Believe it or not, September is just about spent. Who’s ready for October?
Rumors of fall migration in Western New York must be greatly exaggerated. I worked hard trying to spot something special but earned little for my efforts until I hit a patch of birds clearly preparing to leave town. The best of the bunch was a Gray-cheeked Thrush (unless a Bicknell’s)! Corey leveled-up as a New York birder by adding lucky #300 to his Queens list. Congratulations on that wayward Western Kingbird! (And in case you are looking askance at the accompanying photo, that bird is actually a Tropical Kingbird Corey encountered at the mighty Mangaloma Reserve in Ecuador.)
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.
An American White Pelican lingering on a small tributary/extension of Lake Ontario. The whole story and my thoughts on lingering birds at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca
what r the odds of a Harris’s Hawk in Pennsylvania?? I had met one b4 at a falconry event & yesterday ida bet my life that that’s what bird I saw. unfortunately at the time I wasn’t birding so I didn’t have my camera but I always have my handy dandy bonuculars 😉 I suppose it possibly could have bin a juvy Golden Eagle, who I have not ever seen but …anyway surely the best bird
I love quick trips home because I always log birds we rarely (if ever) see in Chicago. Normally, the Snowy Egret in the Meadowlands, or the calling White-breasted Nuthatch/Tufted Titmouse would have been winners. But when you get a great look at an Eastern Bluebird, as I did from my parents’ living room in Putnam County, NY, it’s no contest. Game over!
I was thrilled to finally see a Yellow-green Vireo at the Laguna Tams, a fall migrant hotspot in Ventura County, California. It was one of several that hit California last week, and I had dipped on the vireo two times in San Diego. Not only was this a great way to end my Southern Cali birding trip, I got to meet Lori Conrad, a FB birding friend, who kindly pointed out one of the TWO Y-G Vireos in the tamarisk trees! Oh, here’s a photo of one of them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/queensgirl/10013955686/
My weekend birding started a little early with a short trip out Thursday morning. As for best bird it would have to be a toss-up between a Long-crested Eagle that I saw in my yard the night before or a Grey-headed Bushshrike that I saw the next morning. I blogged both of them here: http://birdnerdafrica.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/birding-in-zambia-chamba-valley/
Florida, Wakodahatchee Wetlands – Least Bittern flying away and great views of a Merlin perched on the handrail of the boardwalk 25 feet away and later on in a tree next to the path giving best views I have ever had. Nice to see the young Double-crested Cormorant chicks (some still pink and some quite feathered) even if there was a Coopers Hawk chasing the parents.
Sorry to have had to return to UK later the same day. The two week vacation went so quickly!
We are almost certain we saw a harris hawk on 10/9/13 in Akron PA (Lancaster County / SE PA). It landed on a flat roof on our house overlooking a set of bird feeders. Two experienced birders put binocs on it — and are sure that is what we saw. No camera — he flew off before we could get one. Where are you located?.