9 November 2023
Today it’s been 16 years since Outside My Window began on 9 November 2007.
Every day I get up very early to write about birds and nature and am sometimes distracted by the birds themselves. The girl above is distracted by her pet goldfinch. This month, for me, it’s been the crows.
My first blog post was Waiting for Tundra Swans but I didn’t have to wait this year. Last weekend I saw 29 at Yellow Creek State Park including these in Mark McConaughy’s photo.
On anniversaries I look back at the past year’s high points. My highest traffic day is usually when the peregrine eggs hatch at the Cathedral of Learning but there were no eggs this year. Instead, the most popular article was a surprise on Friday 7 April with 10,000 views of…
Top articles in the past 12 months include:
- Armadillos … (April 2023), more popular than my home page!
- World’s Largest Petrified Tree? (2022) is actually a joke but is still attracting readers.
- Perennial favorites pop up when people ask Google:
- Gifts from Crows (2019)
- Falcon or Hawk? (2011)
- Leaves Turn White (2017)
- Why do birds take dust baths? (2009)
- Anatomy: Parts of a Feather (2010)
I’ve written a lot and I’m still going at it. 5,913 articles since 2007, and you’ve posted 24,308 comments.
Thank you, my readers, for 16 years together at Outside My Window.
You keep me going every day!
(credits are in the captions)
Thank you for your faithful service of sharing what you see outside your window with us readers who — if we are fortunate enough — can look at the birds through our own windows, but take little time to share what we see.
Thank you so much for your blogs Kate. They are so interesting. Love the Goldfinch painting.
Congratulation Ms St. John and thank you for the joy you bring me each and everyday.
Kate – Thanks so very much for sharing this great blog with us. It’s always informative, thorough and well written. Here’s hoping for 16 more years.
Congrats on 16 years! I read the blog every morning and always learn something.
Kate, don’t know how you do it, but like the sun rising everyday, there’s always a new blog every morning. Even when you are out on an adventure abroad. Amazing and always informative.
Love this blog, many days it feels like you are in my head because the information is on point with what is happening around us. Thanks Kate
Good Morning and Congratulations! Thank you ever so much for your blog. As I tell you so often, I love learning new things every day, and most days, that new knowledge comes from this place I come to every morning with my cup of coffee. Here is to your next 16 years! Here’s to a successful 2024 nesting season!
Happy Anniversary Kate! I thoroughly enjoy your writing, imagination, and continually interesting and unexpected subjects!! I’ve learned a lot from your blog.
Congratulations, Kate! You deserve a Pulitzer for your always wonderful, intelligent, well written, and interesting blog. It always starts my day off right. Here’s to another 16 years . Thank you and Best wishes!
Thank You. I enjoy your posts every day
Congratulations on 16 years, Kate! Your blog and a cup of coffee are the way I start my day. Thanks for sharing with us your wonderful insights to the world and its creatures. Hoping there are many more years to come!
Congratulations! Every morning I look forward to this blog. It brings a bit of brightness into the day.
Wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I look forward to your posts and. always learn something.
Congrats on the anniversary! I always enjoy your writing and your bird walks.
I am usually a day behind with your posts since I have to be at school very early. I love waking up and having coffee and reading your post from the day before. Every day you teach us something new and fascinating about this world of ours.
Congratulations on 16 years and I can’t wait to be in Pittsburgh and join you on your walks! Thank you for your wonderful observations and lessons!