Here’s a picture of my last Lifer bird of 2025. The Long-eared Owl and this male was the very first one we spotted tucked into the trees. Perfectly framed by the branches, just sitting there in all his glory. I’ll never forget this little homie. Bird Joy at its finest! 🦉📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

Kicking off 2026 with a beautiful winter hike at the UW Arboretum ❄️🥾💙 First bird of the year was a Barred Owl, and we also caught a Pileated Woodpecker drumming on a snag in the snow. The whole day felt like a real life snow globe. Happy New Year! 🫶🏾

🦉 First bird of 2026! 🦉 Kicking off the new year with a Barred Owl. What a way to start 2026. 🪶 What’s the first bird you’ve seen this year? Drop it in the comments 👇

LIFER ALERT 🚨 Who wants to help me find the Long-eared Owls? You Ready? Let’s GO!!! 📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶🦉

Snow on the ground, a little patch of earth, and one cozy American Tree Sparrow soaking in the winter calm. That rusty cap and bi-colored bill pop so nicely against the snow. Moments like this are why I’ve grown to love winter birding. #WiscoBirder 📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

One thing I love about winter birding is how that pop of red on a Red-bellied Woodpecker hits different against the snow. ❤️ Before I started birding, winter brought the blues. Now I get outside all year, and the birds give me the Bird Joy I need to make it to spring. #WiscoBirder 📷👐🏾🫶🏾

Here’s a pic of a Brown Creeper, the little Homie we found the other day. I love watching them creep up the tree no TLC. Brown Creepers forage by creeping up tree trunks, spiraling along the bark and using their curved bill to pull insects and spiders from tiny cracks. #WiscoBirder 📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

Happy Pawlidays from Teddy P 🥰

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours. 🫶🏾

Who wants to help me find a Brown Creeper? You Ready? Let’s GO!!! #WiscoBirder 📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

2025 Christmas Bird Count in Madison complete. Seven of us covered the Eastside and tallied 23 species, including three woodpeckers and three hawks. Wrapped it up with pan dulce, hot cocoa, apple cider, and coffee. Proof that birds and community are always around us, even in the city. 🐦🪶🫶🏾

Loved my Birds of the Great Lakes stop at A Room of One’s Own. So great meeting families and kiddos excited about birds, plus I met my first ever Harpy Eagle. Birding is for everyone, even you! 🫶🏾🐦🪶

Still riding the joy from our first ever BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin photo exhibition at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. Grateful for the community, the love, and everyone who made it possible. Just the beginning! 🐦🖼️🫶🪶

Another local book tour stop tomorrow from 2–3 PM at A Room of One’s Own in Madison. Come say hi, grab a signed copy, and talk birds. 💚📚🐦🪶

Book signing event today at my local Wild Birds Unlimited store in Middleton. Here until 3 PM! 🫶🏾

Go Pack Go 😂

Huge thank you to UW Athletics for welcoming me as a Guest Coach this weekend. It meant a lot knowing student athletes nominate the instructors. Grateful for the experience and the hospitality from Shayla. On, Wisconsin! ❤️🤍

Had an amazing time at Garden Wall Bookshop in Verona. One of the cutest indie shops I’ve ever visited. Suzi and Jack were incredible hosts, and my conversation with local author Andrea Debbink was a joy. The room was full of bird love, good energy, and we completely sold out of books. 🗣️📖✍🏾🫶🏾🪶

Hey @wiscobirder.bsky.social You’re #1 in my Spotify Wrapped! LETS GOO

Ready for my first The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters Board Meeting. This Bird Nerd cleans up nicely! 🫶🏾

Breaking news: First snowfall hits Madison. Locals report sightings of a large, friendly dinosaur yelling “Let’s GO!” #TyrannosaurusDex 🦖🌨️👀

Jordan Love was cooking in Detroit on Turkey Day! #GoPackGo 🧑🏾‍🍳🦃🏈🙌🏾

Who wants to help me find Birds of the Great Lakes at Barnes & Noble? You Ready? Let’s GO!!!! 📖👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

There’s a lot of healing and JOY waiting for you in nature. 🫶🏾

Such a great morning at Picnic Point with an awesome flock of Bird Nerds. We had brand new birders join us and ended the hike with 29 species including a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that showed off for everyone. Beautiful morning with even better people. Birding is for everyone, even YOU! 🫶🏾🪶

Another incredible night on the book tour. Milwaukee packed the house at Schlitz Audubon. Big love to Lindsay for the great conversation, Boswell Books for the sales support, and all the Bird Nerds who showed up to support my book Birds of the Great Lakes. 🗣️📖✍🏾🫶🏾🪶

Feeling grateful seeing the photos from the Wisconsin Book Fest. This tour keeps reminding me how powerful Bird Joy can be. I’ve been in Eau Claire, Milwaukee is up next, and more dates are coming. Meeting Bird Nerds, hearing your stories, and celebrating the birds we love has been incredible. 📖✍🏾🫶🏾

Northern Lights above our East Madison Neighborhood! 🌌 😍

What an incredible day at Horicon Marsh! 🦅 We kicked things off with a bird walk featuring close looks at Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, and late fall migrants like Tree Sparrows and Juncos. Wrapped it all up with cocoa, cookies, and a book signing. Grateful for everyone who came out! 📖✍🏾💚

Walmart 🤬🤬🤬

“I’m truly honored to step into this role with the Wisconsin Academy. This is an incredible opportunity to bring people together around science and community action,” Patterson said. “My goal is to help connect the dots between the pressing climate challenges and solutions across our state."

Big news! I’ve joined the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters as the Director of Science and Climate Programs. Grateful for this opportunity to build on my work at UW–Madison and grow as a science communicator across Wisconsin. www.wisconsinacademy.org/sites/wiscon...

Another incredible stop on the Birds of the Great Lakes book tour! 📚 Huge thanks to everyone who came out to the Appleton Public Library last night. The local bookseller sold out—let’s gooo! 🙌🏾💚 Grateful for all the love and support, Appleton. #WiscoBirder 🪶

For all my Fox Valley Bird Nerds — I’ll be in Appleton tonight at the Appleton Public Library! 🗣️🪶🫶🏾 Come join me for Birds, Joy, and Connection at 6:30pm. Let’s talk birds, community, and all the things that bring us joy. 💚

What a perfect fall day exploring Havenwoods State Forest with the Underground Hiking Collective. This place is truly special — a pocket of peace right in the heart of Milwaukee, surrounded by a vibrant Black and Brown community. #WEOUTSIDE 🌳🥾🫶🏾

What a night! @wiscobirder.bsky.social's visit to BHB for “Birds of the Great Lakes” was such a success! 🐦 Birding fans of all levels came out to hear Dexter chat with Rick Fare about birding in the Midwest, ask questions, and get their books signed.🪶 A huge thanks to everyone who joined us.

Another incredible stop on the #BirdsOfTheGreatLakes book tour! Huge thanks to everyone who came out to @bluehousebooks.bsky.social in Kenosha — we packed the house with Bird Nerds and even sold out every copy in the store! Feeling so humbled and grateful for all the love and support, Kenosha. 📖✍🏾🫶🏾🪶

These adorable little toasted marshmallow-looking Snow Buntings made my day! They’ve arrived along the lakeshore, bringing a touch of Arctic charm to Wisconsin during fall migration. 📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

This is what Bird Joy looks like! 🫶🏾 Photo by Jane Rotunda @wibookfestival.bsky.social

I've had a great day with my family in downtown Madison, and it started at the Wisconsin Book Festival with a packed-room presentation by my friend @wiscobirder.bsky.social. So proud of him for getting published and being able to share his bird joy with even more people! 🐦

I’m still buzzing from today’s packed Wisconsin Book Festival event — standing room only, and folks even sitting on the floor! The energy in that room was incredible. 🥹 I’m beyond grateful for everyone who came out to show love and support. Thank you, Madison! 🙏🏾 #WIBookFest 📖✍🏾🫶🏾🪶

Who wants to help me find the Snow Buntings? You Ready? Let’s GO!!! 📷👐🏾🫶🏾🪶

@wiscobirder.bsky.social I’m flying high after your @birdability.bsky.social week talk! Thank you for sharing your bird joy and giving a masterclass in creating inclusive, joyful events. It’s a real privilege to learn from you!

Y’all: the virtual panels this week all look great. And you do not want to miss the Sat., 10.25, presentation by @wiscobirder.bsky.social at 4p ET. Find out more at birdability.org/birdabolity-week.

Madison Peeps! 🪶📚 Catch me this Sunday at the Wisconsin Book Festival! 🎁 BONUS: Everyone who attends gets a FREE copy of Birds of the Great Lakes! 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Central Library Community Room 301 Let’s GO! 📖✍🏾🫶🏾 wisconsinbookfestival.org/events/birds-great-lakes

Hey @wiscobirder.bsky.social look what I found in the October issue of The Isthmus! Very cool that copies of your birding book will be given out. 👏👏 🪶

What a special stop on the Birds of the Great Lakes book tour! 💚 Huge thanks to Sydne at Ink Cap Books for hosting such a memorable event. 🪶 And bonus? Sydne told me it was the longest book signing line they’ve ever had at the shop! 🙌🏾 Thank you to everyone who came out to support. Let’s GO! 📖✍🏾🫶🏾

During the Q/A at Call & Response Books, someone asked me about a funny bird story… and let’s just say my daughter will never forget the day a juvenile Cedar Waxwing chose her as the perfect landing spot 💩😂 #WiscoBirder 🪶

Chicago showed so much love! 🙏🏾 In this clip, I talk with about what it means to be the first Black man to write a field guide — and to see Birds of the Great Lakes hit #1 on Amazon and become a Top New Release. Representation matters. Our stories matter. #BlackSky 📖✍🏾🫶🏾🪶

Repping my @wiscobirder.bsky.social hoodie down at Harkness. Fitting in some #birdjoy while I wait for my kid’s college XC race to start