Each of the four seasons has something special to offer the birding world. I will always cherish the lively color and music of spring when birds return after months of absence. Winter brings the festive joy of Christmas Bird Counts and new year lists, while summer offers breeding bird surveys and plenty of free time for adventures. Even so, I … Read More
American Golden Plover- Somerset Lake, PA Fall ’12
Quick post with some cool video and pictures of a juvenile American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) that showed up 9/18/2012 at Somerset Lake, Somerset County, PA. All the pictures and video in this post were taken with an iPhone 4s, digiscoped through a Kowa TSN 824. Video of the it feeding on the “spit” where I first observed it- Video … Read More
Spring Migration Predictions – First Half of April
Finally, it’s April. March was nice, but very few spring migrants returned to PA compared to what’s in store for us birders during April and May. During April, migration really picks up, and we should see most spring migrants back in the state by the end of this month. I went through the eBird bar charts for the PA and … Read More
Spring Migration Predictions – Second Half of March
If you’ve been out birding recently, you’ll know that there are signs of spring everywhere you look – especially if you are looking at birds! Snow Geese just staged their massive showing at Middle Creek WMA, Ring-billed Gulls are flowing up our rivers by the thousands, and Eastern Phoebes are popping up all over! Spring migration is in full swing, … Read More
Trip to Idaho and Start of Long-billed Curlew Work
Three days ago, Alex and I arrived in Boise, Idaho after a fast but lengthy drive across the country. We started out early on saturday morning, and by the days end we were in Nebraska, just short of Lincoln. During our morning drive the next day, at sunrise, hundreds of Sandhill Cranes soon turned into thousands, as the remaining Sandhill … Read More
Return of the Waterfowl
Ducks, geese, grebes and loons are coming back which is exciting as it is one of the groups of birds that I am largely missing from my Centre County bird list, having moved to the area too late to catch them on their northbound migration in the spring. I just added both Red-necked Grebe and Black Scoter to my county … Read More