I have been interested in science and nature since I was 5 years old, and began birdwatching when I was 11. Since we were married in 1979, my wife and I have been on birding trips to 28 countries, and have birded in all 50 U.S. states. I have been a photographer since 1979 and recently switched over to digital. I have been a bird bander since 1997 and a hummingbird bander since 2000 when I began my Great Lakes HummerNet research project. I am co-editor of "A Birder's Guide to Michigan" published by the ABA, and have been a contributing author for various recent projects with National Geographic including "Complete Birds of North America", "Complete Birds of the World", and "Handheld Birds."