Different varieties of birds hit the spot for different birders. There’s that excitement of warbler-watching along the woodlands and thickets during migration… the flurry of life and plethora of complex call notes and call notes. In the spring and summer, these birds wow us with their plumage, and in the fall they seem to migrate by while on a long-distance … Read More
Jaeger Weekend
I think it is pretty safe to say that most birders understand the thrill of seeing a jaeger, either from a firsthand experience or from hearing about these bird’s uncanny ability to steal the show in any situation. Multiple times this past weekend I was reminded not only of how impressive jaegers are, but also how amusingly difficult it can … Read More
NC PSO Hatteras Pelagic Trip, part 2
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. Part 1 of this trip report series covered some of the land birding, this … Read More
Terns, jaegers, and gulls of the Gulf Stream
August in the Gulf Stream off North Carolina is usually thought of by birders as the ultimate time to try for the rarer Pterodroma species, such as Black-capped Petrels, Band-rumped Storm-Petrels, and Herald (Trindade) Petrels aboard Brian Patteson’s pelagic trips. Sure, those Pterodroma species (and many others) can be found out there and are always exciting to see, but not many people … Read More
The Thrill of Jaeger-watching
The spectrum of birding is vast and amazing. Depending on where we live, a select variety of birds can be found locally, and within certain travels of where we live. Right now birds are migrating in full-force. The colorful flurry of warblers have molted into drab plumage, which helps them stay camouflaged during the fall and winter months. Common Nighthawks … Read More
Jaegers and other west wind rarities
[dc]T[/dc]his afternoon I got a call that a Northern Gannet had been seen heading west from Derby Hill Hawk Watch. This is a pretty uncommon bird for Lake Ontario so I decided to make the drive up and hope for it to circle back around. When I arrived Bill Purcell told me that it had not been reseen and other … Read More