rare birds
25 Newly Described Neotropical Bird Species
More than 25 new birds species have been described in the neotropics since the year 2000
Roseate Spoonbill – Delaware’s First Record
Here’s a reason to use Twitter: it can put you onto a rare bird faster than a New York minute!
The first Roseate Spoonbill ever to grace Delaware’s shores was observed the Sunday before my trip to Maryland. The bird—believed to be a first-year juvenile —was first observed in Fenwick Island (Assawoman Bay) in the extreme southeast corner of the state, close enough to the MD line to make MD listers green with envy (and hoping for a strong north wind).
Good Reading: Quest for the Capercaillie
Victoria James’ description of her quest to see the elusive Capercaillie, a very large, rare grouse found only in the ancient Caledonian pine forest of the Scottish Highlands, begins simple enough: Right now, in pubs across the country, you will hear earnest knots of men – and maybe a few women – discussing lifers. They’re not [...]
A Birder’s Tale: Spotting A Tricky Rare Hybrid, The “Lawrence’s” Warbler
PROLOGUE Why a prologue? Because birding backstories are almost as fun as the birding itself! The birding network is so broad and keenly in tune that sighting reports move lightening fast, at least when they travel through the usual channels (e.g, birding listserv). But sometimes reports creep up where you least expect them. On [...]
Chasing a Black-headed Needle In a Haystack (part 3)
This story continues from (part 1), (part 2) *** We stood on the banks of the Niagara River staring at a ginormous flock of seagulls. Thankfully, Brad is a patient and knowledgeable birder. Cross that with an obsessive desire to finally nail his NY nemesis, he needed all the eyes he could train on this flock. He [...]
Chasing a Black-headed Needle In a Haystack (part 2)
This story continues from Part 1 *** So you see, I had no choice but to leave my desk and travel on a very short bird chase to Niagara Falls from Rochester, NY. We’ll be back by 1 pm, he promised. We’ll just do a quick check of the river. It sounded fishy. But when ignorance works in [...]
Tale of Two Headless White Pelicans
As luck would have it, my visit to Jamestown, NY coincided with the unexpected visit of two American White Pelicans.
