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Britain might have had new species to add to it’s list, then again maybe it didn’t.  Not only seen by hundreds of observers, many of whom are highly experienced and knowledgeable birders, including some of the creme de la creme of British birding, but trapped, biometrics extracted, photographs and video taken, yet the identification of [...]

My interest in photography started at age 17 and now it has become a very important part of enjoying and improving my birding experience.  Photography has given me an opportunity to have a detailed look at the birds that I could not get with the use of binoculars.  In fact my interest in birding increased [...]

I was worried that I may not have a post for this weekend until I noted Corey’s submission about the Gray-hooded Gull at Coney Island, New York. The ABA is still considering its response to the gull and its provenance, but more to the point, Jochen has called its pedigree into question by asserting that [...]

A couple of weeks ago I posted a series of pictures of what I called “Ratty Summer Gulls” – gulls that are just plain ugly, especially when compared to, say, breeding plumage birds.  All of the pictures were taken on a single trip to Jones Beach in June.  The coolest bird of the bunch, a [...]

The following picture will show you a landscape feature you may find attractive or even peaceful and nice. A landscape form you will want to visit from time to time specifically for your enjoyment and for a few quiet hours in the fine outdoors. This landscape feature will provide recreation and a rest from a working day’s hustle [...]

After spending the early morning on Saturday birding at Alley Pond Park I was happy with having seen my first Eastern Phoebe of the year and thought I could rest on my laurels for the rest of the weekend.  Then the accursed listserv had to ruin my peace of mind by letting me know that [...]

Yet again, despite my best efforts, I’ve been sucked into the insatiable vortex of popular culture. Then again, how long could I resist an addiction that encompasses three of my favorite things, namely birds, video games, and my Droid? Perhaps you’ve heard of this game Angry Birds… The survival of the Angry Birds is at [...]

Waxwings are among the most beautiful of passerines and when one gets good looks at any of the three species that occur worldwide those looks are almost always among the highlights of a birding day.  In North America there are two species of waxwing that one might encounter.  The careful and prepared observer will have [...]

This morning, after we Bloggerhead Kingbirds competed at the Superbowl of Birding all day Saturday (more on that later), we made our way to the Gloucester fishing pier (in Essex County, Massachusetts) and into a gull-conundrum.  You see, a couple of other birders, Tim and Brian, had a gull and it wasn’t just any gull. [...]

Shai Mitra is a birder-extraordinaire, a wonderfully patient teacher, a member of the New York State Avian Records Committee, and editor of The Kingbird, the peer-reviewed publication of the New York State Ornithological Association.  He was also nice enough to give directions to good birds in Suffolk County when a pair of bird bloggers headed [...]

Pictures of two different accipiters, without comment as to possible identification.  One was found perched and digiscoped in Kissena Park this past Monday, the other flew directly overhead and was photographed with my 100mm macro lens in the Rockaways on Sunday.  Sharpies or Coops?  That is, Sharp-shinned Hawks or Cooper’s Hawks?  Or one of each?

Just like so many of you, we love an avian identification challenge. Thanks to the 10,000 Birds Clinic, we certainly get our share. The beauty of this arrangement is that even when the three of us are stumped, we have a veritable birding brain trust to turn to. That’s where you come in! Wendy from [...]

Sometimes an easy bird can become difficult to identify.  Such was the case with the molting bird below, a species that has crossed my path hundreds of times.  It is an icterid, a family that includes blackbirds, grackles, orioles, cowbirds and meadowlarks, but beyond that I was temporarily stumped.  My birding partner for the day, [...]

For the uninitiated, the word “coot” calls to mind nothing more than doddering old codgers and curmudgeons. Nature lovers, on the other hand, are privy to an entirely new complement of coots, a collection of charming charcoal wading birds found throughout most of the world. Coots are mid-sized waders in the genus Fulica. Technically rails, [...]

Identity theft occurs with astonishing regularity in the avian world where all too often, species share so many overlapping traits as to appear virtually indistinguishable. Empidonax flycatchers are an excellent example of this phenomenon in North America, as are scaup. More esoteric, but no more simplistic, is the difference between Gray-cheeked and Bicknell’s Thrush. Bicknell’s [...]