Is it coincidence or conspiracy that Father’s Day falls on a weekend where very good birding can still be found in most areas? You be the judge…
I got into a bunch of great grassland and forest birds this weekend. Honors go to American Redstart which somehow escaped me for the year until now. Corey was very pleased to finally find a Bell’s Vireo this weekend in Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Orange County, California. One of three lifers in his first two days in California and one that he was proud to identify by voice before he tracked down a visual. It mostly made up for this disaster.
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.
The Chicago Ornithological Society walk at Labagh Woods didn’t produce anything out of the ordinary, but I was thrilled beyond belief to hear the phantom Wood Thrushes singing. This may be my only time the whole year to enjoy that spine-tingling song, which even made up for the hordes and hordes of mosquitoes along the way.
My best was an Upland Sandpiper – they are the divas of the grasslands.
Over 100 sp in the 2 days: Cerulean warbler, Grasshopper SParrow, Piping Plover , Blackburnian Warbler, and tons of American Redstarts.
We went on a 2 day Ontario Federation of Ornithologists’ birding outing to the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, kind of a rough & rugged place with lots to do and see: birds, flowers, ferns, snakes – all sorts of stuff. Details and more at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca
Bicknells’s Thrush, Black-backed woodpecker, Mourning Warbler and Lincoln’s Sparrow.
I finally found a juvenile crow. (Well, I didn’t FIND it, really; one of its parents brought it to my feeder.) I was very happy to see it, though a little concerned, as its parent has been in poor condition, lately, with a sprained or broken leg. I’m not sure he (or she) has a lot of extra energy, at the moment. Still, the pair of them seemed to be doing all right. They certainly ate plenty.
Got pictures: http://www.eggsuckdog.net/a-rather-surprising-development/
Great birds abounded on a New Jersey Audubon weekend trip to the Adirondacks, N.Y., sorta similar to Tim’s list, with the addition of some typically friendly Gray Jays. Out of them all, my favorite has to be this Mourning Warbler: http://www.flickr.com/photos/queensgirl/9061918681/
This is the first breeding plumage male I’ve seen since…well, the last time I birded the Daks in 2008, and it was just so full of pep and song, it was a joy to be with on a cloudy, drizzly day.
I agree with the Father’s Day conspiracy. I was sure this important day would trump my birding desires but lo and behold, I lucked out and was able to do a bird count at Quebrada Gonzalez, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. The foothill rainforests there are usually good for a bunch of nice species. Best was a tie between calling Streak-chested Antpitta and Emerald Tanager feeding at eye level.