Awareness of the outside world. Trust for Public Land: 2025 City Park Facts.
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Railroad Park
Birmingham AL USA
April 2025
Everything you could want in a city park. Foreground: grass, trees, walkway. Midground: railroad cars passing by, hence Railroad Park. Background: big buildings.
A park resident with loot and onlooker.
Birding expert Christoper Joe identified the birds a Common Grackle, top, and a House Sparrow, bottom. He also recommended the Merlin Bird ID app, which seconded with his identification of the two birds.
Urban scenic.
Technical Details
Phone camera. The one you have with you.
Links
Connecting with Birds and Nature Tours, LLC, family farm & bird tour host
Friend of Wheeler Refuge: Chistopher Joe, bio & photos. Christopher Joe is brother to Timothy Joe, the instructor for the En Plein Air Workshop. Wallace Center had a birding tour the same day as the painting workshop. [Painting Outdoors]
Check out the amazing bird mural, Wall of Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Wall. Artist. Article. [Corporate Bronze]
Previous birding post. The Urban Birder by David Lindo. The advice to Keep Looking Up continues to resonate. [Looking Up At The Landfill]
What’s with all the birding? Dunno. Picked up the Lindo book due to “Urban” in the title. We did the painting workshop to support the Wallace Center. Now, out of all the birders in the world, I know the names of two (not counting James Audubon): Christoper Joe, above, & David Lindo, link above. Both black men (not counting James Audubon). Seems statistically unlikely, given what Lindo says about the birding world.
Update: Professional birders, see comment.
Current online class, UC Graham: From Istanbul to Cairo: The City in the Historical Novels of the Middle East. Photos take during class break, hence generalized city.
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
I’ve never seen a crackle around here, but we’ve got multiple varieties of sparrows all over the place. I wouldn’t call myself a serious birder, but I do keep a life list. I’ve shared some of my bird photos on my blog.
You’re right. I know many folks who enjoy observing birds, starting with my maternal grandmother. I was thinking of folks who write books, give tours, sell photos, or otherwise do birding for a living, or at least as a serious side hustle. From that group, these two gentlemen are the ones I know of and who have shown up on the blog. Adjusted above.