I’ve always appreciated the seasonality of birding. When you’re paying close attention to the goings-on in the world outside your windows, the annual cycle of nature is conspicuous and easy to track. This visible, reliable schedule has been a major boon throughout the pandemic, which has caused weeks and months to blur together and warp all perception of time. The … Read More
Nelson’s Sparrows – PSU Fall Banding
Mid-October offers Pennsylvania birders an opportunity to try and find a rather rare migrant though our state, the Nelson’s Sparrow. This fall it seems weather conditions and increased birder effort has created a bit of a Nelson’s Sparrow infux, with over 20 individual birds reported around the state at this point. Tim Becker found the first of the fall on … Read More
Sparrow Shindig!
Regular readers of this website have probably heard about how Alex’s Canon 400mm lens went through a pretty nasty rainstorm, which resulted in the lens having to be sent back and repaired. Today, he finally got the lens back from the shop, and it is working great! We were both pretty excited to get out and take some pictures of … Read More
The Muck
One of my favorite places to bird in Tioga County is The Muck, a game lands just north of Wellsboro on 287. This large wetland is a great place for breeding American Bittern, Virginia Rail, Sora and Marsh Wren. If you are really lucky, you could also find Least Bittern, King Rail or Common Gallinule. Listen to the sound clip above … Read More
Birding CJ Strike WMA and Ted Trueblood WMA
On Easter, Alex and I drove south towards the Snake River to bird the CJ Strike WMA and Ted Trueblood WMA. At a small marsh on the Snake River, Alex and I tried calling rails again, hoping to pull out a Sora. Instead, we were answered by a chorus of Virginia Rails, including one that walked right up to us … Read More