From the preponderance of winged creatures in my work, you’d think I was an avid birder, with one of those really big scopes and a life list as long as my arm. Well, guess again. I like birds, but other than telling a robin from a cardinal and a hawk from a crow, I really don’t have a serious birder’s knowledge. I am fascinated by birds in the abstract, although to photograph raptors I did take falconry lessons. The feeling of having a large hawk land on my gloved arm for the first time was beyond magical. I worry about the loss of bird species and habitats on our poor planet, and I hope my aviary photographs reminds us to cherish them. (True confession time: my friend Cynthia took the snow hawk photo with her cell phone, and I rescued it in PhotoShop, so it’s a collaborative effort….)