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!)

Warbler Wary

As I get ready for a weekend of birding and to be more honest, a weekend of warbler-ing, I am excited about facing such a big challenge of identifying such a diverse group of birds.  I'm currently reading Kaufman's Advanced Guide to Birding (Link: http://www.kaufmanfieldguides.com/Advanced.htm) and it stresses the need for developing good field notes.  When I went through Education training, I did a lot of work on observing and what do observation.  Yet in the field, I am drawn between the dynamic of do I stay  and take detailed notes and sketches, or do I move on to try and find more birds.  I think once migration season is over, I'll take some time to do some detailed notes of some well-known birds.

That might make for some great posts.  I'll put on my detailed notes and drawings and I'd love feedback on how my powers of observation could use improving and what can I do.  Until then, go birding!

Outing #29
Black-and-White Warbler LB
Glossy Ibis LB
House Wren LB

2012 Total: 133 (67 left to goal)

Lift List Total: 161 (39 left to goal)

Two images of a Glossy Ibis and a Purple Sandpiper:

Back to Birding in Connecticut

So I am back to birding in Connecticut!  I made a couple of trips to some great and very different sites.  One was a old second and third Growth Forest and the other was my favorite beach/state park.  The old growth forest was amazing.  Within 5 minutes of getting out of my car, I saw tree swallows and one of my favorite birds, the Pileated Woodpecker.  While I won't say that the Pileated is my all time favorite bird, it is certainly up there.  It is a wonderful majestic bird that was flying from tree to tree that I got to see and enjoy.  At these woods, I also saw some Blue-Grey Gnatcatchers and caught a glimpse of a Louisiana Waterthrush.  I did see a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker too that was getting ready for the breeding season.  I heard many more warblers than I saw.  Its great to hear them, but I wanted to see them as well.  I definitely will be going back to these woods.

My favorite beach park also yielded some great birds.  While I only added one bird to my year list there, I did see several Great birds.  The New Year bird was a Purple Martin, but I found savannah Sparrows there as well.  I also caught a good look at a Palm Warbler.  Lots of Killdeer, Osprey, Tree Swallows, Flickers, Cardinals, Gulls, Brant and even Great Egrets made for a great day outside!  Happy birding!

Outing #28:

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher LB
Louisiana Waterthrush LB
Pileated Woodpecker

Purple Martin

2012 Total: 130 (70 to go!)

Life List Update: 158 (42 to go!)

The photo below is a great sign that spring is on its way!  FIDDLEHEADS!!!

Last Southern Outing and a Warbler Frenzy

A quick note that has been delayed!  Just the notes of the outing!

Outing #27:
Acadian Flycatcher
Northern Rough-winged Swallow LB
Northern Waterthrush LB
Hooded Warbler LB
American Redstart LB
Blackpoll Warbler LB

2012 Total:

Part One of the Southern Trip

So I am done with part 1 on my Southern trip, I've only added 2 Life Bird, but I have managed to add 4 birds (including the 2 LBs) to my 2012 year list.  The Trip puts me at 120 which means that I am 80 birds short of my goal of 200 life birds.  Lots of Shorebirds are waiting for me at home and Warbler migration means that there will be plenty of birds to chase.  I am just not getting up and out early enough to get the birds.  Such is life on vacation.

Tomorrow I am hoping to hit some more parks with some gusto so I can nab some great birds!  But we shall see!  I may sleep in again.

Outing #26
Chimney Swift LB
Prothonotary Warbler LB
Red-Eyed Vireo
Barn Swallow

2012 Total: 120 (80 to go!)