I grew up in southwest Louisiana where, if you're leaning even slightly in
that direction, you become a birder/birdwatcher almost by default. The sights
and sounds of millions of migrating birds, from warblers to waterfowl, are still
vividly etched in my memory. I experienced phenomenal warbler fallouts in my
own backyard and remember all those jury-rigged traps that my brother and I
built to get better looks at Blue Jays and Cardinals (they were all
catch-and-release). I was awakened many nights by the sounds of migrating geese and
wondered how in the world they could find their way in the dark!

My hometown and two surrounding communities annually post the country's
highest numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds on the CBC (some years approaching 100
million birds!). We called them "Ricebirds" when I was growing up. Nearby were
the vast, wild areas of the Atchafalaya Basin and the bayou swamps of the
greater Mississippi flood plain. It was a great place to explore, especially if Mom
didn't know where you were. As I've stated before, I knew when I was growing
up that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was still around. Lots of places to hide in
there.

No matter where I've been in the world or what I was doing, there have always
been birds to fascinate me with their beauty, their behavior, or their sheer
numbers. For me, it always gets back to the sights and sounds and that early
exposure. Whether it's as simple as the House Sparrows nesting inside the local
Home Depot or the downtown Rock Pigeons, I can't begin to imagine a day
without birds.

Oh yes, I have a few books in me.

Joe Meche
Bellingham, WA