Here’s the thing about nature journaling; it makes me want to spend more time with birds! I am blessed to live near one of the premier birding spots in the U.S.A. – the Arcata Marsh. I’ve been heading down there more frequently and admittedly, my new binoculars have made a huge difference in my ability to actually see the birds. I have always loved the black crowned night herons and they are the perfect bird for those first bird drawings: they sleep during the day, don’t move much for long periods of time, don’t seem to mind people standing nearby, and there are lots of them. I pulled up my binoculars to survey the sleeping masses with their eyes closed and heads tucked down. Then all of a sudden my binoculars came across this bird looking right at me with it’s amazing red eye. I was just overjoyed to have made it’s acquaintance.