How’s May migration treating you so far? We’re early in the month, but many birds are late compared to last year, at least in my part of the world. Then again, migratory birds arrived very early last year. So I frankly have no idea what to expect. Feels slow though…
I headed up to Lake Ontario to spy my first Caspian Terns of the year. Luckily, I caught a few and little else apart from a Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and lots of Ring-billed Gulls. Apparently, all the action is just one Great Lake to the west at the Biggest Week in American Birding. Seriously, sexy migrants are flying fast and furious in Ohio and the event has just started! Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend would have been Yellow Warbler because he saw a bunch on Saturday and they are such great little birds. But a family hike on Sunday at Doodletown led to his first Cerulean Warbler of the year and there are very few birds that can top a Cerulean Warbler.
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.
Westland Petrel was the highlight for me, and a lifer. Soft-plumage Petrel, Gibson’s (wandering) Albatross and Southern Royal Albatross were other highlights 🙂
Western Bonelli’s Warbler near Regensburg, quite a distance outside its core breeding area in Germany and a cool bird no matter where you see and hear it.
I got back late last night from my first ever real birding trip. I tagged along with Cornell’s Spring Field Ornithology trip to Cape May. I saw 80 species and 18 were lifers. The total group count was 115, and that was much lower than last year. Probably the “best” bird I saw was a nesting Piping Plover, but the most exciting thing I saw was a Mute Swan beating up a Canada Goose! It was a great trip with the great folks.
A pair of Cinnamon Teals at the slough near my house. I was able to get some very good looks at them and get some decent photographs of my most recent lifer!
Seventeen Surf Scoters right by the ferry dock in Edmonds, WA. They are such fabulous birds with their ridiculous bills, red feet, and white eyes!Soon they’ll head up to the Arctic.
Besides the usual Kestrels, our best bird is a female Black-chinned Hummingbird, who likes to watch us through our family room window. Who needs to go anywhere when you’ve got birds like this at home?
Dozens and dozens of Least Terns in Fort Myers, FL!
Two lifers within a half-hour of each other in the Chicago Loop last week on my migration-monitoring shift.
One was a Nashville Warbler I found, but sadly, it went into the plastic bag instead of the paper one. 🙁
A little later and mere yards away, though, I helped my captain corral the first Sora I have ever seen. Had no idea they were so small, and such good sprinters!
First juvenile house sparrow sighting of the season…silly bird overshot the feeder and flew into my bedroom. Fortunately, it went back out, when its father showed up and started peeping. I don’t remember the juveniles being this CONFUSED, last year!