The year 2014 is approaching its imminent end, which means different things for different people. For those of us interested in observing avifauna, the last six or so weeks of a year offer enough time and opportunity to finish up with the year list we’d love to look back on. Have you been working on yours?
I was both surprised and pleased to spy a Bald Eagle flying over my house, which is quite uncommon so far from the lake. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was easy to decide upon because he found a new bird for him in Queens, only the second White-winged Dove ever recorded in his home borough. That’s hard to top!
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.
A Wilson’s Phalarope was okay, but I got a bit more of a buzz from some newly arrived Canvasbacks. Read about both (and more) on my blog by clicking on my name above.
I saw White-winged Doves too but not in Queens! Had some good ones on a Spotted Rail quest in northwestern Costa Rica. No luck with the rail but we did see Jabiru, Long-billed Curlew, and American Avocet. Those were great but I guess Redhead was my best species because it was first recorded in Costa Rica a few years ago and there are only a few records for the country.
Close up encounter with a North Island Saddleback in my yard. My clothesline is now saddleback habitat!