Most birders I know across the United States–and well beyond–seemed happier than usual this weekend, even ecstatic. Is a winter finch irruption really that exciting?
I didn’t catch up with any crossbills this weekend, but my travels took me from Rochester to NYC and back. Of all the birds observed on the highway, the most interesting was surely the Ring-necked Pheasant that blithely strolled out on the NY Thruway but was smart enough to pull back before losing a battle with a speeding vehicle. Corey had an amazing morning’s birding at Breezy Point on Saturday, netting three year birds and seeing a spectacular migratory spectacle as birds that reached the end of land in Queens had to make the decision to turn back or to continue on over the ocean. Of his three year birds – King Eider, his first in Queens since 2010, Common Redpoll, his first in Queens in two years, and Western Kingbird, his first since last year – the King Eider clearly wins, both because it’s been so long since Corey last saw one and because it was the only bird of the three that Corey got a photo of. Yeah, it’s not a great photo but it’s a pretty great 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.
Black Bee-Eater
Osprey flying overhead at Point Defiance Park, very late for this area surprised us in Tacoma while looking unsucessfully for White-winged Crossbills that seem to be having a minor invasion in the area.
150 Northern Pintails sheltering on the bank of a pond to get out of the bitterly cold winds on the Olympic Peninsula.
Yesterday I went to a park because I saw on E-Bird that a barred owl was spotted there the day before. Didn’t get the barred owl that day but got to see a little Northern Saw-whet, a lifer for me. I went back this morning and lo and behold, there is the barred owl sitting on a low branch just off the footpath. Two lifers, two days. Not a bad start to the week.
Magnificent Frigatebird flying around Cherry Creek Reservoir outside of Denver. I was lucky enough to look at my phone the instant the email came through and live relatively close by, enabling me to get there before it flew off!
Mike, did that winter finch irruption happen to be in Pennsylvania or Georgia?
The last couple of weeks in SE Arizona has been epic for east coast warblers, with a Worm-eating, Pine, Tennesee all showing up. But for me the Blackburnian Warbler yesterday has to be the BBOTW
Kai, there has already been at least one Evening Grosbeak in Florida! So, yeah, definitely Pennsylvania and I am sure Georgia. Now if only the finches could vote too…
My first male Calliope Hummingbird. The females are fairly easy to confuse with other species, so it is always reassuring to actually see a male.
And Kai, to hear some people, those winter finches are all dead illegal aliens bussed in from other states.