Even the solo birders out there have to appreciate that birding together is often better than birding alone. Corey and I don’t get out in the field together much, since we’ve determined that the ongoing security of 10,000 Birds requires the two of us to live in separate cities. Blog security is serious business! But when I do get to go birding with him or any of my other friends and colleagues in the natural history space, I remember what about this hobby I enjoy so much. Do you prefer birding together or alone?
The best bird of my weekend was a perky Magnolia Warbler Corey and I scanned catching flies — the real kind — at a baseball field at Kissena Park. Corey did me one better with the narcissistic Nashville Warbler pictured above admiring itself at Tanner’s Spring in Central Park – but then he one-upped himself when on a whale-watching trip with his family off the coast he spotted a Cory’s Shearwater feeding just west of Rockaway Inlet which put it just inside the Queens-Nassau County border. (Another new Queens bird for Corey!) Isaac Grant, who is doing a New York City big year and was on the boat as well, was just as relieved to get the bird within New York City’s boundaries. Both of them were glad to not have to pretend that the two Cory’s Shearwaters that they spotted just east of the inlet were in Queens!
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.
I second the “birding together” notion. I generally bird alone, but this weekend ran into a vastly more experienced birder at a local park in Savannah, GA. He brought me to a place he suspected he’d seen a Clay-colored Sparrow earlier in the morning (dense fog had prohibited a definitive view). He had to leave, but 15 minutes later up the sparrow popped! It cooperated very well, affording nice views for half an hour and making for the third ever county tick on eBird (not to mention a lifer for me)
Black-crowned Night heron. between rain showers I went out for some fresh air and stopped at a pond. A BCNH flew in close to where I was and then waited patiently for me to leave. I shot off loads of photos – such an obliging bird. Then as I left, 2 Ruddy Ducks paddled around – more photos. The full story and pics at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca
and…Yes birding with a companion is sometimes better – though not always. It depends what you’re into. I’m sure list-checkers like to have more eyes at work, but I’m more of a ‘for the moment’ birder and I prefer to do things at my own pace.
My most unusual bird for the weekend was a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron at our nearby state park (Dallas, TX). http://lindasfamilynews.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/todays-birding/ But the most interesting birdwatching was observing the American Crows and Blue Jays fighting over the pecans that are just getting ripe in the neighborhood trees. I wouldn’t mind some of those pecans myself…
It wasn’t wild as such, but the weeks old North Island Brown Kiwi chick being raised at Mt Bruce for re-release back into the wild was adorable (pictures to follow).
I birded with two others this weekend, as we are a team conducting a monthly Seabird Survey for Seattle Audubon. We saw 29 Marbled Murrelets, which was amazing! There were also seven enormous Steller Sea Lions in the area.
I had several great birds while birding tropical dry forest habitats and wetlands around Chomes, Costa Rica on Sunday. Clapper Rail was best heard only species, the prize for best prolonged looks goes to Lesser Ground Cuckoo, and Mangrove Hummingbird and Rufous-necked Wood Rail tied for best overall bird.
To read about that memorable day of birding, please see my blog:
http://birdingcraft.com/wordpress/2013/10/09/dont-discount-chomes-when-birding-costa-rica/