Urban Birder began in 2005 as a record of my reflections on and experiences with birds and birding, mostly in the city of Saint Louis.

Those experiences necessarily included taking note of the environments birds shared with other fascinating fauna, creatures with which I increasingly became intrigued.

So, notes about birds are joined by those about butterflies and moths, assassin bugs, damselflies and dragonflies, bees, and other varied life forms that can be found in the city as close as the other side of one’s kitchen window.

Most of the sightings recorded on Urban Birder are from the gardens in my front and back yards, which are planted mostly in Missouri natives. The gardens are on an average-sized urban lot and are small, the one in back encompassing no more than 600 square feet.

As of Summer 2010, the property is an NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat. Developing a habitat is like weaving a spell— there are results, and they sometimes seem to have come about as if by magic.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this blog, including the banner, are my own, and standard restrictions apply.