The famed Blackwing pencil has a limited edition series called Volumes. Each quarter they release a new box of 12 pencils celebrating the people, places and events that have defined our creative culture. The Volumes series has become highly collectible.

Volume 458 is a tribute to bird watching. Each balanced graphite pencil features a gradient finish inspired by one of four North American birds: the Clark’s grebe, mallard, green jay, and black rail. The model number 458, the estimated number of migratory bird species that regularly travel through the United States and Canada, is stamped on each pencil in black foil. Each 12 pack of pencils comes with four designs, three pencils of each design.

The Story: Every day, birds move through our lives unnoticed. They live alongside us in parks, forests, waterways, and neighborhoods, hidden in the rhythm of everyday life. Birding, or bird watching, is the observation, study, and cataloging of birds in their natural habitats. Even more than that, it’s an exercise in slowing down. In a world constantly vying for our attention, birding asks us to simply be present. It reminds us there is beauty all around us, waiting to be discovered.