I thought that the Cumberland County, PA Snowy Owl was going to be the last of that species I would see for a while – maybe even for the next few years…..but then word spread that there was a very cooperative owl in Armstrong County. It was a 2 hr drive from State College, so neither myself or my friends … Read More
Trumpeter Swan – Clarion County, PA
A few days ago, birders near New Bethlehem, PA discovered a wing-tagged immature Trumpeter Swan associating with some Mute Swans and Canada Geese along the Redbank Creek. Looking at the map, this swan was right on the way to the Armstrong County Snowy Owl, so my friends and I knew it would make a great afternoon chase. We left State … Read More
Photo Study: Brown-headed Nuthatch
One of my favorite resident birds of the southern pinelands is the Brown-headed Nuthatch. It is always so much fun to see these little nuthatches crawling all over a pine tree, curiously watching over you as you pass below them. A few weekends ago, I stopped by Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware, which is at the northern limit of this species’ … Read More
Photo Study: Harlequin Ducks at Barnegat Light, NJ
The Harlequin Duck is simultaneously the most beautiful and one of the most odd-looking species of waterfowl in North America, so there is no wonder it is a species high on most birder’s ‘Most Wanted’ lists. Well if you live on the east coast, one of the best places to see this wonderful little duck is at Barnegat Light in NJ. During … Read More
Barnacle Goose – Chester River, MD
Last week Dan Small found a lone Barnacle Goose mixed in with hundreds of Canada Geese along the Chester River in Maryland. My friends and I figured this would be a perfect addition to our four day long ‘Rarity Round-Up’, so we added it in to our plans. This morning we took the ferry over from Cape May and arrived … Read More
Photo Study – LeConte’s Sparrow
Recently, Anna and I visited a hotspot for wintering LeConte’s Sparrows and Sedge Wrens near Gainesville, Florida. During the few hours we spent there photographing the birds, we were absolutely surrounded by both species – at one point I had four LeConte’s Sparrow perched together in one small clump of brush! As with all Ammodramus sparrows, LeConte’s Sparrows are absolutely beautiful and … Read More
Paynes Prairie SP – Sweetwater Dike
On January 5th I met up with Gainesville Birder Rex Rowan, to go birding along the Sweetwater Dike area of Paynes Prairie State Park. The Sweetwater Dike Trail is an offshoot of the well-known La Chua Trail. Rex and I met at 11:10am and began our hike. There had been an Ash-throated Flycatcher reported along the trail recently, so that … Read More
Sharp-shinned Hawk eating a starling!
This morning while scouting out a region of the State College CBC, Anna and I stopped to watch as two Sharp-shinned Hawks (an adult and a juvenile) and one Cooper’s Hawk (an adult) chased around a huge flock of European Starlings. A little while later, as we were passing back by the same area, we spotted the adult Sharp-shinned Hawk … Read More
Purple Sandpiper – Conneaut Harbor
After having several decent looks at the stunning Black-tailed Gull in Ashtabula, the four of us continued on to Conneaut Harbor in hopes of finding another rare gull- the Black-headed Gull. This slightly larger cousin of the Bonaparte’s Gull sports a red bill and legs, along with some black on the underwing tips; all subtle features that can make it … Read More
Photo Study: Double-crested Cormorants
The Double-crested Cormorant is a well-known and common species throughout much of the United States. Because of how common they are, I feel like they get ignored often by birders. In fact, I do it myself all the time when I am out birding – scanning out over a lake, I focus on trying to pick out the interesting waterfowl … Read More