My career in biology began early, as I would get calls as a child to remove snakes on my neighbors’ property.  I fell in love with reptiles and amphibians, then insects, then mammals, then birds, then plants.  This love and passion for the natural world led to a relentless, often obsessive pursuit that has only intensified with age.  As the old adage goes, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know.

I studied wildlife ecology in college, and went on to pursue a Master’s investigating various aspects of the avian communities of Iguazu National Park, Argentina.  There I met my wife, who shares my love (though perhaps not my obsession) for nature.  She soon became my eyes and ears, as I realized she was much more adept at spotting irregularities on the landscape than I.  Since she has become a partner on my quest to experience as much of the world’s biodiversity as possible in our short time here.

Several years ago I began taking a camera along on my outdoor adventures.  Over time I refined my craft and upgraded my equipment until photography became as much an obsession as nature.  To me the two became interlocked forming something of a super passion.  As time went on, my pursuits changed from ambling through interesting places to see what I can see to specifically targeting certain species that I wanted to experience in their natural setting.

After several years of pursuing targets species, this concept came to me.  A project of sorts where I establish a list of species that I want to see throughout the year, and documenting my pursuit of each of them.  So I started this blog, to share my adventures, experiences, and photos with any interested party.  Below you will find my list of species I hope to find in 2017.  Some are rare, some common.  Some will be difficult to track down, some easy.  Along the way I expect to find many other species of interest which I will also share here.  Click on the list below to see a larger version, and stay tuned throughout the year for the adventures to come.