Birding is literally a way of life for me. I have been fascinated by feathered creatures since before I can remember. Throughout the majority of my birding life, thinking about birds typically brings to mind those grand wild places of our planet Earth. However, one of the greatest discoveries that I have made as a birder is that birds are amazingly adaptable animals that will readily take advantage of those not so wild places.

I grew up in somewhat rural Illinois, USA. Granted, my hometown wasn’t located in pristine wilderness, but we lived far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago and other nearby cities that I never truly knew what living in an urban setting felt like. Fast-forward 15 or so years and I find myself living and working in the midst of one of the largest cities in the United States: Columbus, Ohio. Columbus is home to more than a million people and is currently ranked as one the 20 largest cities in the country. I was shocked to learn this upon arriving and I couldn’t help but wonder if living in such a vast concrete landscape would cramp my birding style.

After 4 years and much exploration, I have to hand it to this city for their conservation-mindedness and for setting aside quite an array of green spaces. The Columbus Metro Park system is phenomenal and I always feel like I can temporarily escape the constant pressures of this rapidly developing urban center. Despite all of these local birding perks, I mustn’t forget about my local patch and the constant surprises that come from frequent, almost daily pilgrimages.

I work at The Ohio State University and I’m fortunate that I don’t have to drive into work on a daily basis. My wife and I live close enough to the campus that I can easily walk there in about 25 minutes. The best bit about this “commute” is that walking brings me in direct contact with an amazing little birding jewel consisting mostly of scattered woodlots with some small areas of scrub and farm field. To the average citizen, it’s not much to look at, but I had high hopes for the place when I first started investigating the area. I figured that something was better than nothing and this mentality has certainly paid off.

The worth of my new patch quickly revealed itself one day in early May. The northbound journey of millions of Neotropical migrants was in full swing and fitting weather conditions encouraged hundreds of dazzling songbirds to take advantage of this vegetation island. Birds were everywhere and I just couldn’t keep up with all of the motion. I was definitely impressed with my list of 15 species of wood-warblers (not counting the “Brewster’s” Warbler hybrid) and the additional assortment of flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, and orioles. That first spring was phenomenal, but it didn’t stop there. In fact, my patch has provided top notch birding year-round.