Birding

Best Bird of the Weekend (Third of April 2021)

April 19, 2021 by Mike 3 Comments

April tends to be one of those months that contain multitudes, at once as temperate as any spring or fall but then turning quickly to extremes. What is moderate in mid-April, though, is migration, at least around here. We’re still far from peak passerine passage, but getting closer every day…

I had to move my bird feeder from its perfect position this weekend, because of–of course–squirrels. Actually, to be fair, the real reason was a rose bush that finally grew tall enough to foil the squirrel proofing of this otherwise inviolable seed purveyor. Rather than uproot the roses, we shifted the feeder closer to the house, then waited anxiously to see if our feather friends would be deterred. Thankfully, feeding continued unabated, which now provides even closer views of a variety of avifauna, including some very musical House Finches. Corey enjoyed getting out on birding outings both mornings of the weekend, and was out in nature with his family both afternoons. Needless to say, he has quite a few birds to choose from in terms of his Best Bird of the Weekend. Though he added Louisiana Waterthrush, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Yellow-throated Warbler to his year list, Corey most enjoyed watching a Northern Mockingbird doing singing in the Rockaways. The bird was starting its song and then flying up and singing in an arc as it came back down on a branch. It was very entertaining and photogenic! Odd as it may be in the midst of migration, but a Northern Mockingbird is Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend.

How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

best bird weekend

Written by Mike

Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.

3 Comments

Michael Ayers April 19, 2021 at 3:51 am
A three-way tie: Barred Broadbill – Green Peafowl – Hooded Pitta
Dragan April 19, 2021 at 5:32 am
20 new species for 2021 in two days, a Peregrine, likely breeding there, among them
EDWARD A PULLEN April 19, 2021 at 9:27 am
I didn’t get out birding much this weekend, as the weather was so beautiful I just lounged around and enjoyed our tiny bit of warm and sun in the Pacific NW before the return to rain and cold for the next couple of months. That said, whild enjoying a beer on the outdoor deck of the Ram Brewery on Commencement Bay my girlfriend asked about a little brown bird on the rocks by the water. I looked down and to my delight and surprise a FOY American Pipit was pumping its tail and hopping from rock to rock. Sometimes it pays off to not try very hard to find a bird.