As someone who loves nothing more than being out in nature but has a demanding day job that really limits how much time they can do so, the realization of just how much exposure to wildlife I could get right in my suburban backyard has been a huge blessing. I’ve had a bunch of conversations with other photographer friends lately about how many amazing species we have here on Long Island that no one seems to know about. The fact that in the last year alone, I’ve been able to photograph over 20 species of birds (and see another 20 or so) in my backyard really brings that point home.