Nature Blog Network

Of all the states in this nation, California has the largest state bird list.  The reason for this has as much to do with a long and storied birding history and a host of phenomenal birders as it does with a wide variety of ecosystems leading to a diverse avifauna.  Good birders tend to find rare birds disproportionally, but the Bear Flag Republic has loads of birds in and of itself, including a state endemic in Yellow-billed Magpie and a few other near-endemics.  That’s something that no other state can boast.

As you might expect in an area which such hot birding, there are some great bird bloggers there to write about them, and the NBN is lucky to host several of them within our ranks.

So pack your bags, we’re heading out to Californ-I-A.  Land of opportunity and fine bird blogging.

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- Sketching birds is a fun way to get to know them, not to mention that even the most rudimentary skills are useful for documentation of a rare bird in the field.  Pica at The Magpie Nest: Bird by bird is taking on the challenge of sketching a bird every day.

-  Two Birders To Go is fairly self-explanatory.  The online journal of Bob and Cynthia as they bird Southern California and beyond, and take some nice photos as well.

- Some folks think less is more when it comes to a blog name.  A Misty Midnight’s Avalanche of Tornadic Madness certainly does not subscribe to that axiom.  What may be lacking in brevity, is more than makes up for in photos of local birds, however.

- San Francisco area nature lover and amateur photographer Adam Paul displays his stuff at the blog of the same name.  There’s some really nice landscape and bird photos of the central coast here.

- When not running a southern California birding supply store, Nick blogs at the Birding Depot about what he find in his backyard and beyond.

- LIza Lee has been in the nature blogging game for some time, and with a blog like it’s just me, it’s no wonder.  Great content and great photos make for a great blog.

- All of the above can be found at The Birder’s Report, and I’m not just saying that because Larry hosted the most recent I and the Bird carnival.  It’s not only a fun blog to read but also a great resource for aspiring backyard birders.

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The wonders of California’s nature and landscape isn’t just limited to birds, but you can get a great feel for the ecosystem (or rather ecosystems) of the far west.  Check these blogs out!

And of course, let me know if I missed a California bird blog.  With 700+ blogs in the NBN, it’s more likely than not that I did…

photo from wildphotons via flickr