Birding

Best Bird of the Weekend (Last of February 2013)

February 25, 2013 by Mike 12 Comments

I made some uncharitable and in some ways inaccurate comments about the month of February last week which were starkly contradicted by some excellent birding reported in different parts of the world. However, I don’t take any of it back. In any case, we won’t have February to kick around any more once this week moves us into March.

During my time in NYC, I had the opportunity to enjoy White-throated Sparrows, which are much more common downstate than in my part of upstate, at the Greenburgh Nature Center. Corey hooked a whopper of a Best Bird of the Weekend, landing Gyrfalcon at Gilgo Beach on Long Island! That is a big deal bird.

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.

best bird weekend

Written by Mike

Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.

12 Comments

Peter Thoem February 25, 2013 at 7:32 am
A young Sharp-shinned Hawk. I was too busy with family stuff but stumbled upon an urban sharpie, one of those that spends the winter enjoying the feast to be found around back yard feeders. More at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca
Laura Werner February 25, 2013 at 9:02 am
Reddish egret – what plumes! Ría de Chelem, Yucatán, Mexico.
Wendy Feltham February 25, 2013 at 10:54 am
Hard to pick my best bird, since it was the end of our trip to Ecuador, and we went to Antisana National Park at over 13,000 feet. The páramo is windswept and glowing and the only other people were a few rabbit hunters cantering on horseback. Thanks to our guides, 10,000 Birds correspondent Renato and his wife Paula, we were thrilled to see condors! And 29 gorgeous Black-faced Ibises, the most he’d seen together. Also our second antpitta, the Tawny Antpitta, a lovely bird, and even the Ecuadorian Hillstar, a beautiful hummingbird that survives on one flowering bush. Even the most abundant bird of all, the Carunculated Caracara, was stunning. We saw 125 species in the Ecuadorian Andes, and only scratched the surface of a fabulous country for birding.
david February 25, 2013 at 11:40 am
Uncommon Lincoln’s sparrow or saw whet in the rain, NYC
Duncan February 25, 2013 at 2:35 pm
I added Red-crowned Parakeet to my yard list, which was pretty cool.
Socar February 25, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Sunday’s birding was rained out, unfortunately, so my best bird of the weekend ended up being a Pacific loon. I had somehow managed to avoid seeing one before, so although it’s a very common bird, I was pleased to find it.
(Would’ve loved to see a condor!)
Meredith February 25, 2013 at 7:28 pm
Managed to see the little Ross’s Goose that has been hanging out with the big Snow Goose at Montrose Point in Chicago for awhile now. Both so cute!
@Mike: Let me guess … you also saw an eagle at GNC? 😉
Jochen February 26, 2013 at 6:13 am
Corey’s Gyr makes my Lesser Redpoll in Heidelberg appear rather … well … lesser, but that’s my bird of the weekend!
Jochen February 26, 2013 at 6:13 am
Corey’s Gyr makes my Lesser Redpoll in Heidelberg appear rather … well … lesser, but that’s my bird of the weekend!
Carlos Sanchez February 26, 2013 at 6:53 am
La Sagra’s Flycatcher was my best bird, but Gyrfalcon is just way cooler…
Doug Gray February 26, 2013 at 9:26 am
For central Indiana…I’m gonna have to go with Long-tailed Duck
Corey February 26, 2013 at 5:15 pm
@Wendy: You saw condors. That is so unfair!
@Jochen: GYRFALCON!!!
@Carlos: I really need to bird south Florida. One of these days. One of these days…