As an avid birder and amateur rock musician, I became inspired to combine my love of both pursuits and record an album of songs about birds and birding. Here are my 12 original bird-themed tunes; maybe if you play them for a non-birding friend, they'll get hooked on birding by these musical offerings.

There is certainly a West-coast bias in these songs, but since that's where I do most of my birding I wrote about familiar birds and habitats. The track "Ivory Bill" is decidedly not West-coast oriented; in fact, it exemplifies a universal theme: birds are beautiful and precious creatures, and we need to preserve their habitat world-wide.

I don't know if any ivory-billed woodpeckers remain alive, but I'm willing to believe. It is my sincere hope that birders of all levels will enjoy this album by sharing my passions for birding, music, and wildlife conservation.

Thanks for listening ... Grant Hoyt