Howdy y’all, from deep in the heart of Texas! I’m Alexandria Simpson, an avid birder . I wish I could say I had been birding all my life, but my avian infatuation did not begin until I was eleven. I could not have asked for a better location to begin my now-favorite hobby: the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. My pastor invited me to go birding on South Padre Island with him and his granddaughter. More than four years have passed and I haven’t stopped. I enjoy every minute of birding and look for any opportunity to bird. I doubt I could ever thank him enough for that trip; it inspired me so much and helped me decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. Since I have been homeschooled all my life, I am able to incorporate studying birds into my curriculum. Since my family birds too, it is pretty easy to convince my mom to take us on a bird field trip.
Becoming an ornithologist is my future goal. I read everything bird-related I can find: books, newsletters, magazines and even some scientific journals. Maybe someday I’ll be able to read those scientific papers without falling asleep. I listen to song/call CDs to develop my birding by ear skills. I am active in several conservation groups and regularly give presentations about conservation and birding. For two years, I have been a youth ambassador for Texas Brigades, wildlife education and leadership development camps for teens.
Becoming an ornithologist is my future goal. I read everything bird-related I can find: books, newsletters, magazines and even some scientific journals. Maybe someday I’ll be able to read those scientific papers without falling asleep. I listen to song/call CDs to develop my birding by ear skills. I am active in several conservation groups and regularly give presentations about conservation and birding. For two years, I have been a youth ambassador for Texas Brigades, wildlife education and leadership development camps for teens.
My birding passion led to improvement and development of other talents and interests: writing, photography, and drawing. I had done all of those things in the past, but never really progressed in skill. I also really disliked writing. After I began birding, I developed better observational skills which helped me immensely with drawing and writing. In fact, writing actually became one of my favorite things to do—at least when writing about nature.
When I was twelve, my first illustration was published, and I had an article published at thirteen. Some of my other accomplishments are placing second in writing and third in photography in the 2009 ABA Young Birder of the Year Contest, second in photography and honorable mention in writing in the 2010 contest, second in illustration, third in writing, and third in photography in 2011, and second in writing and third in conservation in 2012. In the Texas 4-H photography contest in 2011, I placed at both the county and state levels in five events. In 2012, I was published in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, which has a readership of over 100,000. I am also currently serving my second term as Student Blog Editor for The Eyrie.
When I was twelve, my first illustration was published, and I had an article published at thirteen. Some of my other accomplishments are placing second in writing and third in photography in the 2009 ABA Young Birder of the Year Contest, second in photography and honorable mention in writing in the 2010 contest, second in illustration, third in writing, and third in photography in 2011, and second in writing and third in conservation in 2012. In the Texas 4-H photography contest in 2011, I placed at both the county and state levels in five events. In 2012, I was published in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, which has a readership of over 100,000. I am also currently serving my second term as Student Blog Editor for The Eyrie.
I’m sure everybody has great expectations when they begin blogging and set goals of, say, two posts a week, which they expect to achieve. I’ve also seen bloggers with wonderful writings and observations, start out strong and peter out. So, with my own history of strong beginnings and weak endings (in some things), and seeing others do the same, I’ll keep my objectives tucked away in my own mind. All I’ll say is this: It’s for the birds, and if that doesn’t keep me going, I shouldn’t call myself a birder.
Happy birding!
Alexandria
Happy birding!
Alexandria