Birding Quests & Adventures
Browse quests, lifer logs, and trip reports from Mike's personal birding journey.
Where Noticing Becomes Adventure
FeatherQuest Quests are where noticing turns into movement.
Each quest is a real outing—planned, walked, and experienced in the field. Some are solo. Some are shared. Some are quiet mornings. Others are full days with surprises, missed IDs, and moments that didn’t go as planned but mattered anyway.
These aren’t optimized itineraries or highlight reels. They’re documented experiences—routes taken, birds encountered, lessons learned, and reflections captured while the memory was still fresh.
Over time, quests will grow to include contributions from trusted birders, photographers, and guides who approach the outdoors with the same care and curiosity. Different voices. Different places. The same spirit of attention.
The goal isn’t to collect sightings or chase checklists. It’s to give shape to the adventure of birding—so you feel more confident heading out, more present while you’re there, and more connected to the stories that unfold along the way.
Quest List
Provo Library Field Trip
A quiet start turned into a 29-species Provo Library birding adventure with kingfishers, raptors, a hidden Sora, and plenty of surprises.
A Little Seattle Magic
A Seattle graduation trip became a FeatherQuest filled with family, ferries, Puget Sound birds, and unexpected adventures.
Puerto Peñasco — What the Tide Left Behind
A family trip to Puerto Peñasco became a FeatherQuest adventure through extreme tides, Sea of Cortez wildlife, lifer birds, and one unforgettable loon.
New Zealand — Across Water & Wonder
Follow an eleven-day expedition across New Zealand through ten standalone stories filled with wildlife, photography, birding, and unforgettable landscapes.
Quest for the Phalarope
A FeatherQuest mission for Wilson’s Phalarope at Antelope Island became a tale of spiders, Great Salt Lake mud, shorebird lessons, and life bird #600.
Havasupai — Like Visiting Another Planet
Birding in Havasupai turned a family waterfall adventure into a story of lifer birds, desert wildlife, and a promise fulfilled.
An Alaska Expedition
An epic Alaska birding journey through glaciers, coastal fjords, and untamed wilderness, where puffins, eagles and whales collide with the scale of nature.
Arrival in Aotearoa
The opening chapter of our New Zealand expedition: disconnecting from work, crossing the Pacific, arriving in Auckland, and finding our first native birds.
Into the Land of Waterfalls
Driving into Fiordland, boarding Milford Sound, kayaking beneath waterfalls, and discovering one of the most cinematic landscapes on Earth.
At the Edge of New Zealand
Leaving Milford Sound, crossing Fiordland, surviving Foveaux Strait, and arriving on Stewart Island and immediately wishing we had more time.
Where the Birds Forgot to Be Afraid
A pure birding day on predator-free Ulva Island with Kākā, robins, saddlebacks, Mohua, jellyfish, an octopus, and one unforgettable forest.
The Reset That Wasn't
A simple travel day turns into mountain views, six surprise lifers, Black Swans, and a spontaneous start to Wellington, New Zealand.
Zealandia After Dark
A twilight walk through Zealandia reveals why New Zealand's wildlife evolved unlike anywhere else on Earth.
A Day to Breathe in Wellington
A slower Wellington day becomes grocery-store snacks, summer gardens, Zealandia trails, an awkward birding lesson, and fish and chips above the harbor.
One More Island Before Middle-earth
A last-minute Kapiti Island ferry adds Whitehead, Weka, coastal birding, and one final Wellington farewell before Wētā Workshop and a flight to Auckland.
Where Middle-earth Came Alive
Glowworms beneath Waitomo, a first look across the Shire, two lifers in Hobbiton, and an opening-week visit inside a fully furnished hobbit hole.
The Perfect Farewell
Our final day in New Zealand brings Tiritiri Matangi’s incredible birds, Auckland’s Sky Tower, and the perfect ending to an unforgettable adventure.
Provo River Delta Field Trip
A community FeatherQuest field trip at Provo River Delta—baby coots, terns, a close Great Blue Heron encounter, and a memorable first quest together.
Provo River Delta Field Trip
A FeatherQuest morning loop at Provo River Delta—White-faced Ibis, Snowy Egret shoreline dancing, a Great Blue Heron fly-by, and a Forster’s Tern success.
Colombia — Work, Birds & Grace
Humanitarian trip to Colombia with my son—early mornings, hard work, and small birding windows that kept me grounded when life wouldn’t slow down.
River Quest for the American Dipper
A summer evening along the Provo River searching for an American Dipper, with uncertainty, unexpected encounters, and a close-up fishing moment.
Christmas Day Backyard Birding
Christmas morning in Mapleton, Utah turned into a backyard birding surprise as a new camera met Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays, chickadees, and a Downy Woodpecker.
Dallas Winter Birding Quest
Discover what we found during the Dallas Winter Birding Quest—field notes, lifer sightings, and photo highlights from our Dec 2025 FeatherQuest adventure.
A Run-In with the Super Bowl Eagle
A San Diego work trip led to an unexpected run-in with Lincoln, the Super Bowl Bald Eagle—plus marina birding and early mornings between meetings.
The Great Fall "Migration"
A family-first Eastern Caribbean cruise through St. Croix, Puerto Rico, and CocoCay—short birding windows, big moments, and birds that shaped the quest.
The Toronto Blue Jay
A Toronto work trip turned into a Blue Jay quest—sunrise birding in High Park, three lifers, and the first Blue Jay sighting in its hometown.
January 2025 — Short Bursts of Magic
January wasn’t one big trip. It was a month of pulled-over moments, cold hands, car heaters, and noticing what was already there.
The Alta Rosy Finch Quest
Where to find Gray-crowned and Black Rosy Finches at Alta Ski Area, including parking tips, feeder directions, and a winter birding quest.
Nature School Bird Walk
Follow a FeatherQuest nature school bird walk at Utah Lake State Park as young campers use binoculars, scavenger hunts, and discover the joy of birding.
Provo Library Field Trip
A FeatherQuest field trip at the Provo River Delta, highlighted by a kid-spotted Clark’s Grebe, Merlin moments, and a strong community turnout.
Provo Library Field Trip
Join a FeatherQuest bird walk through Rock Canyon, where a hummingbird nest, colorful songbirds, and shared discoveries made for an unforgettable morning.
A Southern Utah Quest
A southern Utah birding trip with Utah County Birders exploring Beaver and Iron Counties, highlighted by a Clark’s Grebe lifer and eagle sightings.
Jan–Feb 2026 — When They Still Showed Up
A busy winter with no big trips — but the birds still found their way into the backyard, the local park, and a quiet shoreline conversation.
The Marsh Mission
A FeatherQuest conservation quest with Wasatch Wigeons at Willard Bay, featuring habitat restoration, marsh birds, volunteers, and a first mud boat ride.