Michael (Mike) started birding at the age of 8, when his Grandpa Jack gave him his first pair of binoculars and a field guide, the Golden Guide 'Birds of North America'. Sightings of Blue Jays and American Goldfinches are still fresh is his memory from visits to see his grandparents in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His interest in birds got even more serious when he attended college in Santa Barbara, where his Zoology teacher, Richard Armstrong introduced Michael to the concept of the life list. Since that semester in 1989, Michael has been traveling the world in search of new and exotic species of birds, the whole while learning more about our feathered neighbors. His current life list includes more than 950 species. Michael is also an accomplished photographer, by the way. Living in Langley on British Columbia's Lower Mainland, Michael is active in the local birding scene, in one of Canada's most bird rich regions. He has traveled extensively in search of birds throughout Canada, the USA and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and a visit to Kenya.