Another long, lovely summer weekend has slipped into history. Midsummer will be giving way any moment to late summer. I know that families in the United States are already fretting/anticipating September’s arrival. How do you feel about it?
Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a Least Tern that flew over his apartment, only the second he ever saw from the comfort of his balcony. My best birds were Eastern Kingbirds, which usually catch my attention in summer. What elevated the kings of kings above other species this time around was their gregarious behavior. Usually, when I spy kingbirds, they are staking their solitary claims to prime territory. Now that we’re later in the season, they are grouping either in family clusters or anticipation of migration. Either way, they signal fertile flux on the horizon!
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.
Southern Elephant Seal!
Not a bird as such, but best sighting of the weekend by miles. Quite a find on North Island.
Mine was Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge seen on a cold, rainy Sunday morning up on Irazu Volcano, Costa Rica.
A Ruddy Turnstone on its post-breeding southbound flight – fall migration has started. I’ve written about it, and lots more, on my blog at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca
Note to Duncan – Here in Canada seals and birds are quite easy to tell apart: seals bear live young for one thing.
Seven Bonaparte’s Gulls off Marrowstone Island in WA. I love their black hoods in breeding plumage.
A pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers — first time I’ve seen them in the Albany area, and the first ones I’ve seen in 25 years.
A Green Heron that flew across the Chicago River (at (Peterson Ave., if you’re keeping score at home), and perched within 5 feet of a male Belted Kingfisher, whereupon the Kingfisher quickly departed rather than share his branch. Two cool birds for the price of one!
Difficult to choose but I would say Barred Warbler – found a pair of juveniles in the same patch as a family of Red-backed Shrikes and some Marsh Warblers – I’m an Irish birder, living in Norfolk, England and currently birding in the Baltic country of Latvia.
Read more on my blog – http://grahamsphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/black-terns-and-barred-warblers.html