April didn’t deliver many of its vaunted showers in my area this year. I’d fear for May flowers if so many weren’t already in bloom. How is the season in your corner of the world?
My best bird this weekend has to be the Hermit Thrush that’s been hanging around my backyard for the last week. We’re wondering if it plans to nest here, but I can’t imagine such a shy (compared to robins!) thrush feeling comfortable in our busy neighborhood. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend could have been a Bell’s Vireo that was reported in Forest Park but the bird was not refound after the initial sighting. But his consolation prize for trying hard was an Orchard Oriole, his second of the day, though the first was less cooperative.
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.
A “singing” Least Bittern at the Dairy Mart Ponds south of San Diego wins the prize. Didn’t see it though.
I saw a Yellow Warbler for the first time here in Texas, but my best bird had to be the male Painted Bunting out on my feeder yesterday afternoon. There are two males out there this morning–where are the ladies? As for the weather, it is already quite hot here, but so far I’ve not turned on the A/C.
Great looks at a whipporwill with some young, first time to actually seen a bird I have heard for years. Had 5 new state birds as well.
My dad had a Hooded Warbler in Maine for state bird #319.
Undoubtedly the bird highlight of my weekend was the huge flock of ducklings being shepherded to and fro by their mamas on the campus of St. Xavier College in far south Chicago. Too cute for words!
http://blog5b.com/2012/04/30/make-way-for/
The Hammond’s Flycatcher which showed up in my back yard on Saturday evening. This was quite a shock as my back yard doesn’t resemble the Hammond’s habitat in any way.
It also isn’t easy to distinguish Hammond’s from Pacific-slope Flycatcher when they aren’t saying anything, but I think I got it right.
I went on a walk with the local Admiralty Audubon, and we were all astonished by so many raptors in the sky. A pair of resident adult Bald Eagles and a juvenile, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, and eleven Red-tailed Hawks swarming overhead. Just beautiful!
On Friday, Worm eating and Blue-winged Warblers singing at Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Sustainability in Maryland – both within 20-30 feet of me. Also saw a gorgeous Broad-winged Hawk, got close views of a singing White-eyed Vireo, and heard Barred Owls calling back and forth.
On Saturday, Cerulean Warblers at G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area in Virginia. Not to mention all the beautiful Scarlet Tanagers, American Redstarts, Blue-headed Vireos, an Acadian Flycatcher, and many other good birds at Thompson.
Oops, Blue Ridge Center is in Loudon County, VA. Sorry for the error.
My “best bird” was a trio of birds rather than a single species. Our local bird club had a field trip on Saturday and we had Common Raven, American Crow, and Fish Crow all in the same place. While none of these birds are all that extraordinary on their own, it occurred to me that 25 years ago this combination would have been almost unimaginable. The few ravens stayed along the crest of the Kittatinny Ridge and seeing a Fish Crow meant leaving the state and heading for the coast. Fish Crows have been increasingly invading the area for 15-20 years but ravens only started appearing off the ridge in the last few years. Now we suspect they’re nesting somewhere near where we went on Saturday.
Seeing how things change from year to year is one of the things I enjoy about birding.
My best for the weekend was a pair of Great Green Macaws seen near the La Selva biological station in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica.
Maybe not the most exciting Bird on the comments roll, but I saw my first Common Gallinule since I caught up with the split.