Hello everyone, and happy almost June!

I think I’ve missed almost all of spring as I’ve been hidden away, finishing up the fourth installment of the Emma Finch series! It is now available on Amazon in paperback and eBook.

While I’ve been busy writing about Emma and have neglected my blog a tad, I’ve still had some fun birding experiences since I last wrote on here. My favorite by far was a trip I took to New York City to see Ellis Island.

I had planned the trip because I wanted to experience the place that so many people traveled to when coming to the United States, but I ended up finding something that I think my fellow bird enthusiasts will appreciate.

When people were processed on the island, they often spent long periods of time waiting in the Immigration Station. I’m sure as you all know, waiting for hours tends to lend itself to boredom. Our generation usually defaults to our phones in these scenarios (or for a lot of us readers, our books!), but I think we’ve all had a friend or two that doodles when they have time on their hands. Well, the same can be said for those who waited in those long lines at Ellis Island. Today, the museum still preserves small sections of the walls to show the graffiti that weary travelers left behind.

As I was going through the museum, imagine my delight at discovering one of those graffiti doodles was of a bird! I know many people love birdwatching, but seeing that someone took the time to draw a bird on the walls of Ellis Island reminded me that birdwatching isn’t just a hobby, it’s a pastime that humans have enjoyed for generations. It’s fascinating to think that when we go out looking for a certain bird, or even go hiking just to see what’s around, we’re participating in a tradition that our ancestors enjoyed so long ago.

You can see the picture below. What do you think it might be? Personally, I’m stumped.