The end of July is when shorebird migration truly picks up, at least in eastern North America. It is also when a huge number of people are hitting the beach, which often serves as habitat for those migrating shorebirds. If we could only find good ways to get beach-goers interested in birds instead of irritated by them. Ideas anyone?
While others were enjoying the beach this weekend I was enjoying the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where I reacquainted myself with the mud and the shorebirds. Of those shorebirds my Best Bird of the Weekend was a hulking Long-billed Dowitcher that towered over its Short-billed brethren. (You can see it in the heavily cropped photo at the top of this post.)
Since Mike is birding in Colombia right now, he could easily keep his favorite blue bird theme going, but when you see a Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, you have to consider it the best bird of a very lucky weekend.
Mike’s Red-ruffed Fruitcrow
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’ve been watching a Mississippi Kite nest this month. This weekend I got digiscoped video of the male passing a cicada to the female at her perch in an oak tree adjacent to the nest tree. She then relayed the cicada to the nestling. It’s the first time I’ve seen this behavior.
video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/123863674@N04/14758199022/
Arrived at Spring Valley Wildlife Area in SW Ohio a little before sunrise. I heard a couple of rails call about 30 minutes later and went to look on the edge of an marshy opening next to the boardwalk only to discover a Least Bittern clinging to the cattails! While we were watching, a juvenile Virginia Rail emerged from cover only 15 feet from where we were standing. Amazing to see both birds at the same time.
We were fortunate to bird Cerro Azul with Bill Adsett who was incredibly kind and accomodating, it was a wonderful way to revisit some great birding. We managed to get way into Chagres National Park via the Vistamares and Xenornis trails, seeing Speckled Antshrike and Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, and also managed great dawn looks at Black-eared Wood-Quail and great evening photos of Blue-fronted Parrotlet coming in to roost. A truly wonderful weekend!