It’s finally May, and May means migration! There is no single month that can top the action and excitement of peak spring birding here in New York. This mad dash to the breeding grounds is the most intense time of the year for many species. As much as I adore fall migration, the southbound movement of birds is a more … Read More
Adirondack Adventures
New York is home to an impressively diverse array of natural habitats. The Empire State’s various ecoregions run the gamut from the beaches and marshes of Long Island to the grasslands and high peaks near the Canadian border. The Adirondack Mountains are perhaps the wildest, most distinct region of the state, representing the southern edge of the boreal forest biome … Read More
Morning on the Mountaintop: Bicknell’s Thrush Quest
2019 was easily the fullest, most dramatic year of my life for birding. In contrast, 2020 has by necessity been a much more subdued affair. Birding close to home has nevertheless been unexpectedly rewarding, with no shortage of unexpected surprises spotted from my fire escape and at nearby Astoria Park. As the end of the school year drew nearer, the … Read More
South Padre Warblers on Parade
Sandwiched between the rush of spring-breakers in March and the arrival of beach-goers in June, there is another invasion of visitors to South Padre Island during the end of April and beginning of May. They may be much more discrete than rowdy, drunken college kids but dress just as gaudy and they don’t crowd the beaches with 4X4’s and umbrellas like … Read More
10 Warblers you won’t want to miss at the Biggest Week
Ah, the Biggest Week in American Birding is just around the corner. As I am writing this post, the Warbler Capital of the World will be loaded with birds and birders in 2 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours, 16 minutes, and 55 seconds. Anna was thinking about the Biggest Week back when she was tired of winter back in March, … Read More
Biggest Week 2013: Day 1 photo highlights
You have probably already read my summary of my first day at the Biggest Week, but were wondering where all the photos were. Well, here they are!  Check out the summary post here: The Biggest Week 2013: Day 1! and also check out my Cerulean Warbler post, my favorite bird I saw on my first boardwalk stroll!
Bird banding in the ANF
I recently had the good fortune to help out with some bird banding in the Allegheny National Forest. It is fairly early in the season so a majority of the birds were likely local breeders and young. The project is looking at the birds using recently clear-cut areas to better understand how birds are using those areas. The abundance of … Read More
Scotia Barrens – 8/22/11
This morning was my first trip to Scotia Barrens this fall to search for migrants, particularly warblers. It was a slow morning as should be expected this early in the fall, but it was still great to be back in central PA! Tim Schreckengost and Nate Fronk were birding with me this morning, and we were able to find a … Read More
Scotia warbler bonanza
It was a great morning at Scotia Barrens IBA. Overall I saw/heard over 150 individual warblers while I drove through Scotia Barrens. Highlights were an Orange-crowned Warbler near the powerline close to the south entrance, a singing Mourning Warbler that I got great looks of at the research shed, a Wilson’s Warbler singing and jumping around low in some bushes and … Read More