Many readers are still in the midst of this first fabulous weekend of September. Carry on, but jump in any time to share your best bird!
I scanned the southern coast of Lake Ontario for signs of migration, but found little activity of any sort on the shore or in the woods. However, the grassy meadow in Owl Woods teemed with all kinds of interesting summer residents, the most exciting of which was Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Believe it or not, I hadn’t seen one all summer. Also, we all know that hummers in the woods are more exciting than ones in the backyard, right? Corey’s BBOTW was a Virginia Rail in the Great Vly in his hometown. Not bad as a year bird on September 1.
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.
My first Spotless Crake in 13 years was a close second, but just looses out to my first Fernbird in 13 years. It was spring, and this usually skulky reed dweller was up and singing away!
Shorebirds: Least Sandpipers and Semi-palmated Plovers especially. But a smattering of Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, herons, egrets and a few Bald Eagles were neat too. More on them all at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca
I got just enough of a glimpse of the injured bird in the box I was transporting (curved beak, long tail) to surmise it was a cuckoo, and was greatly joyed to hear later that it was my lifer Black-billed. (Still need to get a progress report on the little fella.)
But my best nature encounter of the week, by all means, was no mere bird: http://blog5b.com/2013/09/01/its-a-bird-its-a/
Immature Little Blue Heron. Lovely bird, and it’s stuck around for a few days so we can all run out to appreciate it.
http://kestrelhill.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/little-blue-heron-9113/
Best bird for me was one to write about- my lifer Oilbird at the Monteverde Wildlife Refuge!
http://birdingcraft.com/wordpress/2013/09/02/finding-oil-while-birding-in-costa-rica/
I enjoyed watching a group of birds bathing in a tiny puddle I happened upon in Rocky Mountain Park, Greenfield, Massachusetts. This Chestnut-sided Warbler was my hands-down favorite, he looked like he was having such a good time! http://www.flickr.com/photos/queensgirl/9666904504/
Ladder-backed Woodpecker at Cedar Hill State Park, Texas, during a picnic breakfast. (Still too hot here for a picnic at any other time of day.)