While winter weather is knocking on our doors in the northern latitudes, winter birds have not yet arrived in force. November feels like a shoulder season, a gap between the thrill of migration and the pleasures of old friends returned for a few months. Yet in any month or any season, treasures await for those who seek them out. How will you be spending this first weekend of November? Will you be birding? Share your plans in the comments below.
At long last, I’ll be visiting Hotel Mocking Bird Hill in Jamaica! I expect the birding to be brilliant, not to mention blogworthy so stay tuned for updates from Saturday through Tuesday. Corey will remain stateside this weekend but on Sunday he’ll be joining the Queens County Bird Club on its South Shore Potpourri Field Trip, just like he did last year. Charlie continues to canvas the estate at Great Chalfield for all manner of bird, bug, and beastie.
Whatever your plans this weekend, make time to enjoy SkyWatch Friday. Also be sure to come back Monday to share your best bird of the weekend!
Keep your eyes to the skies over a lake, river, or ocean!
I shall hopefully be adding an absolute raft of passerine species to raise my new island list to where it should be by now….or more likely spending a lot of time staring at patches of brambles which keep making firecrest noises but not actually seeing any birds.
As you have mentioned, we are sort of between seasons with migrants gone and only a handful of individual winter birds here. I’m not exactly sure where I am headed but I’ve got a Rough-winged Hawk that seems to like one particular stretch of trees and I’d really love to get some photos of it. I’ll probably give that a try on Saturday as it is local and Friday I’m headed out for a long morning of photographing in a Spruce forest. Not aimed specifically at birds but if I can find a Brown Creeper to get some photos of, I’d be really pleased. Enjoy Jamaica!
@tai haku: That sounds waaaaaay too familiar!
Great view.
Corey – that was literally the story of last week’s birding. There are very few birds here I can pick on call (having just arrived) but firecrest and goldcrest I can. I could hear them everywhere but did I see one? Oh no.
I will be birding at work this weekend. The wetlands have been hopping with Sora, snipe, Painted Buntings, and catbirds galore.
Oh man what a glorious image..I persoanlly am on a healing journey from cancer so my birding is done looking out at my garden enjoying the various birds feeding..I have a variety that stay all winter..cardinals, jays,sparrows,chickadees, morning doves and the occasional hawk!!!
I shall return and see what birds you have captured on film for us to enjoy! Nature heals my spirit!
I saw in Frankfurt Germany a lot of formation flying birds in the sky.