About BirdLife365

Hey there…Mark Washburn here and thank you for visiting us at BirdLife365!

This project came about during the depths of winter here in the upper Midwest.

Iowa, where I live, can get pretty cold at times and during this period of sub-zero temperatures, I took a special interest in my backyard birds and how they coped with the brutal conditions.

This isn’t to say I neglected them at other times but for some reason, I felt the need to really pay more attention to what was going on in my own backyard.

I came away in awe of their ability to cope, to endure whatever they had to deal with. From bone-chilling cold, and blizzard conditions, to daily visits by predators of various kinds, they “weathered” it all.

The Idea Of 365

The concept of a 365 photo project is nothing new. Photographers have used this idea of taking a picture every day for a full year, just to get out of a rut or motivate themselves to keep active and engaged.

And the same could be said for me.

I recognized that in order to really connect with my backyard birds, I would need to spend more time with them. And while I could just hang out and watch their daily activities, it might be better (and more fun) to work in pictures and some short notes to go along with those photos.

So most of what you see here will be birds in my own backyard.

Some are full time residents, some are transients on migration, and some are seasonal visitors that only come along in the spring, or only show up in the winter months.

Most would be classified as common species, but they are uncommonly interesting to me.

Seasons Of Change

One notable thing that you’ll see in the photos here is that a focus on certain species may change by the season. The backyard residents certainly change in the spring with Orioles, Hummingbirds and Catbirds joining my year-rounders.

And then there are the regional species that are always fun to hang with.

In the winter months here I’ll photograph a lot of Bald Eagles.

Sometimes we enjoy the pleasure of seeing Short Eared Owls, Snowy Owls, or Rough Legged Hawks too.

Springtime brings in the Trumpeter Swans, Sandhill Cranes, and Snow Geese.

Summers could bring along just about anything anymore.

White Pelicans and Cormorants are abundant then.

One year we had Black Crowned Night Herons visiting an Iowa marsh and feasting on huge crawdads.

Limpkins, which are typically another coastal bird, have been seen here in the last few years.

So you just never quite know what you’ll get as every new year rolls by.

My hope is to capture something in stills or videos that I can share here on a daily basis. We’ll see if I can keep up with the challenge!

It is probably as much a therapy session for me as anything else, but spending time with the birds has always felt like a worthwhile thing to do.

You’re Welcome To Come Along

If you’re interested in coming along for the ride, you can subscribe to email updates using the sign up form at the bottom of the daily posts.

Or check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Youtube.

About The Images And Videos On BirdLife365

Just a friendly reminder: All of the images, videos, and content on BirdLife365 are copyright protected as property of Mark Washburn (the photographer) and BirdLife365.com. Please do not remove the watermark if sharing the images on social media. Also be sure to read through the complete copyright statement for additional information.

Common Questions