We’ve entered that portion of the year where one season loosens its grip enough for the next to begin to peek through. In many parts of the world this weekend, spring felt like spring and fall felt like fall, or at least a recognizable harbinger of days to come. Did you see what I mean?
I appreciated the muscular grace of a Sharp-shinned Hawk filtering effortlessly through tall trees, no doubt practicing for all those tiny migratory morsels on their way to the great boreal forest. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a new bird in New York State for him, a difficult feat when approaching 400 species checked off the checklist. But New York’s first chaseable Crested Caracara was well worth the effort, even though it took two visits to Orange County to see it! (Note: this bird wasn’t the handsome one above photographed by Doug Gochfeld in central Florida.)
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.
Could be a Caspian Tern or perhaps it was the many Northern Flickers. Either would work, quite simply because they’re back in this part of Ontario Canada!
I suppose there are some places in the world where there is no ebb and flow of migrants; I hope they are happy places nevertheless. But isn’t life just a bit more fun for those of us (most of us?) who pay attention to migrational comings and goings.
Mine was great crested flycatcher which became the 28th species for my tiny urban yard where we lived for just over two months.
I’m lucky to be traveling in Japan and saw a Japanese Woodpecker at the base of Mt. Fuji. It was spectacular, and my Japanese friends told me it only visits them every two or three months.
Lifer Seaside Sparrow and a possible Whimbrel were nice, but I really enjoyed the Black-bellied Plover, American Oystercatchers, and the ID challenge of a Short-billed Dowitcher.
My first-of-year Common Redstarts or Lapwings in Prague should be named here, but honestly I was thrilled the most about seeing my first-ever Shoebills, even if they were captive birds in Prague zoo.
Crested Caracara in NY state- just crazy. My best bird was Yellow-billed Cotinga at Rincon de Osa, Costa Rica. This is the most reliable site on the planet for this endangered species.
Although it’s hard to pick from the amazing weekend I had seeing migrants in Grand Isle, LA; I’ll go with my only life bird from the trip, a Swainson’s Warbler.
Then, when I got home, a Hooded Warbler was skulking around in my yard!
We birded the Cuchilla.de San Lorenzo this weekend, many possible best birds, three Antpittas, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, White-tipped Quetzal, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Santa Marta Woodstar and and and…
I’d have to say, best bird this weekend goes to the Virginia warbler that I nursed back to safety! He flew into my picture window while I was eating breakfast and hit it so hard, I just knew he’d been hurt. Well, he was definitely “dinged” out; and, thank God, no broken neck. So, I held him and massaged him, spoke to him and kept him warm. Slowly, I saw the focus come back into his eyes and he fluttered his wings – I put him on the perch of the birdhouse and he flew away shortly after! I was so happy he made a speedy, full recovery. So, definitely, my best bird this weekend, by a mile 🙂