As we speed towards the end of an utterly odd August, dangerous weather conditions and flame threaten to engulf various swathes of our world. No matter where you find yourself, heed the imperative of 2020: live to see better days!
I could definitely use better birding than the dull summer fare observed in the Southern Tier this weekend. Interestingly, the most common bird at our friend’s mountain cabin was, by orders of magnitude, Cedar Waxwing; seeing waves of waxwings is never a bad thing. Corey enjoyed a birding each morning this weekend and saw a lot of birds that could have been his Best Bird of the Weekend, including his first White-rumped Sandpiper of the year, a nice juvenile Red Knot, a couple of Blackburnian Warblers, and a surprising Mourning Warbler. But the birds he most appreciated were the juvenile Least Sandpiper feeding at his feet on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. As an example of how close they were, the shot above is uncropped. Least Sandpiper is easily Corey’s 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.
Dalmatian Pelican
On the way back from a week at Lake Chelan I stopped on Saturday at Confluence State Park in Wenachee and though the midday birding was slow a Northern Rough-winged Swallow gave great close views.
Long-tailed Tit
My lifer White-breasted Thrasher. The field guide does not do this bird justice.
I know how you feel, Mike.
House Sparrow.