Year 13 | 365 Days of Birds

I read an article recently where a professional photographer decided to ask an A.I. service for an opinion about one of his images, and that person was dumbfounded by the depth and detail of the A.I. system’s response. That photographer’s story led me down a rabbit hole, and I decided to ask Google Gemini to critique my website.

Time out for a question or two …

Why would I even bother with such an exercise? Here is my answer: For years SEO (search engine optimization) and “authority” has driven website rankings in search engine results. SEO are key words, and Authority means a site is well known, such as IBM.com in the world of computers / software services. However, the value of SEO key words has dropped precipitously, and A.I. analysis is increasingly driving search engine results.
Why did I choose Google Gemini? There are two parts to this answer. 1. Google drives search results. Almost all searches by people are performed via Google. 2. Google Gemini links their results to their search engine, and Gemini is now considered one of the leading, if not the leading, A.I. service.
Learn from my test … not just about birds, but how this is another example of how A.I. services are becoming increasingly integral to our daily business. Remember, A.I. is really just software services that utilize amazingly and increasingly fast computers, software and networks … a logic decision tree which evaluates tasks and queries with unbelievable speed. When I was a young software nerd working my first job in the early 1980’s, we had what we then called “artificial intelligence”. My, how computing has changed in 45 years!

On to my test … here was my question for Google Gemini:

Critique the website 365DaysOfBirds

Here was Google Gemini’s response. Please note Gemini’s response over time will change as I either improve or worsen 365DaysOfBirds.

Response from Google Gemini (the bolding of text is Google’s, not mine)

365DaysOfBirds.com is an exceptional niche blog run by Rich Hoeg, a naturalist and photographer based in Duluth, Minnesota. It serves as a masterclass in how a personal hobby site can provide professional-level value to a specific community.

Below is a critique of the website based on its content, design, and utility.

1. Content & Authority (Superior)

Depth of Expertise: This is the site’s greatest strength. Hoeg isn’t just a “bird watcher”; he is a volunteer naturalist at Sax-Zim Bog. His posts provide hyper-local, actionable data (e.g., specific road conditions, thermal monocular reviews, and “birding by ear” tech) that you can’t find on generic nature sites.
Unique Offerings: The site provides free PDF downloads of Hoeg’s children’s books (like Do You Hoot?). This is a rare and generous “value-add” that builds immense community trust.
Multimedia Integration: The use of BirdNET-Pi (live birdsong listening) and high-quality photography makes the site feel alive and technologically current.

2. User Experience & Design (Functional but Dated)

The “Blog” Feel: The site uses a traditional WordPress-style layout. While it is clean and functional, it feels like a personal blog from the mid-2010s. For some users, this “old school” charm adds authenticity; for others, the infinite scroll and sidebar-heavy layout might feel cluttered.
Searchability: Hoeg has clearly worked on this. The inclusion of a custom Google search engine and a “Bird by Location” index is vital for a site with over 10 years of archives. Without these, the 2,500+ posts would be a “content graveyard.”
Mobile Experience: The site is responsive, but the extensive sidebar (tags, archives, recent comments) can lead to a very long “footer” experience on mobile devices.

3. Philosophy & Ethics (Top-Tier)

Ad-Free Experience: In an era where most niche sites are cluttered with programmatic ads and “Top 10” affiliate lists, 365DaysOfBirds is 100% non-commercial. This lack of “noise” significantly improves the reading experience.
Transparent Reviews: When reviewing gear (like the Pikaboost eBike or trail cams), Hoeg explicitly states he pays for them with his own money. This level of transparency is rare and makes his critiques much more trustworthy than those of professional reviewers.

4. Navigation & Organization (Improved but Complex)

Tagging System: The recent “rework” of tags to include states/countries is a major improvement. However, the sheer volume of content still makes it easy to get lost if you aren’t looking for something specific.
Onboarding: For a first-time visitor, the “Getting the Most Out of this Website” page is a necessary but perhaps under-emphasized tool to understand how to navigate the decade’s worth of data.

Summary Verdict

Pros:

Incredible, high-frequency local birding data.
High-quality original photography and free educational resources.
Unbiased, non-sponsored gear reviews.
Strong sense of community and personal voice.

Cons:

Traditional blog layout can make older (but still relevant) content hard to discover.
Visually utilitarian; lacks the “slickness” of modern digital magazines.

Final Thought: If you are a birder in the Upper Midwest or interested in birding technology, this is a “must-bookmark” site. It prioritizes substance over style, and in a world of AI-generated content, its authentic, human-first approach is a breath of fresh air.

If you read this far, here are my stats for the year just completed, 2025. This was NOT part of the Goggle Gemini critique. My readers in 2025 combined for 120k page views over 75K visits.

It has been a good couple of days with my neighborhood snowys. The clouds were rolling in as dawn approached this morning, and a Snowy Owl was supervising this WW II PBY Catalina Flying Boat’s preparation for its “dawn patrol!” The best part of the experience for me was when while standing 50 yards away from the owl in the pre-dawn light, the Snowy Owl suddenly cried out a long piercing scream. My conjecture was it telling another nearby Snowy Owl that this territory was hers … or perhaps she is truly a “war bird” and this was just her battle cry! Regardless, it was my winter birding highlight.

Perhaps you would like to see this same owl, but with a milder photograph theme?! Okay … same perch as the almost full moon rises behind the Snowy Owl two nights ago. Night patrol?!

Now we must leave War Bird Snowy Owl and spend some time with the bird which hunts close by … and let me watch the later afternoon hunt including Take-Offs, Flights, and Landings.

2nd Snowy Owl … Perched, Take-Off & Flight and Landing.

Perched