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I started to bird from a kayak. Paddling around the Veliko Ratno Island Reserve in almost downtown Belgrade was such a liberating experience of getting close to nature while not having to travel far or invest much. My kayak club had boats for novices and after some rounded, white water banana hull that was recommended to me for its stability, I opted for a straighter, touring v-shaped hull that tracks well inside a river current.
Author: Kelly Bosetti Salespeople once played a significant role in educating buyers about their options and helping them come to a decision regarding a product or service, but times are changing. In many ways, the average customer now carries the sum of all human knowledge in their pocket on their smartphones. Because of this, it’s no surprise that the buyer’s journey has undergone a fundamental shift.
What’s this? An egg? Where did winter go? A discarded pigeon’s egg reminded me that spring is just around the corner and that nest boxes should be readied in anticipation. Ideally this is a job that should already have been done, so today was dedicated to cleaning out the boxes that dot Le Castille du Gannet. Lady Helen has a “Tut” that carries for miles through the still morning air and I could sense her disapproval from the top of my ladder.
The full title of this exceptional book by Marie Read is Mastering Bird Photography: The Art, Craft, and Technique of Photographing Birds and Their Behavior. It is a finely worded encapsulation of both the book’s content and the reason why I feel like I’ve finally found the right bird photography guide, one that teaches basic technical skills, describes diverse, professional ways to approach the ‘capture’ of an avian image, but which also urges birders and photographers to go beyond the classic
Recently, I moved to a new place in Costa Rica. As is usual for a birder moving to a new place, I couldn’t wait to see what the new yard would bring. Although it was nothing like going from New York to California or even Buffalo, New York to North Carolina, a change of location, however slight, can bring new birds especially in Costa Rica. Around here, the small changes tend to be amplified by differences in elevation, microhabitats, and urbanization.
Barbets are odd, chunky birds with large beaks. There’s so much more that can be said about this group of birds but that’s the first description that comes to mind. They also tend to be colorful, one plays a role in Rudyard Kipling’s “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”, and they only occur in places with lots of other cool, tropical birds.
The American Birding Association celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year and one aspect of its celebration was a reprint of the first issue of the publication now known as Birding. What is apparent from the reprint, as well as other accounts of the ABA’s early years, is that the ABA was founded in large part to address information and communication shortcomings in the birding community.
The American Birding Association celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year and one aspect of its celebration was a reprint of the first issue of the publication now known as Birding. What is apparent from the reprint, as well as other accounts of the ABA’s early years, is that the ABA was founded in large part to address information and communication shortcomings in the birding community.
Mid-February can be boring if you’re overly focused on the coming migration. On the other hand, some birders really appreciate the opportunity to pick up specialties from the current season. Which kind of birder are you? My daughter and I waited past dusk to see a Great Horned Owl land in the bare tree pictured above. It perched on the cell tower instead.
I have been keeping an eye out for the Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarelli, since I first noticed the roosting flock a few years ago At the time I confess to smirking. You see the designers of the steel and glass symphony that is London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5, included a few trees to welcome visitors to our “green and pleasant land”, but at the same time, wanted to avoid the kind of window smudges that come from providing habitat for birds.
Remember way back to last year when a team named for a bird won the Super Bowl? With no avian-themed organizations representing, the Patriots won yet again. Maybe next year… This weekend, I braved the soul-searing chill of the polar vortex to track down Canvasbacks palling around with other ducks in the open water of the Irondequoit Bay channel.
Are you ready for Superb Owl Sunday ? This weekend’s festivities are certain to unite a very fractured nation, offering Americans a chance to stop complaining about the weather in order to complain even more fiercely about the New England Patriots. Should be a blast! The polar vortex encompassing Upstate New York delivered all manner of problems for people, but our local birds seem to be weathering the blistering cold well.
Author: John Larson A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a friend, a successful executive who has run large sales organizations for three different companies. She is a forceful executive with clear ideas of how “things should be done.” On this particular day, she appeared a bit frazzled and distracted. I asked her what was the matter and she said, “For the last 12 years, I have had all my key financial accounts with Bank XYZ – a fund for my daughter’s college education and my mortgage, plus m
Believe it or not, the current season is slowly easing into the next one. You may be mired in a very frigid or overwhelmingly sweltering hell, but soon you’ll find the succor of a more mild season, one that carries birds on waves of zugunruhe. But stop fantasizing about those birds while you still have so many to enjoy around you now. Your last shot in a long time at winter or summer birds will be here before you know it.
We’ve been retreating into the world of wine of late here at Birds and Booze, but in case you were wondering, little has changed in the brewing industry during our brief digression this winter. For better or worse, the IPA – and its many, novel variations du jour – is still king. In some ways, I’m relieved to only occasionally find worthy bird-inspired art amongst the endless formations of IPAs on beer store shelves, arrayed in the now-ubiquitous 16-ounce, matte-finish cans that’s become the obl
Birding, as I’ve experienced over the last 18 or so years, basically comes down to positioning, patience, and perception. Arrive when and where a bird should be, stick around until it makes itself known, and observe its presence. What could be easier? If you doubt the accuracy of this analysis, test it this weekend and report your findings! I’m venturing out to the farm fields of Hamlin, where all sorts of wild winter birds might be perceived.
Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.
In upstate New York (where I call I home and do most of my birding), Great Blue Herons serve as both augurs of spring and emblems of wintertime perseverance, depending on the year. In my last seven years living here, I’ve seen one on New Year’s Day counts twice. I assume these have been especially hardy birds eking out a living wherever they can find open water for another week or so, before the deep freeze of midwinter sets in and sends them further south.
When a Pacific Loon was found last weekend in Nassau County, by the marina in Oyster Bay, I was indifferent. After all, I saw one in New York State a little over six years ago , and I have seen them several times when in western states. But then photos starting showing up on social media and local photographers’ sites and I got jealous. Fortunately, I had yesterday clear to bird as I wanted so I decided to start my day at Oyster Bay, half-an-hour from my house, and see if I could get simil
Ever feel like you’re not birding enough? I know how ludicrous that question sounds to some of you, but others understand how often other commitments interfere with even our most favorite activities. While I can’t Marie Kondo your busy schedule, I’d like to help reconnect you to those birding moments that spark joy. Just make sure that you have a Best Bird of the Weekend to report every Monday.
Only a few days ago this week, we passed the midpoint of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s more than halfway over now, but there’s undoubtedly plenty more cold weather to come. Time for another bottle of red wine to get us through to spring. Our wine this week is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Tussock Jumper Wines. There’s a King Penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ) on the label, a very first appearance for the Spheniscidae family here at Birds and Booze.
Are you the sort of birder who takes comfort in the thought that you might find new species within driving distance of your home? Or are you the kind of completist who is driven to distraction by the knowledge of unseen species in your general vicinity? I definitely fall into the former category, willing to cache new birds away like an Acorn Woodpecker stores oak nuts.
Like many in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, I’ve been holed up at home lately, thanks to a big winter storm last week – and now – the polar vortex. Last week, we had over a foot of snow in Albany, New York, with some of the surrounding areas blanketed by up to two feet. The day after the storm brought even colder and gustier weather, with the windchill dipping down into the negative double digits.
The shortest month of the calendar year tends to be one of the less birdy as well. Still, twenty-eight days hardly suffice when the world offers so much to see. As promised, I teased a single Iceland Gull out of an endless horde of more common gulls. To keep the good times rolling, I spent the rest of the weekend watching paint dry and water boil. Corey saw quite a few quality birds on his trip to the southeastern United States in the last week but he best bird he saw that fits the criteria of h
It is vexing to see (even more, to hear) three crows, common as dirt, chasing a red-tailed hawk out of the tree in which he had been placidly sitting, doing no one any harm — at least not yet. One consolation is to hear the red-tail’s scream (translation: “OK, but I’ll be back”), as he leaves the crows and their incessant, absonant caws behind.
Author: Matt Suggs More than ever before, buyers can scan hundreds of reviews and articles about a product online, forming opinions before they even interact with a sales representative for the first time. Modern sellers must evolve their sales approach, reinventing their pitch to include information that can’t be found on the internet. To be successful, it’s time to focus on the value of the company and leave the stagnant sales decks behind.
Author: Dean Stier All successful sales teams share common qualities regardless of what industry they are in. Winning teams have a strong culture of communication and know what their goals are, they are part of a collaborative environment where best practices can move throughout the organization. They are comprised of energetic self-starters that are hungry to close the deal.
Author: Jennifer Tomlinson Consumer choice has never been greater. In fact, you can expect 30,000 new products to hit the market each year. With competition so immense, and the chances of failure so high (at a rate of 95 percent, to be exact), attention should be paid to delivering value to your target audience. One of the most effective ways is to focus on your value proposition.
Author: Richard Lowe There’s no doubt in my mind that the world of software sales has evolved drastically in recent times with the growth of Software as a Service (SaaS) creating the need for new skills and knowledge from professionals in this arena. As this service-based approach becomes the norm, we are seeing a new type of expert emerge. One with a combined ability to both understand the functionality of their solutions but combine that with a much deep knowledge of the value delivered to the
Author: TIM HOULIHAN In a 2018 survey, Bain & Company discovered that 80 percent of companies believe their customer experience is not only better than average, it’s “superior.” The trouble is that in the same survey, only 8 percent of customers believed they were receiving a superior experience. The customer experience is critical to ensuring long-term, profitable relationships, and 57 percent of companies have made customer experience their top priority, according to the Data & Marketi
Author: Jason Loh Every chef has their secret sauce. For some it’s an actual product: a unique amalgam of ingredients no other chef has yet discovered or marketed. For others, “secret sauce” designates less a specific concoction, but instead an approach to the craft – a body of experience and intuition that shapes a chef’s strategy for every dish they cook.
Author: Paul Nolan Jeffrey Gitomer wants every sales professional to spend three months selling in New York City and tell him how that works out for you. SMM: Your latest book, “Sales Manifesto,” is all about the drastic changes to the sales process and how to adapt. Is this a direct result of technology? Gitomer: I think it’s more information related.
Author: Paul Nolan One of the benefits of this job is that I get to talk with super-smart people who have amazing insights. For example, my reporting for this issue included long discussions with best-selling author Jeffrey Gitomer and Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson. Both have new books out. These two successful businessmen couldn’t be more different.
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