A weekend in which we observe both Valentine’s Day and the Great Backyard Bird Count is one most of us need to recover from, am I right? So much love!
Actually the temperature is rather frigid in my part of the world, which meant that most birds weren’t willing to brave the subzero temps. Thankfully, American Tree Sparrows thrive under these brutal conditions and provided terrific views throughout the weekend. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was any of three Rough-legged Hawks, one at Jones Beach State Park and the other two during a morning-long dip on the Gyrfalcon in Ulster County with Carrie Laben.
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.
For the second time this year, a family of Southern Ground Hornbills take the prize.
Caribbean Coot
Red Crossbills. Somehow I’d never seen them before, although they’re not a rare sighting here on the Olympic Peninsula. One was upside down feeding on a Douglas Fir. I also really enjoyed counting 47 species for the GBBC, especially all 66 beautiful Northern Pintails.
Black Rosy Finch at Alta, Utah.
Pharoah Eagle-Owl. 2 of ’em. Thanks to Tommy Pederson of UAEBirding.com
Eastern Spinebill! Botanical Gardens, Melbourne.