The excitement of a rarity chase is one of my favorite aspects of birding, but it’s nothing compared to the thrill of finding something unusual yourself. For me, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with turning up even a minor regional oddity often rivals the triumphant joy of a successful twitch or long-distance trip. That finder’s high is a hell … Read More
Hunting for a Gyrfalcon
My friends and I always plan a New Years trip to kick off another year with a few days of birding the Atlantic Coast. This year the focus of our trip was clear from the start – there was a Gyrfalcon on Long Island. Reports had been coming in sporadically that the immature Gyrfalcon seen a few times last winter … Read More