Does anyone know if there are dates set yet for the 2026 @sciencewriters.org conference in Oregon? I expect it will be in the fall but it would be nice to know specifically when.

Possible hot take: The way for American public schools to be more inclusive at this time of year isn't to shoehorn in some token Hanukkah stuff amongst the wall-to-wall Christmas, it's to do *way less* explicitly Christmas-y stuff to begin with.

Writers and editors, don't forget to nominate work for The Best American Science and Nature Writing! Deadline is 12/20 (for anything published by then). Info and submission form here: jaimegreen.net/basn

"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—" Reviews. Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.) Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!

Today is another big writing day. I am going through an automated transcription of an interview with a source about a study he did that involved sap, as in tree sap. The transcription service is CONVINCED that "SAP" must be an acronym and has capitalized it every time. 😂

Update: After fortifying myself with a pastry from my favorite bakery I've got it down to just under 1,000. Onward.

Today is a Writing Day. After hours of work, I now have a complete 1,300-word draft... for what's supposed to be an 800-word story. Sigh.

I write a monthly email newsletter about birds and stuff! You can read the newest one here, and you can subscribe to get them in your email inbox! buttondown.com/rheisman/arc...

In the year of our Lord two-thousand-twenty-five, there are still shockingly diagnosable, legit never-before-seen-by-scientists new bird species out there to be discovered

👀

Here's a reminder that although I'm not on social media as much anymore, I *do* have a monthly email newsletter about birds and related miscellany that you can subscribe to. The next one goes out tomorrow! buttondown.com/rheisman

Just a PSA that @drscottataylor.bsky.social, who is an excellent science communicator and hilarious human being as well as an ornithologist, is starting a new podcast called "Okay, But... Birds" and you should definitely check it out. www.okaybutbirds.com

Don't ask ChatGPT. Ask this perfect Amanita mushroom. The answer may be quieter, but I'd argue it's more likely to be correct.

I guess since holiday gift-buying time is upon us I should remind you all that my book about the surprisingly wild and entertaining history of bird migration research is available in paperback now...

Current pet peeve: People who are convinced they are able to flawlessly spot AI-generated writing and are constantly lobbing accusations that something "must be AI," when the "AI hallmarks" they're honing in on are things like using em dashes, lists of three items, and varied sentence structure. 🙃

I've been pretty quiet here lately, trying to cut down on doomscrolling for the sake of my mental health... BUT I have a new story out at @therevelator.org, on how climate change is contributing to bird population declines in multiple biomes around the world. #birds 🪶🌏

I've been pretty quiet here lately, trying to cut down on doomscrolling for the sake of my mental health... BUT I have a new story out at @therevelator.org, on how climate change is contributing to bird population declines in multiple biomes around the world. #birds 🪶🌏

I love finding my friends’ books at independent bookstores! I hit the jackpot at Paulina Springs Books in Sisters, OR today. @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social @rheisman.bsky.social @kingfisherjourney.bsky.social @timberpress.bsky.social

Hey it's me, popping up to tell you all that I'm giving my book talk over Zoom in about an hour (registration required but it's free), if you're interested in hearing some wild and surprising tales from the history of bird migration research! www.sarasotaaudubon.org/events/the-f...

So excited to finally share our work on how birds responded to the 2024 Great American Eclipse! Thanks to @rosvall-lab.bsky.social for inviting me on this journey! I never expected any of my research to show up in @science.org, let alone on the cover. Surreal. I hope you enjoy it!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat

I'm trying to spend less time on social media for the sake of my mental health BUT I thought y'all might enjoy this SciShow video that I wrote the script for, all about the ways that decoy/dummy birds are used in #ornithology. youtu.be/aSzCs_w0dhA?...

Having names for plants and animals is our starting point for interacting with nature. I think that's discouraging for a lot of people because they don't know the names for things around them (me included!) but instead why don't we just… make them up?

Political violence is bad. It usually begets more political violence. Celebrating political violence is bad. It usually encourages more political violence, against various targets. Campus shootings are bad. They make everyone on campus less safe. It's bad that what I wrote here is controversial.

The biggest scandal in US public life *ought* to be that we are the richest country in history & yet our infrastructure sucks, our transportation choices suck, our cities suck, our healthcare sucks, our public administration sucks, & in dozens of little ways, our daily lives suck.

WOS Research Award recipient Samantha Fishman's work has shown that although Chestnut-sided and Golden-winged warblers can tolerate a certain percentage of nonnative shrubs in the landscape, they both strongly prefer to forage on native shrubs. #ornithology

the worst part of every manuscript for an ornithologist, yes, worse than tough reviewers worse even than outright rejection when they typeset the paper and all the species names are lower case

Loved this @highcountrynews.org story about Motus research, and not just because researcher @andyjboyce.bsky.social is also featured in my book! www.hcn.org/articles/the...

I sent out my monthly email newsletter this morning. Random (usually bird-related) musings, book recommendations, and bird news from around the internet. Maybe subscribe if that sounds like it would interest you? buttondown.com/rheisman/arc...

This is what being a cancer survivor is like. (Context: when I was diagnosed w/ lymphoma in 2020, enlarged lymph nodes in my sternum were causing some tenderness.) "Oh that's weird the area around my sternum aches OH F#&% MY CANCER MUST BE BACK S#!%—wait, I did pushups yesterday, my pecs are sore."

Tfw someone asks you to smile for the camera. 🪶

I really love Snail Kites. They have incredible bills that are adapted to eating Apple Snails and they have those intense red eyes. At Laguna de Sonso, Valle de Cauca #Colombia #birds #nature

I sent out my monthly email newsletter this morning. Random (usually bird-related) musings, book recommendations, and bird news from around the internet. Maybe subscribe if that sounds like it would interest you? buttondown.com/rheisman/arc...

Oh word? Birds-of-paradise are just fluorescing left and right now? Goddamn! royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Currently reading: What If We Get It Right by Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson. Enjoying this surprisingly uplifting book examining what the future could look like if humanity can come together to stop the worst effects of climate change. www.getitright.earth

Hello everyone! I am working on a story for The Guardian about how Chicagoans are preparing for the possible arrival of federal troops, following President Trump's statements on the matter. Right now, I'm looking for residents, community organizers, business owners, and other folks to talk to!

As everyone waits with bated breath for some announcement from the White House that may or may not be very significant, I am reminded of something @sarahkendzior.bsky.social wrote in a post a few days ago: "Do not let Donald Trump be the most important person in your life."

Bad news for these dancing birds: The Trump administration released draft plans today stripping away protections for the greater sage grouse on about 50 million acres of public lands across the West. More info: https://bit.ly/4p1TKaz

Currently reading: What If We Get It Right by Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson. Enjoying this surprisingly uplifting book examining what the future could look like if humanity can come together to stop the worst effects of climate change. www.getitright.earth

Hummingbird Feels Like Fucking Idiot After Seeing Other Bird Gliding https://theonion.com/hummingbird-feels-like-fucking-idiot-after-seeing-other-bird-gliding/

Officially our air quality is within the yellow/moderate range right now, but there is a visible smoky haze in the air, and I don't think it's a coincidence that I feel tired and gross today and have heard several people around town mention that they're feeling the same way. Ugh.

#TimelineCleanse!

The scope of this new analysis is pretty astonishing. The researchers used backyard birdsong recordings spanning 500 species across multiple continents. 🪶 www.npr.org/2025/08/21/n...

Squeaky told me to tell you that you did great surviving the day today and that you deserve gentleness and rest

Well, I don't know about y'all but my plans for the evening are to go to my weekly volunteer shift at the local homeless shelter and write some @votefwd.bsky.social letters during downtime while I'm there. Cheers.

Guys, I have a special & unusual request today. My cousin Sean is a union bus driver here in Los Angeles who was just FIRED in retaliation for saying he would not let masked ICE agents onto his bus to abduct riders. The fight is on to get his job back, you can help: actionnetwork.org/letters/send...

Happy Monday from this tiny garter snake who showed up in my little backyard water feature recently and has no idea who the president is.

Don’t be afraid to share your writing. There are six Sharknado movies.