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Sign up for Flying Lessons

Welcome to Flying Lessons, a website devoted to what we’re learning from the birds. You can sign up here for our weekly newsletter, visit our Facebook page here, spend time in our pages devoted to photos, birding advice, videos and special projects. We hope you enjoy your visit — and make this a regular stop.

FLYING LESSONS VIDEOS

White-eyed Vireo

Gray Catbird

Red-shouldered Hawk

Northern Flicker

Cedar Waxwing

Barred Owl

American Goldfinch

Northern Waterthrush

Summer Tanager

Northern Cardinal

Carolina Chickadee

In-depth stories

Grasshopper Sparrow

Here are links to some of the deeper stories we’ve written for publications from the Washington Post to The Miami Herald exploring the frontiers of birding and avian research. This story for the Post was about the role of every-day birders in creating the largest citizen science project in the world. This piece for The Herald looked at the surprising strength of the Roseate Spoonbill in the midst of climate change. And this article and video for The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer is about how some adventurous hummingbirds are abandoning their migration and staying the winter in the U.S. Our latest story in the Washington Post is about a rescue mission for the imperiled Florida Grasshopper Sparrow.

Miami Herald’s Spoonbill package

Some favorite birds

Orlando, Florida

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

West Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Hairy Woodpecker

Prime Hook Refuge, Delaware

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Prairie Warbler

Cape May, New Jersey

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Red-bellied Woodpecker

St. Joe Overstreet Landing, Florida

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Eastern Wood-Peewee

Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Eastern Meadowlark

Kissimmee, Florida

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Raleigh, North Carolina

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Northern Flicker

Alexandria, Virginia

Copyright by Anders and Beverly Gyllehhaal

Birds in Flight

Roseate Spoonbill

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

FELLSMERE, FLORIDA

OSPREY

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

Orlando, Florida

American Flamingo

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

Rio Largartos, Mexico

COPYRIGHT BY ANDERS AND BEVERLY GYLLENHAAL

EASTERN MEADOWLARK

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA

Red-shouldered Hawk

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

Orlando, Florida

COPYRIGHT BY ANDERS AND BEVERLY GYLLENHAAL

PALM WARBLER

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

LORTON, VIRGINIA

BROWN PELICAN

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

ASSATEAGUE, MARYLAND

COPYRIGHT BY ANDERS AND BEVERLY GYLLENHAAL

WOOD STORK

BIRDS IN FLIGHT

MELBOURNE, FLORIDA

COPYRIGHT BY ANDERS AND BEVERLY GYLLENHAAL

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Quotes for the birds

“The radical otherness of birds is integral to their beauty and their value. They are always among us but never of us. They’re the other world-dominating animals that evolution has produced, and their indifference to us ought to serve as a chastening reminder that we’re not the measure of all things.”

— Jonathan Franzen, novelist and renown birder from his National Geographic Magazine essay on the “Year of the Bird.”

Comments, Suggestions & Quips:

On How Birds Teach Humility:

–“NOB. Love it! Great little truths in this post.” – Chara Daum

— “Appreciate your insights, Beverly.” -Ruth Harrell

— “Loving your Flying Lessons blog.” -Susan May, San Francisco

On our offbeat video of a Tufted Titmouse singing along with a banjo:

“That is totally cool,” Tony Mas, Dahlonega, Ga.

“This brought a smile to us. Thanks.” John Deen, St. Paul, MN.

“Really amazing.” Florence Strickland, Sunset Beach, N.C.

On the Mandarin duck’s arrival in Central Park:

— “I think he gets his own Saturday morning now.” -Stephen Colby, Raleigh, N.C.

— “What a beautiful bird. Its colors look painted on. Magnificent.” -Christine DiMattei

On the falling numbers of Wild Turkeys:

“I was just mentioning this to a friend, how I used to see Wild Turkeys every time I hit a dirt road, and now it’s almost rare.” -Jeff Brooks.

“There are a hundred times more turkeys than when I was a kid. Fake BS to shake down donations and public funding.” -Vance Shearer

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How to reach us

Flying Lessons
Raleigh, NC.

FlyingLessons1@gmail.com

About us

We’re two journalists who’ve traded in our work in publishing and syndicated writing for following and photographing the birds. We live in Raleigh, NC, but are traveling the country every chance we get -- and are sharing the lessons birds are teaching us and the photos we take along the way.

Popular Posts

1

How on earth? Great White Pelican shows up on the other side of the world
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What a show: Battle of the Hummingbirds reaches its peak
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We used to snicker at Snowbirds — until we discovered this Airstream getaway
April 9, 2019
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Here’s a nice surprise: While many species struggle with climate, the Roseate Spoonbill is thriving
April 15, 2019
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Cedar Waxwings are dining their way north: Don’t miss the show
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Why Flying Lessons

This website is about what we can learn from the birds around us. Some of the lessons are obvious, such as the way birds can be a barometer of environmental changes. Others are subtle, like the way you, as an observer, have to adapt to navigate the world in which birds operate. We ourselves still have much to learn about birding, a late-in-life pursuit that has captivated us in retirement. But we decided to start writing about the lessons and teachings as we’re finding our way, in hopes that our storytelling and photography will help to celebrate a captivating element of nature.

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