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Behind the Bins
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Join me behind the bins to watch birds around the country and sometimes in other places around the globe.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'birdwatching'
Hawaiian Shirt Shorebird Safari
You are not really here to see shorebirds are you? C’mon, fess up. You want to see birders in Hawaiian shirts. Well, I’ll get to that. I first heard about the Hawaiian Shirt Shorebird Safari back in June when I attended the Bloggers w...
Birding with Alligators
I live in the northeast where there are, thankfully, no alligators (NYC sewer gators, notwithstanding) so when I come across them in my travels they always freak me out a little; it’s all that nature programming that shows them running with bur...
Birding Liberty State Park
Loads of toursits visit the Statue of Liberty when they come to New York City for the first time. Few of them realize that Liberty State Park, located smack-dab on the Hudson River amidst the crush of humanity in Jersey City, is a local birding ...
Not all Red Birds are Cardinals
Cardinals were everywhere at Brazos Bend State Park . I was seeing 10-15 at a time. They were in the shrubs, trees, bushes and on the ground. I’m tellin’ you there must have been a flock of 70 birds there. Often I would see moveme...
Birding San Bernard NWR
Do you read Birding on the Net regional lists before you travel? I do. A few weeks before the trip I started to see reports on TexBirds of a Least Grebe at San Bernard NWR. Although I had seen this bird in Costa Rica, I did not have it on my...
Birding Southeast Arizona-Part 2
Here is the list for today. I saw many of the same birds as yesterday; but did add a few lifers. We spent time in the grasslands since the rain had stopped before heading down to the Chiracuahuas to look for the Mexican Chickadee, Yellow-eyed Jun...
Skywatch
I was with friends the other day and we were talking about if you were a bird which one would you be. There were lots of interesting answers from hawks (of course) to a vulture (you can’t be serious!) to eagles (hmmm, yes but have you hear...
I Like Gulls
Can we talk about gulls for a moment? I know some birders eschew them, won’t even look at them, call them names like sea rats, G-U-11s, but, truth be told, …shhhh…I sorta like them. Maybe it’s because growing up in the fla...
Birding in Napa Valley
Currently in between business conferences, I am loafing in Napa Valley. Unable to find a bird guide (Grrrr), I randomly drove around this morning looking for birds. With the countryside being so dry, I thought it would make the most sense to ...
Birding around San Diego
You know how once you have been to a place several times birding on your own and have seen most of the easy/common birds how frustrating it becomes, right? Where are the other harder-to-find birds? Are there local hot spots? This trip I gave up...
Birding the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail (AT) is about ¼ mile from my house as the crow flies. I have walked various parts of it, often birding along the way. The interesting thing about birding the AT is that the habitat varies from woodland, to marsh, to wide open...
Birding at lunch
I work in a windowless office in the center of the building in Westchester county NY. There could be a blizzard outside and I would not know. I try to get out to breathe the air and see the sunlight if at all possible. Four laps around the park...
Golden-winged Warblers-Yes!
I got out of the car with fingers crossed. I had brought my house guests to see Golden-winged Warblers. They had never seen them and the birds are declining. Looking for Hooded Warblers weeks ago, I happened to have heard the Golden-winged at t...
Willow Flycatcher
Of the 5 look-a-like Empidonax flycatchers, I see Willow the most, or rather I should say I hear it. Well, I do see it but since they all look alike, I depend on their call to identify which one I am looking at. So, I both hear and…oh, never mi...
Birding the Shawangunk Grasslands
Coming from the flatland, I have a longing for wide open spaces, vista, amber waves of grain, bobolink, meadowlark and all the open grassland sparrows. Sometimes I just need to be alone in the vastness of a big sky. So when I got an email about...
Birds and Bugs
I have been bitten or stung by just about every insect in the woods and fields. As a kid I ran barefoot through the grass stepping on my share of bees, both honey and bumble. (It is like stepping on a live coal). We romped in the warm summer ev...
Birding a powercut
I parked the car and stepped out to the hiss and singing of the high-tension wires overhead in the powercut. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Until I moved north, I had never considered birding a powercut. Heck, I don’t think I even...
Last Beech Road Birdwalk
I lay considering the pitter-patter of rain on the windows. Should I go to Beech Road or not? Rain is not much of a barrier with the right gear, but I had to go to work right from the field. On the other hand it is the last scheduled bird walk ...
Birding Clinton Road
Hard on the heels of my disappointed over missing the World Series of Birding because of my delayed flight back from New Orleans; a friend and I spent some time yesterday on Clinton Road. Clinton Road is a 10-mile wooded wonderland that goes from Ro...
Birding City Park in New Orleans
Right before I left NJ, I threw out an email to a birdingpal from New Orleans. I have not been successful with using this service in the past, but 2 people told me that have connected with someone and got great advice. So, what the heck. Whe...
Eagle Day at Beech Road
I stamped my waterlogged sneakers on the frosty grass. It was another 30-degree morning on Beech Road. I had rifled around in the car and found a fleece vest that I had neglected to put away. I put it on under my coat and over my blouse and swe...
Birding in the Rain
I’m birding in the rain Just birding in the rain What a glorious feelin’ To see warblers again. Ok, it was just a passing thought, as I stood in the 40-degree drizzle looking up at dozens of Palm Warblers and Yellow-rumps and 6 or 7, mayb...
