The third weekend of March has come and gone, leaving many of us with impressions of a Super Moon. Were you impressed? I can geek out to spectacular celestial phenomena with the best of them, but hardly noticed anything exceptional about that big ol’ moon.
On the other hand, I quite enjoyed an array of Long-tailed Ducks at Irondequoit Bay, including one male in breeding plumage. Alas, for some inexplicable reason, the manky mallards that hand around the boat ramp weren’t around when, for once, I was looking forward to seeing them. Corey enjoyed outstanding birding this weekend; not only did he spot his first (Eastern) Phoebe of spring, he also encountered his first Ross’ Goose in the borough of Queens.
Long-tailed Duck by Mike Bergin
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.
Okay, crap. What do you do if your first significant bird encounter on Monday, out of your office window, surpasses by far and a margin anything you’ve seen over the weekend?
If this counts, it is an amaaaaazing Black Stork migrating over my office around 13:00 today. They are not so incredibly rare in Germany anymore but this was the first I’ve seen around Heidelberg and the first anywhere since 2009.
If it doesn’t count: Crested Tits popping up all over my neighbourhood, south of Heidelberg, Germany.
Mine was several flocks of Cedar Waxwings. That’s my wife’s favorite bird, so when I text her “surrounded by CEWA” for the first time in months, it makes her happy. And a happy wife makes for a happy me! I also got to see the ultimate Cedar Waxwing sight: Cedar Waxwings tearing up a cedar. Blogged about here: http://sharptern.blogspot.com/2011/03/waxwings-where-they-belong-in-cedar.html
a couple of county lifers for me (michigan). Greater scaup, and tundra swans.
But my favorite was a common loon.
We had a long weekend with today being a holiday. My best bird of the weekend had to be the flock of White Stork flying over the house this afternoon. I counted 88 after grabbing the binos from inside the house and that was just the tail end of the flock!!
I guess it would have to be the New Zealand Falcon I saw at Karori. I’ve seen them a few times before in Wellington but this was my first time in the sanctuary itself.
Spring is here in Minnesota and with it came the first Great Blue Heron for 2011, along with three Sandhill Cranes. In the meantime, our favorite Pileated Woodpecker was busy cleaning out the suet feeders – he must have overheard my husband saying we’re done putting out the suet for the season.
Beautiful Long-tailed Duck! My best bird was Ocellated Antbird seen in middle elevation rainforest near San Ramon, Costa Rica.
Hands down it was the Laysan albatross(es) and chicks on Ka’ena Point on Oahu. Whoa – gotta love that 6 foot wing span! Chicken Skin!
It’s no Lewis’ WP like in NY state but a Golden Eagle in Ontario is pretty good. Read about it here.
http://punkrockbigyear.blogspot.com/2011/03/busy-busy-busy.html