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 Welcome to birdsofnewengland.com!
This
site is devoted exclusively to the amazing wildlife of New England. It has been created by a New Englander and
is for New Englanders, or anyone else who has an interest in the birds that live in and migrate through the northeastern corner
of the United States. I am a passionate (obsessive?) birdwatcher and wildlife photographer. I am also
a nature columnist and my articles appear weekly in various New England newspapers. I appreciate all the wildlife
of New England, from chickadees and cardinals to bald eagles and great blue herons. This site reflects my passion for
not only the wildlife of New England, but for the region itself.
Thanks again for visiting and
come back often. Chris Bosak
Chris Bosak is the author of For the Birds, a weekly bird- and
nature-watching column that appears in ne wspapers throughout New England. A photograph taken by Chris accompanies every column. For the Birds has been running continuously since
1999 _ that's a lot of columns and photographs. He started writing For the Birds when he was a sports writer for
The Keene Sentinel in Keene, N.H. He will always have a fondness for that paper, that area and the
people of the Monadnock Region. Readers appreciate Chris's down-to-earth
writing style and the manner in which he addresses topics related to New England birds and nature. He'd rather tell a
story than repeat facts that have been told a million times and can be found in any field guide. He also likes to bring along
his sons _ Andrew and Will _ to his wildlife adventures and incorporate them into his stories. His favorite way to enjoy the birds and other wildlife of New England is in his 14-foot Radisson canoe,
especially on a remote lake or pond in the northern part of the region. As his family grows, however, his free time shrinks.
With this in mind, Chris has developed a deep appreciation for backyard birds that can be seen simply by looking out the bedroom
window. Chris has a passion for all birds of New England, not just
the rare or hard-to-find ones. He has seen thousands of cardinals, chickadees
and great blue herons and still gets excited when he sees another one. Of course, he does have his favorites, such as hooded
mergansers, common loons and pileated woodpeckers. In terms of other wildlife, it's the moose that has Chris travelling throughout
New England. He has now seen mooose in four New England states, needing only Massachusetts and Rhode Island to round
it out. Although he grew
up in and still loves northwestern Pennsylvania, Chris has lived in New England for more than 20 years. In fact, he has lived in each of the New England states
except Rhode Island, a state
he visits often. "I love everything about New England ... the
people, the landscape, the wildlife, even the weather," he says. "New
England has overwhelming amounts of character and charm, but also an unmistakable element of ruggedness and toughness. It's
those latter qualities I really appreciate. "Of course I also love the wildlife of New England," he adds. "It seems to have a rugged
quality, as well. The wildlife is often shy and secretive, unlike the wildlife in other parts of the country or world.
It definitely adds to the challenge of photographing them. But, like most New Englanders, I like a challenge."
The 'buy photos' section of this Web site features a selection of photos for sale, although any photo in the various gallieries
may be purchased. Simply visit the purchase photos page to buy a photo. A portion of all sales will be donated to conservation efforts in New England. See below for details.
It goes without saying that conservation is a critical part of bird- and nature-watching. Without ongoing conservation efforts,
there will eventually be no birds or wildlife to watch, except perhaps house sparrows, pigeons, starlings and rats.
That's why a portion of all photo sales from this site will go towards preserving critical
habitat for New England wildlife. "I had been enjoying birdwatching
for about three years when it dawned on me: This healthy, educational hobby costs me nothing," Chris says. "My golfer
buddies shell out large sums of money to enjoy their hobby. Theater and movie buffs pay handsomely for their entertainment.
With birdwatching, after a modest start-up fee of binoculars and a field guide, it's all free. Of course, one could shell
out thousands of dollars for high-end optics and other birding accessories. But, quite simply, birdwatching can be enjoyed
for free. "Well, someone or some organization has to own the land
on which we look for birds," Chris adds. "I'm sure in many of the places we go birdwatching a developer is just
itching to put up condos or office parks. Supporting organizations such land trusts and The Nature Conservancy is critical
to the future of our hobby." Chris has donated his
time to numerous conservation efforts such as monitoring piping plovers and least terns, participating in songbird studies
and other surveys, and various clean-up efforts. "I'm
excited about the opportunity to contribute financially to conservation causes through this site," Chris said.
Thank you for your support. Click here to visit the Buy Photos page.
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