My interest: birdwatching

Watching, identifying, and photographing birds has been a hobby for me since I began wondering about the small black and white bird on my patio while incapacitated for several months by an injury. I began buying bird identification books and bird song identification CDs, and my passion began. Their behaviors, songs, feathers, and markings are mesmerizing to me and truly make me peaceful in the moment. I also enjoy viewing numerous nest webcams of bald eagles, osprey, owls, and peregrine falcons. It is illegal to be close to birds’ nests, and the webcams provide an inside look most would never witness. The anticipation of waiting for the first ‘pip’ in the eggs, watching the eggs hatch and the parents raise their young to the time they fledge the nest is miraculous. Birds are beautiful creatures and bring me much joy. —Tammy Trach, human resources assistant