Chirps and Cheeps

A Photo Journal of My Birding Adventures & Observations

My birding blog site


  May Birding

Published: October 28, 2016
Tags: General Observations, Brant, American Avocet, Willet, Golden-winged Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Summer Tanager, Western Tanager, Mississippi Kite, Common Nighthawk, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Eared Grebe, Cerulean Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Clay-colored Sparrow, Black-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed Woodpecker, Least Flycatcher

The month of May started out with some great rarities. A stop at the Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant brought a few surprises: Brant (first noticed by Greg Lawrence), 7 Willet, and both a Forster's Tern and Black Tern.  More Willet and Brant were reported throughout the day - plus a couple of American Avocets were found in Canandaigua.  There were fallouts all over the region!

The rest of the month brought the beautiful warblers that we all look so forward to in Western New York. I got to see a male Cerulean Warbler practically in my own back yard! Between those little jewels and a few more rarities, the month was one of the best birding months I think I've enjoyed so far.

Some of the rarities I got to see included: a Harris's Sparrow in Kendall, a Golden-winged Warbler found by Matt Nusstein at Forest Lawn, a Worm-eating Warbler that Alec Humann and I found at Forest Lawn, a Yellow-throated Warbler I refound at Forest Lawn, an Eastern Whip-poor-will found by Garner Light and Nate Johnson at Forest Lawn, a Summer Tanager down in Chautauqua County, a Gray Kingbird found by Greg Lawrence, a Western Tanager found by Alan Baczkiewicz, a dozen Whimbrel at Canandaigua, and a Mississippi Kite up in Port Colbourne, Ontario.  The kite and kingbird were both life birds!

The Common Nighthawk became a yard bird towards the end of the month as I discovered from a post by Mike Zebehazy that they were flying over Orchard Park for a few nights.  Sure enough, another stakeout on my deck proved fruitful - I had six fly over one night!

May is certainly a magical month here in Western New York and below are some of those magical moments captured as best as I was able...

blog photo
Brant at the Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant

blog photo
Willet at the Canandaigua City Pier

blog photo
American Avocets at the Canandaigua City Pier

blog photo
Yellow-throated Vireo

blog photo
Cerulean Warbler

blog photo
Black-throated Green Warbler

blog photo
Eastern Whip-poor-will

blog photo
Western Tanager

blog photo
Blue-winged Warbler

blog photo
Blackburnian Warbler

blog photo
Golden-winged Warbler

blog photo
Orange-crowned Warbler

blog photo
Worm-eating Warbler

blog photo
A terrible shot of the elusive Yellow-throated Warbler Peter Yoerg found at Forest Lawn. This was taken later that same night in light rain and just about dark. He was very high up in a tree with some other warblers; I can't believe I refound the guy in those conditions!

blog photo
Cape May Warbler

blog photo
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

blog photo
Black-throated Blue Warbler

blog photo
Summer Tanager in Chautauqua

blog photo
Ruddy Turnstone

blog photo
Clay-colored Sparrow

blog photo
Mississippi Kite in Port Colbourne

blog photo
Mississippi Kite in Port Colbourne

blog photo
Whimbrel in Canandaigua

blog photo
Black-billed Cuckoo at Tifft

blog photo
Common Nighthawk as seen from my deck

blog photo
Common Nighthawks - a new yard bird!

blog photo
Red-headed Woodpecker

blog photo
Red-headed Woodpeckers mating

blog photo
Eared Grebe at BWWTP

blog photo
Least Flycatcher at Forest Lawn



button link to my bird search