I have a feeling that this summer is going to be weird. How else to interpret the sudden arrival of April showers (and temperatures) in June after already enjoying summer weather? If you’re experiencing the same wacky weather patterns, don’t fret… maybe this means we’ll get another migration!
My best birds of the weekend were all part of a huge swarm of Chimney Swifts circling around what I surmise was their chimney dwelling. No bird says summer to me like those flying cigars. Corey experienced what he described as one of the best sea watches he ever experienced. Expect lots of excruciating details, but for now drool over his potential Cape Verde Shearwater sighting, which will be both a lifer and a rare New York sighting assuming NYARC accepts it. If that doesn’t work out, Corey will still find consolation in his life Manx Shearwater!
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.
Chimney Swifts are amazing birds. I enjoy watching them. There’s a roost a few blocks from me where I’ve counted over 10,000 of them during fall migration.
My best bird this weekend was a common bird in an unusual place. I live in a city row house with a postage stamp backyard. There’s usually not a lot of variety in the birds I see at home. Saturday I was standing on my back porch when I spotted a Baltimore Oriole landing in a dead maple tree half a block away. I’ve lived here since 1996 and that’s the first one I’ve seen from my yard. It brings my yard list to 33 for this year, two more than my total each of the past two years.
Indigo Bunting at dusk. Beautiful bird even when sun has already gone down
Saw my first American Redstart at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, NY. I wasn’t able to snap a photo of it. The little guy was too fast!
Antillean Nighthawk at the Marathon Airport, Florida.
We went out to our local state park to cook breakfast on Saturday (it is already too hot to go for lunch or dinner) and there were Scissor-tailed Flycatchers all over the place.
I was able to see, confirm the sighting and photograph a Red-headed Woodpecker in Vermilion, Alberta, on June 1st, far out of its usual range. I was so excited to see it and they are such beautiful birds! My blog post about finding the woodpecker http://prairiebirder.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/red-headed-woodpecker/
Best bird for me was King Vulture sen soaring over the foothill rainforests off Braulio Carrillo National Park in Costa Rica.
@Mike: Chimney Swifts rock, end of story.
@Corey: Wow. Just wow. (bows down, Wayne-and-Garth style: “I’m not worthy!”)
Between an organized birdwalk at Rye Nature Center and follow-up trip to Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary with my good friend/birding mentor Hank (@John: we missed the Redstart, go you!) the most fascinating bird experience was watching 4 — count ’em, 4 — Ospreys hovering above a nesting platform. (The flyover Snowy Egret and calling Great Black-backed Gull were cool too, as were the pretty Eastern Bluebirds I glimpsed in Putnam County.)
My BBoTW, though, was a commoner — the Fish Crows that abounded at Read and Playland Park. We just don’t get seabirds in Chicago. And so I miss the Fish Crows dearly. So glad to hear that head-cold caw once again!
@Meredith: Are you kidding me? I’m not worthy of such good seabirds!
Rufous Hummingbirds in our back yard. The rufous color is gorgeous! There were two at once on the hummingbird feeder, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for baby hummingbirds.