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Laura Kammermeier
Rochester, NY (USA)
Avid birder and writer, ABA Member
Interests: Birds, nature, and travel send Laura Kammermeier over the moon. Naturally, she’s chosen to blur the line between life and work by bringing them into focus as a writer and web consultant. When not advising nature organizations and small businesses on their web marketing and social media presence, Laura is an avid birder, traveler, amateur photographer, and an oft-published writer with credits in magazines (e.g., Birder’s World, Bird Watcher’s Digest), newspapers, and online publications. Her latest writing endeavors have focused on birding, conservation, nature travel, and mobile birding technology (Nature New York, iPhone Life). In fact, Laura was the freelance editor of our first annual 2010 ABA Birder's Gear Guide! Laura holds an M.S. in aquatic ecology from Kent State University. She served as founding officer of the Ohio Ornithological Society, is a former project leader for Project FeederWatch at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and consults for a clients ranging from The Nature Conservancy and ABA to mobile app developers and tourism groups. She lives with her husband and two sons in a sleepy village south of Rochester, NY, and is always looking for the next great place to chase birds. Find her blogging on the web at BirdsWordsWebsites.com.
Recent Activity
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Talking Naturally is a series of podcasts that cover birding and topics of global conservation concern. Podcast host Charlie Moores recently interviewed ABA president Jeff Gordon, so I decided to turn the interviewer’s table around on Charlie and introduce you to his conservation podcasts. Continue reading
Posted Feb 29, 2012 at ABA Blog
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James Currie, host of Nikon's Birding Adventures TV, was on the scene in Colombia when remarkable news broke that a mystery hummingbird was feeding at a private nature reserve three hours north of Bogotá. At first, the species was thought to be the Bogotá Sunangel, a lost relic known to science only from a single specimen purchased by a collector in 1909 - 102 years ago! James relates the unfolding story of the sighting, filming, and eventual capture of this hummingbird for DNA purposes and proffers some ideas of what it may be. Continue reading
Posted Dec 13, 2011 at ABA Blog
I REALLY enjoyed this dispatch from your hike, Noah. Thanks for taking the time to write it. Good luck with the rest of your journey.
Toggle Commented Aug 3, 2011 on Update from the 2,665 mile Bird Walk at ABA Blog
Waaahh! That looks like so much fun! Great stuff for the kids. Probably even more satisfying for the big kids. ;-)
Toggle Commented Jul 6, 2011 on 2011 Camp Colorado a Wrap at ABA Blog
@Jamie: Thanks for the URL. I did have it hyperlinked in part I, and will add it here as well. @Andrew - that's a unique idea! And with the study that goes into it, I can see how much of the information is probably absorbed. Thanks for adding yours to the mix.
Eva, Panama! A stellar destination by all accounts (none personal so far, so it's on the bucket list). Glad the tips are helpful. Let us know later what "sticks" and have a great trip.
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Veteran birders with international travel experience provide time-proven tips on how they prepare to bird in a new region. See Part I of this post, Study the Birds. Alvaro Jaramillo, professional field guide, owner of Alvaro's Adventures "How much or how intensely you study for a trip to an exotic... Continue reading
Posted Jun 15, 2011 at ABA Blog
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Embarking on an exotic birding tour - a professional tour that will immerse you in new habitas in far off lands with the chance of ticking lifers by the hundreds - is one of the sweetest pleasures life can bring. As departure day draws closer, excitement about the birds that... Continue reading
Posted Jun 14, 2011 at ABA Blog
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Though recent weather might indicate otherwise, reports from my local bird listserve indicate that spring IS actually occurring. Last night I was reminded of the other sign that spring migration is underway. My bird friends and colleagues say, "Yes! Let's get together and work on that!" Long pause. "After Migration."... Continue reading
Posted May 7, 2011 at ABA Blog
Hi Debi, Thanks for telling us about Birdwatcher's Diary. I'm curious about its ability to upload to eBird - can it do that from the field? My understanding is that BirdsEye has the exclusive API on that, for a while, anyway. I tried to check that from the online video on their website, but it's not working properly. Thanks!
Paul, Also just ran across a comment thread from a month ago where you said "The FWS doesn't need ANOTHER stamp; it needs a BETTER stamp. The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (aka "Duck Stamp") is great, but it could stand: 1) better marketing (Dave's "rebranding") to broader audiences which emphasizes where the money goes and the many species that benefit, 2) better tracking (Barbara's point) so that we know who is buying them and where the buyers are from, 3) more value to the buyer (beyond allowing waterfowl hunting) that also goes beyond waiving the fee to...(trails off)" Though I suspect it's been bantered about in other circles, I thought the counterpoint was worth noting here... Laura
Thanks, Paul, for listing these other great ideas. Wind energy! Jamaica Bay! Neotropical migrants! Bird blinds and boardwalks! I hope readers take a close look.
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For example, many birders have advocated the idea of a "Duck Stamp" for birders and wildlife viewers. Based on the example set by hunters, whose licenses and duck stamps help pay for the upkeep and management of the refuges where they hunt, a "Migratory Bird" Stamp (or some such name) would be purchased by those of us who like to ogle, not shoot, birds. Vote on the "Duck Stamp" issue, and others, or offer your own BOLD IDEA right now. Continue reading
Posted Mar 17, 2011 at ABA Blog
That would be a sweet development. Despite how convenient it is to be armed with information, the ergonomics of using a smartphone in the field have a long way to go.
You're so right. HUGE smiles here from me, my son, and my husband who all listened with me.
Toggle Commented Mar 7, 2011 on The Greatest Bird at ABA Blog
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I assume most of the folks reading this blog are familiar with the mobile app called BirdsEye. BirdsEye was the first (and still the only) app to sync with data in the eBird database at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. By displaying bird location data from eBird onto an expandable map,... Continue reading
Posted Mar 6, 2011 at ABA Blog
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It’s rather amazing that a blog post written by a woman in New York caught the attention of a coffee farmer in Costa Rica, which spurred bi-national support from a company with both Canadian and US roots to foster a new bird-friendly bird farm in Alajuela, Costa Rica. That's the power of the Interwebs. Continue reading
Posted Feb 15, 2011 at ABA Blog
Over 50% of Americans over 18 years of age (roughly 112 million) drink coffee every day. They consume an average of 3 cups per day, or 90 cups per person per month. Assuming each cup contains 0.36 oz of coffee, the average drinker consumes 32.4 oz, or roughly 2 pounds,... Continue reading
Posted Jan 30, 2011 at ABA Blog
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My colleagues here at the ABA Blog have written many great posts on topics ranging from wind power to ABA areas to gear and field identification. But no one has yet tackled the very serious problem of what happens when a tragically uninformed bird watcher meets the regrettably uptight compiler.... Continue reading
Posted Jan 7, 2011 at ABA Blog
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Laura Kammermeier is now following David Hartley
Dec 15, 2010
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$9.99 NatureSound Studio birdtunesapp.com. One of the most refreshing apps to come onto the market in 2010 is BirdTunes, an iPhone app that plays an impressive repertoire of bird sounds for 674 North American bird species (2,400 songs in all). I say ‘refreshing’ because while it boasts an encyclopedic library... Continue reading
Posted Dec 15, 2010 at ABA Blog
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So you can imagine how excited birders were to hear an "Important news announcement" over the PA system that a Crimson-collared Grosbeak had been spotted at Valley Nature Center in Weslaco, Texas. Continue reading
Posted Nov 18, 2010 at ABA Blog
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As birders, we're trained to listen to the voices of birds. To cup our ear in the direction of the forest and pick out a singular song that captures our attention. Some voices are so sonorous we could listen to them all day. Others are sweet and make us smile.... Continue reading
Posted Oct 29, 2010 at ABA Blog
Laura Kammermeier is now following The Typepad Team
Oct 29, 2010