Birding WNY | Chirps and Cheeps

200th Life Bird at Beaver Island Published: May 25, 2013 Tags: Life List Happenings, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, American Redstart, Philadelphia Vireo A pursuit of the Snowy Egret that was found yesterday at Beaver Island State Park was in vain today. However, MY LIFE LIST IS NOW AT 200 LIFE BIRDS!! There's a pin for that, I've heard! I added a Common Tern and a Bank Swallow at the park. It's quite tricky identifying some of the swallows. It's particularly difficult telling a Bank Swallow from a Northern Rough-winged. Now that I see a size difference and the bar across the Bank Swallow's chest, I feel I'm starting to get the hang of it. Along the water's edge, we saw some juvenile and adult Black-crowned Night Herons, several Great Blue Herons, and several Great Egrets. I also saw my first Blackpoll Warbler of the year - a beautiful male who sang with gusto. I'm pretty sure I have this guy's song burned into my memory - at least until next spring when I'll have to re-learn it. :) When we saw the traffic lined up on the Peace Bridge, we scrapped the idea to go to Morgan's Point to look for Whimbrels and Ruddy Turnstones. Instead, we did a quick tour of Tifft and got some nice looks at a Blackburnian Warbler, an American Redstart, a Philadelphia Vireo, and several members of the flycatcher family. I attended "Flycatcher School" today at Tifft and Doug taught me much about identifying them. And while the subtleties are often difficult to discern, it's not entirely impossible if you get a good view - but the clincher is if they sing! Black-crowned Night Heron Great Egret - not the Snowy Egret we were searching for A Common Tern (lifer!) - notice the forked tail Eastern Phoebe taking flight Blackpoll Warbler (male) Blackpoll Warbler (male) Blackburnian Warbler peeking through the leaves Eastern Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Add a Comment »

200th Life Bird at Beaver Island

Published: May 25, 2013
Tags: Life List Happenings, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, American Redstart, Philadelphia Vireo

A pursuit of the Snowy Egret that was found yesterday at Beaver Island State Park was in vain today. However, MY LIFE LIST IS NOW AT 200 LIFE BIRDS!! There's a pin for that, I've heard! I added a Common Tern and a Bank Swallow at the park. It's quite tricky identifying some of the swallows. It's particularly difficult telling a Bank Swallow from a Northern Rough-winged. Now that I see a size difference and the bar across the Bank Swallow's chest, I feel I'm starting to get the hang of it.

Along the water's edge, we saw some juvenile and adult Black-crowned Night Herons, several Great Blue Herons, and several Great Egrets.

I also saw my first Blackpoll Warbler of the year - a beautiful male who sang with gusto. I'm pretty sure I have this guy's song burned into my memory - at least until next spring when I'll have to re-learn it. :)

When we saw the traffic lined up on the Peace Bridge, we scrapped the idea to go to Morgan's Point to look for Whimbrels and Ruddy Turnstones. Instead, we did a quick tour of Tifft and got some nice looks at a Blackburnian Warbler, an American Redstart, a Philadelphia Vireo, and several members of the flycatcher family. I attended "Flycatcher School" today at Tifft and Doug taught me much about identifying them. And while the subtleties are often difficult to discern, it's not entirely impossible if you get a good view - but the clincher is if they sing!