Birds... Are you slowing down??

Another day of great birding day!  While the week had yield few new birds, I did get a migratory short-billed dowitcher and a Ruff!!!  A ruff is a european sandpiper that is not an uncommon visitor to the US.  I was surprised that there weren't more birders after the Ruff, but there were about 4 other people looking for the Ruff.  We found the Ruff being chased by willets every now and then!  A Great Birding day!

Outing #32
Ruff LB
Least Sandpiper LB
Short-Billed Dowitcher LB

2012 Total: 157 (43 left!)

Life List Total: 181 (19 left to go!)

Tricolored Heron!

A great weekend of birding!  Migration season is going well and I am loving the challenged by all the new birds around!  As a new birder, I've really loved seeing my life list and year list grow.  This past weekend was just as exiting as the last.  I got a chance to get some great migrants, a Tricolored Heron in a small pond and a white-crowned sparrow outside my front door hanging out with an eastern Chipmunk!  It was one of those times I wish I had my camera.  It was also spoiled by my dog barking at the Chipmunk and scaring both mammal and bird!  The next few weeks will truly be great.  I am really looking forward to seeing many different nesting birds in all of the local parks!

There will be some great challenges along the way: finding birds through very leafy trees, improving my birding by ear skills and trying to become a bird photographer.  Below is a quick picture I took of the Tricolored Heron!  What do you think?

Outing #31:
Eastern Kingbird
Indigo Bunting LB
Semipalmated Plover
Tricolored Heron LB
White Crowned LB
Willet LB

2012 Total: 154 (46 to go!)

Life List Total: 178 (22 to go!)

The Tricolored Heron!

Warbler-a-looza!!!

The first great weekend of Warbler Migration and boy was it fun!  I took a walk of East Rock, a local city park, with the local bird club and boy were the warblers crazy!  Before I left the parking lot, I got a Blackburnian Warbler and a Red-Bellied Woodpecker.  The walk itself was quite spectacular!  American Redstarts, Scarlet Tanagers, and Lots and lots of Warblers.  I've put the list below and some of the other sightings from my other stops!  All and all, a great day to be outside and be a birder!  More stories later.

My current plan is by Wednesday to prepare and scan a drawing so that you all can see and look at my drawings and studies.

Outing # 30
Blackburnian Warbler LB
Black-Throated Green Warbler LB
Blue-Winged Warbler LB
Great Crested Flycatcher LB
Green Heron
Lesser Yellowlegs LB
Magnolia Warbler LB
Nashville Warbler LB
Northern Parula LB
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak LB
Scarlet Tanager
Warbling Vireo LB
Worm-Eating Warbler LB
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
Yellow Warbler LB

2012 Total: 148 (52 to go!)

Life List Total: 174 (26 to go!)