What a weekend. New Yorkers enjoyed gorgeous, summer weather and will next enjoy a growing sense of dread as temperatures first wane then plummet. What did you enjoy this weekend?
The best birdof my weekend was a Brown Creeper that hung around long enough for me to share with generally nature-numb friends and family; what’s more fun than pulling back the curtain and showing people the world that whirls unnoticed all around them? Corey can’t choose between three choice sparrows spotted in Queens. Then again, anyone would struggle selecting from Lark, Vesper, and Nelson’s Sparrow.
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.
The weekend here was dominated by the likes of Springboks, Wallabies and Pumas. Dragging myself away from the rugby momentarily however I have to say I most enjoyed watching a Blue Penguin swimming right off the harbour wall in central Wellington, past huge crowds, who mostly didn’t notice. I dd get to share the moment with some Bok fans though.
My best birds was an African Black Duck seen on a walk at our local Lake – there was also a lesser flamingo swimming about looking rather lost! Both new birds for me at this site. Rather poor picture of a rather uninspiring duck on the blog at:
Safari Ecology Blog
Vees of geese are passing overhead in Seattle now, both day and night. It’s a big thrill to hear them calling, then look up to search the sky before they disappear over the horizon. They fly remarkably fast, so it’s not like you have a lot of time to find them. We’ve had Snow, Greater White-fronted, and Cackling Geese, along with resident and migratory Canadas. There is something so wild and free about these formations of geese, who live their lives without us owning them or even understanding them very well. They embody for me both mystery and adventure, the two most exciting aspects of the unknown.
No birding inside a cave in the forest. 😉
Garr Ranch on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake had a White-throated Sparrow and a Varied Thrush…both great birds in Utah and I get to see them. I didn’t get any quality photos, but some other Utah birders did.
A couple of Rusty Blackbirds, my first of the year.
i participated in a big sit sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologist. I felt our best birds were a late Yellow Warbler and Western Wood Peewee and a common loon on the lake at chatfield state park.
Tropical Kingbird in Humboldt County, California. One of my few decent self-found vagrants this fall.
These are some great birds this weekend!
Sorry for the delay, busy day! A volunteer kickoff at Deer Grove East forest preserve in Palatine, IL netted as its best birds a pair of Pied-billed Grebes and a few American Pipits.
But my personal best bird of the weekend—yesterday, walking across a busy street not two minutes from my apartment, I first saw and then heard an American Kestrel wheeling overhead. I’ve never heard one call before! And it was so odd to see one in what’s essentially a semi-urban area (kind of like a town’s main street). The best part, though, was feeling the ID in my gut, instinctually—I love it when that happens!
A lot of great birds from the weekend. I also had an excellent day of birding on Saturday in middle elevation forest near Virgen del Socorro followed a couple hours in the Caribbean lowlands. Highlights were Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, White-crowned Manakin, and thousands of TVs, Broadwings, and an occasional Osprey that were migrating through the lowlands.
Couldn’t drive by Montezuma NWR in NY without stopping, even though I hadn’t done my homework to find out what was there. I was surprised when we came across a group of birders observing a RED PHALAROPE. I was even more surprised when I got back to Dutchess County and learned there was another one observed just 20 miles from my home.
I have never seen a Red Phalarope and the constant stream of emails from eBird telling me that a New York-need Red Phalarope is being seen at Montezuma drives me nuts. Add the Dutchess County bird and I am starting to consider an upstate excursion.
Parasitic Jaeger in Duluth, MN.
My best bird ever.