This post comes from Allison Miller, an avid birder and raptor technician at the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka, FL. Allison was lucky enough to travel to Tokyo recently, and has these bird hotspots to share with us. I recently found myself in Tokyo for a week, and unlike my previous visits to the city, I spent a lot of time looking at birds. I’m a much … Read More
4 Tips for finding uncommon geese
Ah, it’s that time of year, the time when geese congregate in fields hoping a birder will come pick through them. Looking at geese can be overwhelming and may not seem appealing to most, but to me, goosing is my go-to, or jam if you will, this time of year. If you want to find uncommon geese, here are four … Read More
Sparrow Obsession
Guest contributor Matt Sabatine is back with some information on his recent Nelson’s Sparrow obsession, as well as tips on where to look for them during fall migration in Pennsylvania. Enjoy! What began as a halfhearted attempt at finding a Nelson’s Sparrow for the fall soon turned into a temporary obsession. On the morning of October 11th, I rolled … Read More
Alcids of the Olympic Peninsula
Dense temperate rainforest covers the Olympic Peninsula of Washington right up until the coastline, then rocky cliffs and towering islands create a stunning landscape where at least 12 species of alcids can be seen from shore or by taking a boat just a few miles out onto the ocean. Most people, even non-birders, are familiar with puffins – the iconic alcid. … Read More
Chase-able Common Murre – Cape May, NJ
Any murre species, and most alcids in general are difficult to see from land along the east coast. Most winters, small numbers of Razorbills can usually be seen migrating from shore but most birders must venture out on a boat to find the others. A report from Tom Baxter of a murre species found floating on Sunset Lake near Wildwood … Read More
Nemesis Birding 101
It’s 7am in mid May 2011 on the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, OH when I hear it—chippy chuppy chippy chuppy chip—only a few meters away. My heart starts pounding and I’m peering into dense leafy understory searching out a small yellow and olive bird walking on the ground, feeding spasmodically but hen-like in the dirt and leaves. Where is it? … Read More
Wetland Management for Rails and finding tips
Birders are nothing if not creatures of habit. We all have our spots and rely on them for X, Y and Z species every year. From the many emails I get from Missouri birders every year, it’s clear that very few people have a ‘rail spot’ and they all sound a bit exasperated trying to find one. They wished rails … Read More
Find the Owls – Answers!
Here is the same photo that was posted earlier this morning… this time with both owls pointed out. The small, brown Northern Saw-whet Owl is tucked away on the left side of the picture, whereas the Boreal Owl is sleeping away on the right. Kudos to everyone that spotted these owls. I am thankful and very privileged to live in such a … Read More
Timberdoodle season is here!
Tonight I went to Scotia Barrens with hopes to spot a few American Woodcock. Joe Verica reported two displaying males near the “big sign” at Scotia on February 28th, so it was likely that they would be there again. I arrived at the barrens around 5:30 pm. There was an unusual amount of traffic and barking dogs, so I figured … Read More
Another year of birding underway!
With the first month of the year officially behind us now, I thought I would take a look the current status of my year list. Beginning a new year is always fun – every single bird is ‘new’, it’s winter, and there are typically a bunch of winter rarities and other good birds around to chase. You never really know what the … Read More