Jamie Ritter has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, for the past twenty-five years. She was raised in McAllen, Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Her parents valued wildlife and the outdoors. She was a casual bird watcher all of her life but has treated it as a serious hobby for five years. She is a member of the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi, a member of the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens, and the recording secretary of the Coastal Bend Audubon Society. She has participated in Birdiest City Contests and Christmas Counts. Jamie is the mother of two daughters, Annette and Carrie, and the grandmother of Chloe. She teaches Texas and United States History at Smith Junior High in Sinton, Texas. In addition to bird watching, she enjoys painting, sewing, scrapbooking, and reading. She loves to travel.