The day is on the wing. Above is my favorite line in a children's poem about spring by N.M Bodecker. That line is followed by another great line: 'The kite is on the string.'

I'm helping out with the Elizabeth River Project preschool field trips being held at Norfolk Botanical Gardens in Norfolk, VA. This photo shows me showing the children the recorder that I often take into the field. The kids were generally fascinated with my birding 'tools': binocs, bird call, field guide, recorder. A number of them, though, thought my binocs were 'goggles'. A teachable moment indeed.

I'd like to start things off by sharing with you two statements that really got my attention. The first was made by famous biologist and conservationist Thomas Lovejoy: "If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the big problems of the world."

Birding is a great hobby for a whole host of reasons. Two reasons come right to mind. Birds are beautiful, especially in flight, and they capture the imagination. Birds inspire. Birding is a hobby you can pursue alone. You don't need a team, group, spouse or friend. We all need hobbies we can work on alone.