I’ve often said that people who are more actively observant of the natural world around them are more acutely aware of the seasonal cycle. When you spend most of your free time watching the comings and goings of animals, you can’t help but notice the gradual, steady changes each day brings on our yearly journey around the Sun. This is … Read More
2020 Top 10 Birds
Every year offers a different set of experiences. In 2019, I saw so many lifers that I couldn’t imagine narrowing them down to a Top 10. 2020 stands in stark contrast to last year’s international adventures, and though I managed to make the most of this challenging reality I did not crack into the double digits for new birds observed. … Read More
The Season So Far: Fall 2020 Highlights
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
October Big Day 2019
Who doesn’t love a Big Day? Any excuse to get out and count birds in the name of science is a worthwhile cause in my book. eBird has been orchestrating Global Big Day events each May since 2015, an international effort to record as many of the world’s species as possible within a 24 hour period. Last fall, the Cornell-based … Read More
NC PSO Hatteras Pelagic Trip – Part 1
On August 9-13 the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology had an out-of-state field trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. A total of 35 participants ventured down to NC for several days of land birding followed by two days of pelagic trips out of Hatteras, NC. This series of posts will show some of the highlights of this epic trip! … Read More
Six Species of Shorebirds at BESP
This morning, I made a very quick run out to Bald Eagle State Park to see if any interesting birds were put down by the storm at the swimming beach. As soon as I pulled up to the beach parking area, I saw some Caspian Terns loafing with a few gulls. The Caspian Tern group contained 2 adults, 1 juvenile, … Read More
More storm birds at Bald Eagle
This afternoon, amped up by reports of Hudsonian Godwit and a jaeger at Conejohela Flats in Lancaster County, Alex and I decided to make another quick run out to Bald Eagle State Park to see what birds had dropped down in the continuing bad weather. The four Sanderlings from this morning were still on the beach but the most exciting … Read More
Bald Eagle SP Caspian Tern and Dunlin
This evening I went to Bald Eagle State Park to help set up a banding site for the Bald Eagle Birding Festival. I got there a bit early to see if there was anything around and I was glad I did. On the beach there was a single Caspian Tern in the company of about 20 ratty looking Ring-billed Gulls. … Read More
Birding Canyon County
A few days ago, Alex and I had the pleasure of birding with Cheryl Huizinga, a local birder from Caldwell, ID. She has lived here for most of her life and is extremely knowledgable about birds and where to see them in the area, and has already given us some great tips to find new birds this year.  One of our first stops was … Read More