No matter where you live in the world, you’ve probably noticed how interesting the unfolding of this season is becoming. True, many of you live in locations that are verdant and vibrant all year long or cold and white most of the time. But from pole to pole, creatures are on the move and blossoms and berries are bursting to greet them. Isn’t that exciting?
During a mild-by-adult-standards hike with the kids this weekend, I was charmed by the antics of singing Ruby-crowned Kinglets, harbingers of a wave of imminent warblers to this northern outpost of America. Corey couldn’t be satisfied with FOY migrants but instead had to gorge his gluttonous appetite for birds on the rare vagrant Say’s Phoebe (shown above) in Brooklyn. Ridiculous.
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.
Im new to the website and love it. I also love the fact that you see so many birds in NYC. What are the best places in the city to go birding besides Central Park and Jamaica Bay?
I’m a sucker for Prothonotary Warblers and so happened to notice, as I walked a trail at Huntley Meadows, Virginia, a swampy area that looked like perfect Prothonotary territory. Sure enough, a volunteer told me that the bird had been seen there last week.
I returned to the area before leaving for the last leg of my journey to Richmond. I stood at the end of the swamp and listened. Nothing. I walked away. I head the song. I walked back. Nothing. I walked around. I head it. I looked up, down, around. Nothing. I finally walked through the mud. I saw several nice birds. I walked through the mud some more. I stood still. I looked up. Way way up, in the canopy, I saw a moving brilliant creature of lemon yellow.
Yeah, Say’s Phoebe in Brooklyn is kind of ridiculous! Best for me was a Wilson’s Phalarope during a productive day of shorebirding in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. That uncommon migrant actually beat out Scarlet Macaw for the day!
I had 4 Prothonotary Warblers while kayaking! I was able to paddle about 10 feet away from them.
Mine would be a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers (likely my last-of-season) gently paddling their way north via the Chicago River.
I saw a Belted Kingfisher fly into its cliff nest for the first time. Very cool!
A bit late, at mid-week, but a Canada goose came round this morning, with its Canada goslings. (Dead common, I know, but I liked seeing the goslings.)
Got photos: http://www.eggsuckdog.net/clear-evidence-of-goose-sex/
8 (that’s EIGHT) blue mockingbirds on a 3-hour outing near my home in Morelia, Mexico. Normally I’m lucky to see one. But it’s breeding time, and they’re chasing each other around and singing from semi-conspicuous places. Blues are endemics, and they don’t sing from roof- or treetops like their Northern cousins.