Birding

Best Bird of the Weekend (Third of November 2011)

November 21, 2011 by Mike 9 Comments

November is normally a pretty dull month compared to some of the more extreme periods in our calendar year. The action doesn’t really heat up until right about now as we begin six or eight months of holiday preparation and celebration. I’ve enjoyed November so far, but have doubts about whether I’m ready for the weeks ahead. How about you?

I quite enjoyed the arrival of some of our lakeside birds of winter. Of this delightful group, Common Goldeneye stands out at my Best Bird of the Weekend™. Corey’s BBOTW could have been a Wilson’s Snipe he flushed at Kissena Corridor Park in Queens but he preferred the Snow Buntings that he spotted over the dunes at Breezy Point. Can you blame him?

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.

best bird weekend

Written by Mike

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.

9 Comments

Mom November 21, 2011 at 7:57 am
An eagle we saw at our local swimming hole. What a treat!
thainamu November 21, 2011 at 9:43 am
A new bird for me, a Hermit Thrush. http://thainamu.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-bird-hermit-thrush.html
Meredith November 21, 2011 at 10:15 am
There’s been a pair of Snowy Owls spotted along the Chicago lakefront but I haven’t managed to get out there yet and see them. So my best bird of the weekend is kind of a cheat … a friend and I went out to a wildlife rehab center, where a gargantuan Barred Owl flew back and forth over our heads. It was an amazing experience! More here: http://blog5b.com/2011/11/20/chicago-hope/
Ubermoogle November 21, 2011 at 11:13 am
Hard to decide between the flock of 100+ White-winged Crossbills, the Pileated Woodpecker that sat about 10 feet away from me working at a section of tree trunk, or the Sharp-shinned Hawk that snatched a House Sparrow from one of my feeders and proceeded to eat the whole thing in one sitting in my back yard…
All in all, a great weekend.
Robert November 21, 2011 at 12:23 pm
We had a scout camp out this weekend. On the way home we took a drive through the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Right off the side of the road we had a gorgeous male Northern Harrier. A bit later a nice Bald Eagle perched on snag. And finally a pair of Long-billed Curlews. There were many other species seen, but these three really seemed to capture the attention of the scouts.
Rick Wright November 21, 2011 at 12:55 pm
A Red-shouldered Hawk at Sandy Hook, NJ, probably beat out the Redhead at Old Sam’s Pond and the Common Eider at the Manasquan Inlet. I’ve really missed the northern NJ shore!
Myles November 21, 2011 at 4:58 pm
There is a small flock of Hooded Megansers (5 males/8 females) hanging out at Twin Lakes in Eastchester, NY (near Rochelle). Floating around in their vicinity are Shovelers, Mallards and Gadwalls – and two generations of Mute Swans.
Fred Coles November 22, 2011 at 12:15 am
Not in north America so my choice will confuse most.
Red-tails Black Cockatoo’s, near my parents house in the suburbs. Quite a treat
Gareth Hazell November 22, 2011 at 4:24 pm
A Barrows Korhaan in a neighbouring suburb close to where I live!!