During the second weekend of the year, even common birds still carry their luster. Enjoy that feeling while you can, because we are still months away from migration!
While I sought rarities on the western edge of Rochester this weekend, I came up with entirely common species. Still, I rarely get tired of seeing large flocks of Long-tailed Ducks in their striking plumage. Corey got out both mornings on the weekend looking for new birds for his Queens year list. He got a few but none were as cool as some very friendly Fish Crows at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. They even vocalized to make their identification easy and as such, are his Best Bird of the Weekend.
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.
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.
Lots to chose from this weekend. We finally, finally have a real winter again here in southern Germany, with actual snow on the mountains above Heidelberg. Haven’t had such a winter in at least 5 years. So, a Black Woodpecker flying through a blue and sunny sky against a background of snow-covered firs surely was memorable. A flock of 16 tundra bean geese flying over me at the Rhine was the rarest. But the nicest species, and thus my best bird of the weekend, was the long-tailed tit, of which a small group of 6 foraged in bushes for the longest time less than 6 feet away from me just within my binoculars’ focus range at eye level. It’s been a long time that I’ve seen this species so nicely.
Red-Headed Lovebird
A great birding buddy and I chased a slew of WA rarities and FOY species on Friday, with my WA first Hooded Oriole at Bay View, and followed by White-tailed Kite (in years past very local but annual in WA, but in recent years have retreated to south of the OR border), Red-shouldered Kite, White-faced Ibis and Swamp Sparrow, for 5 great WA birds in a day.