Before you continue reading, take one deep breath. Hold it in… now exhale. Did that feel good? I hope so, because you’ve just inhaled the last vapors of the pre-holiday season. Perhaps the drill is different where you live, but around these parts we’re looking at turkeys and tinsel and festivities both forced and free from here on into January. So I hope you enjoyed your weekend! Increase your enjoyment by sharing your best bird of the weekend.
My friend Seth and I scoured Iroquois NWR and its surrounding area for some special winter birds that have been seen recently. No luck there, but we pulled plenty of satisfying sightings including many Northern Pintails. Corey, as usual, one-upped me by bagging an errant Eurasian Wigeon at Patchogue Lake in Suffolk County.
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.
Colin the Kaka came around today demanding apples. However I have been informed I shouldn’t feed him by bird conservation types, so, after a very long and complicated whistle showing his displeasure, he left appleless.
Good, good birds (relatively speaking) around Heidelberg, along our usual stroller round that’s increasingly a race track where my son dashes forward and I struggle to follow wpushing the empty stroller.
Anyway, Friday: Grey-headed Woodpecker, Saturday: 16 Fieldfares (a hint of migration), Sunday: out-of-season Chiffchaff (but nothing Sibe, just collybita), and today while walking to work: Crested Tit.
The best was probably the woodpecker.
My weekend started on Thursday with a Eurasian Wigeon at Vischer Ferry Preserve in Saratoga County, NY. Then Friday with the Common Ground Dove on Long Island and the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher in CT. Satruday and Sunday I slept.
My best bird for the weekend was a White-tailed Kite. It was hovering by the side of the freeway and as we drove past dove down to get something. Because it was a freeway, I wasn’t able to see if it caught what it was after. But in my mind,it did! Gotta love 70 mph birding!
My best bird this weekend is a Ross’s Gull found at Cherry Creek State Park in Denver, Colorado area! I saw it sitting on a sandbar within about 70 feet! Amazing bird. This is Colorado’s 3rd record.
cold weather for us in michigan, so the walk with my 17 month son was quite short…..only saw some good flocks of cedar waxwings, juncos, american robins…..you have to appreciate what you have!!!!! I’ll keep the waxwings are my best bird!
@Will: Wow, you get around! Sounds like the napping was well-deserved.
My best bird was undoubtedly the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher as well (hit tip to Corey for the lead on that!). It was so beautiful (not to mention cooperative!) and hard to tear myself away from.
But … if he hadn’t shown up, my best bird was going to be [insert any one of a number of amazing birds you’d never see in the Northeast U.S.] at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. I know, they don’t count for the life list, but the place is fantastic—it’s definitely worth a pilgrimage! At random, I think I’ll pick the Fairy Bluebird.
Oops, meant that as “hat tip” … a sign I need a coffee infusion. 😛
Fork-tailed Flycatcher, of course, but Cave Swallows were nice too. The Connecticut Young Birders Club had a great first trip with both of these birds, plus eiders, Lapland Longspurs, and 4 warbler species.
A full report and a couple of photos are on my blog:
http://www.birdersflightlog.blogspot.com
I had a great day Saturday visiting an owl banding station! I saw my spark bird for the first time in real life – Northern Saw-whet Owl! I will be making a video of clips from the station soon.
I am new to birding (I have only been really looking at birds for a few short months) but had a good weekend with a great bald eagle sighting, northern harrier, red shouldered hawk, am. kestral, townsend warbler, and several others. Birding is so exciting. I am new enough at it that every weekend or so I find another ‘lifer’ (this weekend’s was the warbler).