasted Warbler

Bay-Breasted Warbler

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black-Billed Cuckoo

Black-Billed Cuckoo

Black-Billed Magpie

Black-Billed Magpie

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-Capped Chickadee

Black-Capped Chickadee

Black-Crowned Night Heron

Black-Crowned Night Heron

Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Black-Throated Blue Warbler

Black-Throated Blue Warbler

Black-Throated Green Warbler

Black-Throated Green Warbler

Blue and Yellow Macaw

Blue and Yellow Macaw

Blue Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeak

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher

Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher

Blue-Headed Vireo

Blue-Headed Vireo

Blue-Winged Teal

Blue-Winged Teal

Blue-Winged Warbler

Blue-Winged Warbler

Bobolink

Bobolink

Bonaparts Gull

Bonaparts Gull

Brewsters Warbler

Brewsters Warbler

Broad Winged Hawk

Broad Winged Hawk

Brown Creeper

Brown Creeper

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican

Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher

Bufflehead

Bufflehead

Canada Jay

Canada Jay

Canada Warbler

Canada Warbler

Canvasback

Canvasback

Cape May Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Channel-Billed Toucan

Channel-Billed Toucan

Chestnut-Sided Warbler

Chestnut-Sided Warbler

Chipping Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Cocoi Heron

Cocoi Heron

Collared Dove

Collared Dove

Common Gallinule

Common Gallinule

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Loon

Common Loon

Common Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Tern

Common Tern

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Coopers Hawk

Coopers Hawk

Creasted Eagle

Creasted Eagle

Curve-Billed Thrasher

Curve-Billed Thrasher

Double Crested Comorant

Double Crested Comorant

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Eastern Meadowlark

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Wood Pewee

Eastern Wood Pewee

EU Goldfinch

EU Goldfinch

EU Robin

EU Robin

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Eurasian Magpie

Eurasian Magpie

Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Evening Grosbeak

Evening Grosbeak

Field Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Forsters Tern

Forsters Tern

Fox Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Gambels Quail

Gambels Quail

Gila Woodpecker

Gila Woodpecker

Golden Crowned Kinglet

Golden Crowned Kinglet

Goldeneye

Goldeneye

Grasshopper Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow

Gray Kingbird

Gray Kingbird

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Crested Flycatcher

Great Crested Flycatcher

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

Great Kiskadee

Great Kiskadee

Great Tit

Great Tit

Great Tit2

Great Tit2

Greater Antilles Grackle

Greater Antilles Grackle

Greater Roadrunner

Greater Roadrunner

Greater White Fronted Goose

Greater White Fronted Goose

Greater Yellow-Headed Vulture

Greater Yellow-Headed Vulture

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Green Heron

Green Heron

Green Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher

Green Winged Teal

Green Winged Teal

Greenfinch

Greenfinch

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose

Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Henslows Sparrow

Henslows Sparrow

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Warbler

Hooded Warbler

House Wren

House Wren

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting

Killdeer

Killdeer

Large Billed Tern

Large Billed Tern

Laughing Gull

Laughing Gull

Least Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lincolns Sparrow

Lincolns Sparrow

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Nightjar

Little Nightjar

Long Tailed Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Louisiana Waterthrush

Louisiana Waterthrush

Magnificent Frigatebird

Magnificent Frigatebird

Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Magpies

Magpies

Marsh Wren

Marsh Wren

Mealy Parrot

Mealy Parrot

Merlin

Merlin

Monk Parakeet

Monk Parakeet

Moorhen

Moorhen

Neotropical Comorant

Neotropical Comorant

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Parula

Northern Parula

Northern Rough Winged Swallow

Northern Rough Winged Swallow

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

Northern Waterthrush

Northern Waterthrush

Olive Sided Flycatcher

Olive Sided Flycatcher

Orange Crowned Warbler

Orange Crowned Warbler

Orange-Winged Parrot

Orange-Winged Parrot

Orchard Oriole

Orchard Oriole

Osprey

Osprey

Ovenbird

Ovenbird

Palm Warbler

Palm Warbler

Parrot

Parrot

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Pheasant

Pheasant

Philadelphia Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Pied-Billed Grebe

Pied-Billed Grebe

Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Pine Siskin

Pine Siskin

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Purple Finch

Purple Finch

Purple Martin

Purple Martin

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Red Breasted Nuthatch

Red Breasted Nuthatch

Red Crested Pochard

Red Crested Pochard

Red Headed Woodpecker

Red Headed Woodpecker

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Tailed Hawk

Red Tailed Hawk

Red-Eyed Vireo

Red-Eyed Vireo

Redhead

Redhead

Red-Legged Thrush

Red-Legged Thrush

Ring-Necked Duck

Ring-Necked Duck

Rock Pigeon

Rock Pigeon

Rock Wren

Rock Wren

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Ruddy Pigeon

Ruddy Pigeon

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Rusty Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Says Phoebe

Says Phoebe

Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Scaup

Scaup

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Shelduck

Shelduck

Smooth-Billed Ani

Smooth-Billed Ani

Snow Goose

Snow Goose

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret

Solitary Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee

Striated Heron

Striated Heron

Swainsons Thrush

Swainsons Thrush

Swamp Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Tennessee Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Townsends Solitare

Townsends Solitare

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse

Veery

Veery

Verdin

Verdin

Vesper Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Warbling Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Western Meadowlark

Western Meadowlark

White Breasted Nuthatch

White Breasted Nuthatch

White Crowned Sparrow

White Crowned Sparrow

White Throated Sparrow

White Throated Sparrow

White Winged Dove

White Winged Dove

White Winged Swallow

White Winged Swallow

White-Cheeked Pintail

White-Cheeked Pintail

White-Eyed Vireo

White-Eyed Vireo

White-Tailed Tropicbird

White-Tailed Tropicbird

Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey

Willet

Willet

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Wilsons Snipe

Wilsons Snipe

Wilsons Warbler

Wilsons Warbler

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Wood Thrush

Wood Thrush

Woodpigeon

Woodpigeon

Yellow Breasted Chat

Yellow Breasted Chat

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Yellow Throated Vireo

Yellow Throated Vireo

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

Yellow-Rumped Cacique

Yellow-Rumped Cacique

NX7U

Scott Townley
Bridgewater, NJ

The Life of the DXer: The Life of the Birder:
"ATNO" "Lifer"
Sunrise & sunset tend to be the best times...but not always. Sunrise & sunset tend to be the best times...but not always.
How many DXCC can I work this year? I'm doing a "Big Year"
That amplifier/radio cost HOW much?? That spotting scope/camera lens cost HOW much??
DXCluster eBird.org hourly/daily/rare alerts via text
ARRL Cornell Lab of Ornithology
QSL as absolute proof Photograph as absolute proof
Logging software Logging software
Band totals, mode totals... County/State/Country/Continent/Lifetime totals
DXpeditions Birding Hotspots (really the reverse of a DXpedition--birders go to the rare bird)
"The P5 called me out of the blue" "A Kirtland's Warbler landed on our deck railing"
SWLing doesn't count. SWLing does count (identifying a bird by sound is accepted practice).
Remote operation is controversial Remote "encounters" are allowed, but are tracked separately from in-person.
DXCC list ABA list
Countries on the DXCC list can be deleted/changed/added Bird species on the ABA list can be as well (two species now considered the same, one species split into two, extinction...)
Computer-assisted operation (e.g. FT8) has become controversial. Computer-assisted operation is becoming controversial.  Smartphone apps that identify birds both by sight and sound...does it count if your phone hears the bird but you don't hear it/see it/even know what it is?
All of the below photos were taken by me.  Note that I am by no means a "professional" photographer, or even a good one...but I like QSLs just as much as the next guy. 
The usual gear is a Canon EOS 7D mark II, a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, and when there's enough light the Canon Extender EF 1.4x (teleconverter).
The vast majority were taken in my home county of Somerset, NJ, although a handful of them are from various vacations or other travel.  I haven't yet succumbed to the "birding expedition".

If you click on a photo, you'll get a larger version in a floating frame with scrolling arrows.