When it rains, it pours. Fall migration can feel a bit slow at times when the winds and weather fail to cooperate, but these bouts of inactivity are frequently punctuated by impressive flights and exciting vagrants. Once the conditions finally shift favorably after a few days of stagnation, the action along the Atlantic Flyway can really heat up. Coastal New York certainly knows how to deliver in that regard. Long Island, for all its imperfections, is honestly a pretty great place to find unexpected birds. The back half of October began with a pair of stunners: a subadult Purple Gallinule discovered in Prospect Park, Brooklyn and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher found on a ranch at Montauk Point. For those of you unfamiliar with the geography of the Empire State, those two sites are about as far apart as you can get from one another on Long Island.
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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 of a drug, a reassurance to yourself and your fellow birders that you totally know what you’re doing. You can find rare birds, you’ve clearly got this whole birding thing on lock. The combined boost to ego and community credibility is a great incentive to get out in the field and search. Who doesn’t dream of fortune and glory? Making an effort to sniff out rare birds has a number of practical benefits that, in my opinion, help to build a better birder.
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Pelagic birding trips appeal to my inner explorer. Searching for wildlife on the high seas offers a special kind of thrill, an opportunity to break from more typical, terrestrial efforts and visit a realm beyond the boundaries of humanity’s collective comfort zone. The inhabitants of this habitat are inherently fascinating in their adaptations and lifestyles. Truly monumental surprises can occur at literally any time. The potential rewards for a traveler who braves the wind and waves are tantalizing enough to draw even chronically seasick landlubbers outside the shelter of the harbor time and time again. Every outing presents a chance to discover something new about how marine organisms navigate Earth’s vast network of ocean currents.
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It was difficult to leave Portal behind after the fantastic experiences I enjoyed while exploring the Chiricahuas. I’d seen so much in such a short period of time that even if the remaining days of the trip were completely birdless I would still consider the vacation a success. Of course, the second half of my visit to southeastern Arizona turned out to be just as birdy as the first. Even though I departed from the Portal Peak Lodge more than 2 hours before sunrise, I was able to start birding on the road to Sierra Vista. Lesser Nighthawks periodically swooped through my headlights as I drove across the desert. Light was beginning to return to the landscape just north of Douglas, where a large, dusty-gray Great Horned Owl flew directly at my car at windshield height.
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The last time I visited Arizona was the first time I visited Arizona. During the summer of 2005, my family embarked on one of our most ambitious cross-country camping trips, driving through the Rockies from New York to California and returning by way of the desert southwest. Our time in the state was focused on visiting the National Parks: Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Saguaro. Although my 13th birthday was still more than a month away, I’d been watching birds since before I could hold binoculars. At the time, I was just starting to keep track of my official life list. Most of the species I added to my scribbled journal entries were conspicuous, common birds like Cactus Wren and Gila Woodpecker.
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Birds always find ways to surprise us. No matter how much you know, no matter how well you prepare, no matter how long you’ve been tuned in to the wild world of birding, there will be times when you get caught completely off guard. I think that’s wonderful. This Tuesday morning, I was standing in the Tucson airport after a truly incredible week-long tour of southeastern Arizona’s natural marvels. I saw wondrous things and made memories to last a lifetime. I fully expected to be writing up my recap of the trip by now, but I’ll have to take care of that later. The saga that began unfolding before me as I scrolled through my newsfeed at the terminal totally blew me away. The ABA Rare Bird Alert group was buzzing over a most interesting report from Maine.
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The week began with a Barred Owl. Just minutes after midnight, my tired brain registered a series of emphatic hoots somewhere in the woods beyond the campground loop. I smiled as I continued preparing for bed. It had been 14 months since I last encountered the species, which is essentially unheard of on Long Island. These birds are quite common in forests upstate, and I was hoping to connect with one during a brief weekend visit to the Lake George region. Mission accomplished. I listened to the owl hooting and yowling for nearly half an hour before it quieted down, which I took as a cue to get some sleep. One more tick for my 2018 year list. Birders are all about lists, but not all lists are created equal.
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Long Island has no shortage of beaches. Depending on what coastal activities you prefer, there’s a debate to be had about which beach is best. My own opinions on the matter operate off different metrics than most swimmers and sunbathers. Even though Jones is the typical go-to for most of my beachy needs, my top pick varies largely based on the time of year. If you ask me during the first few weeks of June, my answer comes easily. Right now, Nickerson Beach Park is the place to be! This is the peak season for finding unusual tern species along the shore, and the accessibility and reliability of this site are hard to beat. Studying terns is an engaging, and often quite rewarding, use of your free birding time during early summer.
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Week 1: So it begins Even though the first waves of Neotropical migrants typically arrive before the calendar changes to the fifth month, most East Coast birders would agree that May is the peak of the excitement. This year, some of my migration highlights came a little early. A few advance bouts of favorable conditions brought Prairie Warblers, Northern Parulas, and more back to the area ahead of schedule. The last days of the month featured a prolonged southwest wind. This “southern slingshot” resulted in a notable northward push of species that normally breed further south than Long Island. I enjoyed repeated encounters with a handsome male Prothonotary Warbler at Hempstead Lake State Park. Many of my friends were fortunate enough to locate regionally uncommon treats like Summer Tanager and Blue Grosbeak. A nice appetizer of semi-rarities was just what we needed to break up the monotony of the doldrums.
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Not all months are created equal. Seasonal changes can be a double-edged sword, and the same natural cycles that provide fresh turnover in avian activity can also result in relative droughts when birds seem few and far between. Here in New York, March is consistently the least exciting stretch of the year. With wintering species disappearing and the prospect of spring migrants little more than a distant dream, making it through the doldrums can feel like a bit of a slog. Fear not! Birding is a versatile pastime. There are multiple viable strategies for surviving the dry spell with a smile on your face. This little list, with its early April arrival date, may come too late for readers who are already reveling in the excitement of spring.
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