Hello from London!

It's been a while since I last posted so I figured I owe the blog a little update. This is day 9 of my excellent adventure in Europe and so far it has been completely mindblowing. I honestly haven't done any birding, because there is just too much else to see and do.

That's not to say I haven't found any new birds though! Although London in the middle of winter is definitely not the place to be if you're looking for wildlife, I've managed to add a few species to my "world list."

First bird I saw here was a pigeon in the train station. They're everywhere here. Second bird was a Magpie, third was a lifer Black-headed Gull at Trafalgar Square on my second day here. I've also since then seen a Pheasant, Herring Gulls, Carrion Crows, and a Wren.

I guess I've been spoiled growing up in Florida, but it's definitely a lot harder to find and identify birds around here. In the coming months, I'll be traveling outside of the city more, so hopefully I'll get to see more species.

Besides the birding (or lack thereof) my experiences here have been nothing short of life-changing so far. I've never lived in a big city before nor traveled on my own, and now both of these things have become the rhythm of my life. And it's wonderful; every day holds something new.

Yesterday on my birthday I got to see snow for the first time. On Saturday I traveled with a couple students to Dover to explore the castle and see the white cliffs. And almost every afternoon after class is spent exploring some corner of the city.

I've said it many time before, but I'm going to say it again: life is amazing!

Cheers, and happy birding!