Knowingly seeing an individual bird that has been previously encountered is a special treat in the world of birding. Most birders would probably agree that the fascinating life cycles of these wild creatures are among the greatest draws that keep people invested in the hobby. It is a truly remarkable privilege to witness multiple chapters in the stories of specific … Read More
New Year Birding
Year listing is one of the most popular traditions in the world of birding. The annual cycle of seasons is felt especially strongly by those of us who immerse ourselves in the world of birds, and each new year brings a new set of chances to enjoy unforgettable experiences. On behalf of the whole Nemesis Bird team, I’d like to … Read More
New York Townsend’s Solitaire Plus More
This past Wednesday, Garrett MacDonald, Andrew Dreelin, and I birded in Madison County, New York. Specifically, we decided to chase some Evening Grosbeaks tending to a feeder near the town of Sheds, as well as a continuing Townsend’s Solitaire in Erieville. My classes didn’t start until 12:20 PM on Wednesday, so we were able to have enough time to try and get … Read More
Leucistic Cackling Goose in PA
On February 8th, Pennsylvania birder and photographer Dustin Welch found a very unusual Cackling Goose mixed in with typical Cackling Geese and Canada Geese near Beltzville State Park, in east-central PA. As you can see from Dustin’s photos below, this Cackling Goose is leucistic with very pale and sandy-colored plumage throughout its body, tail, and primary feathers. The head coloration seems to … Read More
Barnacle Goose – Chester River, MD
Last week Dan Small found a lone Barnacle Goose mixed in with hundreds of Canada Geese along the Chester River in Maryland. My friends and I figured this would be a perfect addition to our four day long ‘Rarity Round-Up’, so we added it in to our plans. This morning we took the ferry over from Cape May and arrived … Read More
Unsuccessful Search for the Mountain Bluebird
This morning Chris Markiewicz and I drove over to Middle Creek WMA to search for the Mountain Bluebird that was found there a few days ago. This would have been a new PA state bird for me but unfortunately we did not see it. We left around 10:00am and there were still birders around searching for the bluebird. If I … Read More
Lesser Canada Goose?
Looking over the large flock of Canada Geese at the Duck Pond in State College, I came across one goose that was noticeably smaller than the other geese. In addition, the back was a darker brown color and the chest was much darker. Overall it was just a petite, darker version of the other geese that were in the pond. … 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