How was your weekend? Any good birds? Tell us about your best bird.
My weekend was predictably devoid of wildlife watching so my best birds were probably the team of Philadelphia Eagles that got romped by the Raiders. Sweet! This almost soothes the loss suffered by my beloved Giants. Corey’s best sighting of the weekend was a horde of Chipping Sparrows, 57 chippies to be exact, at the eastern extremity of Forest Park in the one hour of birding he did this weekend. But though he looked and looked, he could not find a Lark Sparrow among them. Charlie is hoping he and Corey have better luck looking for Saltmarsh Sparrows today…
What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us about the rarest, loveliest, or most interesting bird you observed in the comments section. Plus, if you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, I invite you to include the link in your comment.
Jack Snipe. In fact two Jack Snipe being my second and third life Jacks from separate hides at Slimbridge WTT in Gloucestershire (UK). One was an adult feeding along the edge of a pool in full view for over 30 minutes, bobbing non-stop, while the other was a first winter doing what Jacks do best which is hiding in the cut reeds in front of the next hide along. Eventually it woke up and started to feed, but still in the reeds until it was chased off by a Water Rail. It only flew about 5 metres and then sat down in the next area of cut reeds in the sun. This first winter bird was seen from the same hide where I had seen my very first Jack Snipe several years ago, so it is obviously a good site for them.
Looking forward to my trip to Florida in the second half of November.
Keep up the great work on this site – it is one of my favorite bird blogs.
Keith Williams
There were a pair of Inca Doves in my backyard, mixed in the the usual mourning doves. (I live in Dallas.)
I have managed to see a total of 13 Whooping Cranes in various parts of the province over the last 20 years, usually single birds or a group of three. This weekend I drove 2 hours north and was thrilled to locate a lingering group of 15 Whoopers, including 2 young birds. It is not often a flock this large is found during migration and it was a spectacular sight. Thanks to the birders in Saskatoon who originally found these birds and got the word out via Saskbirds.
Dan Sawatzky
Regina, Saskatchewan, CA
I didn’t get out much this weekend. DId a little bit of chasing for a Cackling Goose but came up empty. I got out today though and had 9 species of sparrow in about an hour including a life bird (Fox Sparrow). Not bad and #1064 for the list.
Dan’s Whoopers sound like a great experience.
Drew
We are ‘down the shore’ (New Jersey), so our weekend was a washout with the nor’easter. Yesterday we got to Forsythe NWR and found the roseate spoonbill. Got great looks as it was cooperatively perched just 20 feet off the road. Liz, Salt Point, NY
Swans on the way to dinner at Sandhill Crane Vineyards. No photos, even though I wasn’t the one driving.
Just curious, do you hate the Eagles or love the Raiders? or both?
Wren, I hate the Eagles and pity the Raiders!
Ruby-crowned Kinglet! Not an unexpected bird, but it was foraging in the weeds by the vacant lot next to my apartment and popped up just as my brother was making fun of me for living in such an unnatural environment and I was explaining that there are a lot more birds in Brooklyn than you’d think.
Does Tuesday count? A lark bunting showed up Sunday so it was a weekend bird. I saw it this morning for Santa Clara County bird #317 for me.
A pair of white-throated sparrows on Sunday, October 18 in the Comox Valley, BC. Flock of about 60 snow geese and a single ruddy duck at the Courtenay Estuary on the 19th (not the weekend but a very nice sighting). Better bird was last weekend – a wayward rock wren at Miracle Beach Provincial Park on October 12 – holiday Monday of the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend so I hope that counts!
Best bird of the weekend was an American Pipit – a lifer – in Canadian County, Oklahoma. A close second was a past-departure day Swainson’s Hawk.