Any Jimmy Buffet fans out there? His song, “Changes in latitude, changes in birding attitude” really rings true when you’re on the road. Traveling really rejuvenates the passion when local breeders become banal. Most people don’t expect birding wisdom from Buffet, but he is, after all, the Chief Parrothead!
I’ve only been in Virginia Beach for a few days and I’ve already knocked down most of my targets, including Blue Grosbeak and Yellow-breasted Chat at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The grosbeak gets the edge for my best bird since I have a thing for blue birds. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was one found several weeks ago by 10,000 Birds beat writer David Ringer, the Eurasian Collared-Dove on Manhattan’s west side. It is the first record of this invasive species for New York City and it served as a nice contrast to the hordes of pigeons in the neighborhood.
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.
Well, obviously my best “bird” of the weekend was a German White-tailed Eagle carrying off a golden (world) cup!!
🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂
Probably a bunch of Common Terns and Caspian Terns feeding close in shore. Click on my name above for more on my blog.
It’s slow birding now. I’ve been chasing Grasshopper Sparrows without much luck. But I happened upon an up-close Virginia Rail while crossing a marsh boardwalk.
California Condor. 🙂
I was hiking in the hills near where I used to live in N. California and saw a colony of Acorn Woodpeckers. They can’t keep still, and are so much fun to watch as they zoom about.
My best bird(s) were a pair of BlackNecked Stilts on a nest with 3 eggs. Three days later after fearsome rainstorms, no birds, no eggs, no nest. Brawwwwww.
Also, congratulations on the Eurasian Collared Dove. However, They are going to being your dominant dove in about fifteen years. Bye Bye Rock Dove.
Not as pretty as a Blue Grosbeak or as rare as an NYC Eurasian Collared Dove or as awe-inspiring as a California Condor, but I’m still pretty stoked about getting terrific looks at not one but two singing Wood Thrushes. #blessed
10, read it again, 10 Common Cuckoos!
I hear you on having a thing for blue birds. My best was also a blue one- Turquoise Cotinga at Rancho Mastatal in Costa Rica, an underbirded excellent site not too far from San Jose.
There are so many bird like this in my backyard! Java Indonesia