The Creator Life of a Birdwatching Baddie with Tamerra Jones

Tamerra Jones, aka the Birdwatching Baddie, picked up birding almost by accident during lockdown, looking for something slower-paced to get her outside. Three years on, the Central Florida-based birder has racked up hundreds of species, built a joyful, unapologetically fun Instagram following, and become a genuine advocate for making the hobby feel accessible to everyone.

In this episode, Chris and Tamerra dig into how she went from lockdown curiosity to serious lister, why field experience and mentorship beat any app or book, and what it means to bring her full self into a hobby that hasn't always felt built for people who look like her. They also swap camera gear notes, geek out over each other's "boring" local birds, and talk through her next big trip!

Episode Takeaways:

• From Lockdown Curiosity to Serious Birder — How a search for something slow-paced and accessible during COVID turned into three years of increasingly serious birding, out three times a week even with a full-time job
• Becoming a Lister — Why she tracks every sighting in real time on eBird and Merlin, needs eyes on a bird before it counts, and still considers herself very much a student
• A Community That Takes You Under Its Wing — The value of learning in the field from other birders over apps or books, and why the birding community has a rare, generous "fireside chat" feel
• The Birdwatching Baddie Identity — Reclaiming "baddie," refusing to fit a mould, and using her platform to show that birdwatching is for everyone

Episode Timestamps:

• 05:01 - How Birding Began
• 06:35 - Weekly Birding Routine
• 07:24 - Traveling For Birds
• 10:47 - Getting Into Listing
• 13:44 - Apps And Logging Style
• 15:34 - Learning From Birders
• 21:52 - Birding For Everyone
• 23:35 - Safety And Representation
• 25:09 - Birder First Camera Second
• 26:10 - Gear Talk And Nikon Debate
• 27:41 - Trips Goals And Community
• 29:46 - Florida Scrub Jay And Bird Geeking

Important Links & Resources:

• Follow My Birding Life on Instagram
• Subscribe to My Birding Life on YouTube
• Follow Tamerra on Instagram