BillBowBaggins
LightNews LightNews
banner
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
BillBowBaggins
@billbowbaggins.bsky.social
710 followers 860 following 170 posts
Hi I'm Nate. I write a weekly newsletter where I inexpertly discuss birds and try to be funny. Subscribe to win my undying love. Handy link provided below 👇

billbowbaggins.substack.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
I wrote about a dead bird I found last Monday. There was a lifer too. Eventful week.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/the-dark-s...

#birds #birding #birdwatching #naturewriting 🪶
November 16, 2025 at 2:10 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Trying a reset when it comes to cameras and photography.

I want to take better pictures of birds. How's it going? Dunno 😅

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/photograph...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
November 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
In my latest podcast episode I talk with the amazing Andrés Chávez, who was my bird guide in Quepos, Costa Rica. What a fascinating man Andrés is, and how committed to Costa Rica's ecological future. This was a wonderful convo.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/ten-birdin...

#birds #birding 🪶
October 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
For my latest post I wrote about the annual trash pickup I just did in my birding patch, which includes a driving range. Can you guess how many golf balls I collected?

I collected a LOT of fun stuff that day 🤢

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/my-big-tra...
October 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
I loved Listers. Have you seen it? I wrote about it in my latest post!

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/on-listing...

Happy migration!

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
September 22, 2025 at 10:24 AM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Final post from Costa Rica. The Pacific Coast, where I got the most lifers, not all of them avian.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/birding-in...

#birds #birding #costarica #naturewriting 🪶
September 12, 2025 at 12:17 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Quetzal Quest! Big milestones! The third leg of our Costa Rica adventure.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/birding-in...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
September 5, 2025 at 2:32 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
First in a three-part writeup about our Costa Rica adventures!🇨🇷

Spoiler alert--We can't wait to go back 🦜

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/birding-in...
August 25, 2025 at 11:42 AM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
New episode of Ten Birding Questions is live! I had an amazing time talking to @jessinthewild.bsky.social about birds and her career in a wildlife rehab center. Give us a listen and enjoy!

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/ten-birdin...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
August 7, 2025 at 11:10 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
New post! Summer birding doesn't have to suck if you make it about the babies. This year I observed two nests.

There was drama.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/summer-bir...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
August 1, 2025 at 1:16 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
I took a day to do nothing yesterday. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/a-day-in-t...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
July 25, 2025 at 12:26 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
One day back in 1982 or 83, Dad came home from work with a pile of scrap paper. My BFF and I got right to work drawing monsters, including "laser bird."

Still have a creative itch, and I've launched a new project. Check it out!

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/why-i-do-t...

#birds #naturewriting 🪶
July 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
My new post is all about how our little native garden is coming along. You'll get to know our Garden Gnome, Angus, and there's some LOTR stuff too.

What I'm most excited about though is finding my spark bug, easily the coolest insect I've ever seen.

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/the-state-...
July 11, 2025 at 12:56 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
In my latest podcast I talk with Anuj Ghimire @thebirdguy.bsky.social about birding in Nepal and North Dakota, his ambitious research and birding goals, and many other things. I hope you enjoy the talk as much as I did!

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/ten-birdin...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
July 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
New post just dropped. This one's about SPARK BIRDS! Spoiler: I have a ton of them. What about you?

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/who-sparks...
June 27, 2025 at 3:43 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Good morning and happy Friday! This week's piece is all about friends and NY highlights, some birding, some non-birding.

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/manhattan-...
June 20, 2025 at 1:37 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
My latest post isn't about these ancient binoculars, but I do want to know more about them.

The post is about generous friends and the pair of lifers I got on Long Island on Tuesday. Enjoy!

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/two-lifer-...
June 13, 2025 at 12:23 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Last week we made a triumphant return home to East Lansing, MI, where our son's Odyssey of the Mind team was competing in World Finals.

There was some pretty great birding too.

Read all about our five-day homecoming!

#birds #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/who-says-y...
June 2, 2025 at 11:28 AM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
I went to Magee Marsh for the first time last Saturday. Amazing, and I may just have stumbled upon how to conquer your nemesis bird.

Read all about it in my latest post!

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/if-you-wan...

#birds #naturewriting 🪶
May 23, 2025 at 11:26 AM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
My latest post is not about Wood Ducks but my epic quest to find and photograph the elusive Cerulean Warbler.

Did I succeed? Read on!

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/cerulean-b...

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶
May 19, 2025 at 11:58 AM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
My latest post is all about the confusing world of House and Purple Finches. By some wild coincidence(?), a confusing finch popped out of the brush this morning as I was wrapping up my walk.

So what do you guys think? Immature Male House or Purple?

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/he-wore-a-...
April 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
It's National Poetry Month, so for my new post I wrote a terrible poem about a fascinating bird.

It's also my sister's birthday, so this terrible poem is dedicated to her.

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/ode-on-the...
April 17, 2025 at 11:39 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Forgot to share last week's newsletter, but I'm still writing! This week is all about the struggle to raise young birders and keep family traditions alive.

Oh, and American Woodcocks, if you're into that kind of thing.

#birds #birding #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/raising-yo...
April 14, 2025 at 2:14 AM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
In my new post I grade every state bird on an A-F scale, US territories included. LONG post, and what a marathon to write, but I hope you find it in some way entertaining. I'd love your input as well!

#birds #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/grading-th...
March 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
billbowbaggins.bsky.social
Our little native garden is waking up, so it was time to do a little spring cleaning this week. And some birding, of course.

#birds #naturewriting 🪶

billbowbaggins.substack.com/p/spring-cle...
March 21, 2025 at 12:34 PM