Summer thankfully persists in the Northern Hemisphere, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the birding remains dull. Shorebirds are on the march and, all too soon, songbirds will be as well. But probably not too soon, right?
I didn’t run into anything unusual this weekend, so my best birds of the weekend were probably the Barn Swallows wheeling and dealing above the Sterling Renaissance Festival. Corey, on the other hand, can’t choose between Hudsonian Godwit and Black Tern at Jones Beach, both new birds for him in Nassau County. This, of course, is on top of the amazing avifauna he encountered in Washington State. Fricking Corey!
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.
I have always enjoyed the swallows. My best bird were Virginia Rails with chicks, but next would be the Hudsonian Godwit and a Red necked Phalarope. All three were lifers for me. A great birdie weekend.
A Dipper in South Korea….dipped on it in the UK!
I had been thinking that I could mention the three green painted buntings in my backyard (I’m assuming two of them are juveniles) or the juvenile Bewick’s wren, when a Lark Sparrow showed up. First time I’d ever seen on in my back yard and only the second one I’d ever seen.
It was going to be the Common Yellowthroat I heard wicheting in the trees in Putnam County, NY. But as I’m getting ready for bed back in Chicago last night, I heard a thump on my bedroom air conditioner — a pure white Rock Dove stayed perched on it for about 10-15 minutes until my cats started peering at it through the glass. It appears to be banded, and since last night has been perched on a windowsill across the courtyard; anyone know why pigeons would stay in one spot for so long? (The same thing happened at my old apartment, when a visitor overnighted on our sill.)
@Eileen and thainamu, you both obviously had great weekends!
@Clare, congrats. Do we get Dipper photos next weekend?
@Meredith, you’re on the road quite a bit these days, aren’t you? Your dove sounds like it could be a fancy pigeon… if it’s still around, look for other odd features around the bill or leg feathering.
I got two new yardbirds, the Swamp or Australasian Harrier and the Masked Plover. But I think the New Zealand Falcon being mobbed by a Tui was best.
@ Mike-If only they were easy to photograph! It was on the edge of the stream and then it was gone and then it popped up again and it was gone…..sneaky! Sometimes “looking” takes over from “photographing” in certain situations…sorry!!!
Some great birds while guiding at El Copal Reserve in Costa Rica this past weekend. Among the glittering array of tanagers and other birds were such standouts as Blue and Gold Tanager, Snowcaps right at the lodge, Black and White Becard, Sunbittern, and one Sharpbill. That said, I pick the Snowcap for my best bird of the weekend because it is hard to beat a burgundy colored hummingbird that sports a dazzling white cap.
An American White Pelican has been hanging out at Cohoes, NY (just north of Albany). We got some great looks at it during the week and local birders have been posting tons of digiscoped shots of it. Definitely a NYS first for me.
@Naomi in upstate NY: I saw several of my lifers at the Cohoes Flats so I have been jealously following the reports of that pelican. Great bird!