It was swimming all alone on a section of the river where I normally only see mallards, coots, and the occasional double-crested cormorant. It must have been making a short pit-stop on its yearly migration, because it was gone the next week. I call that birding serendipity. Then, on the last Saturday of April, I added another new bird to my bird list. The common loon.
Which makes my new total 201 birds. Not bad for an amateur birder. So, here's to all the amazing birds I've seen over the years, from the more common variety that visit my own backyard every year to the slightly more exotic birds that took a little bit of doing to actually see for myself. I've loved each and every one.
Happy Birding!
5 more favorites that I've seen over the years:
(Belted Kingfisher)
(Blue-footed Booby)
(Burrowing Owl)
(Hoopoe)
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(Vermillion Flycatcher)
Beautiful
ReplyDeleteBlue footed booby! That made me giggle! They're all beautiful, butt he Vermillion Flycacther caught my eye rightaway!
ReplyDeleteHe's definitely one of my favorites! :)
DeleteAll the birds are beautiful! I've to say my favourites are Hoopoe and Vermilion Flycatcher. The latter is sure eye-catching due to its bright feathers. :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't he a bright, colorful little thing? The first time I saw one I wasn't sure if it was a real bird or a bit of orange/red plastic blowing around. ;D
DeleteI was so hoping to see a loon when we were in the NY state forest back in the 90s but no luck. So I bought a pretty wooden one in the gift shop at Fort Ticonderoga and it has been sitting on my mantel piece ever since. :-) What I *did* get to see when we were over there in 2006 was a Bald Eagle... on Lake Erie. You would not believe how thrilled I was!
ReplyDeleteBald Eagles are beautiful! We get a few that come and nest not too far away from where I live every year and I love seeing them. :D
DeleteI really like the Hoopoe and the Vermillion Flycatcher! So pretty. I'm not a birder per se, but I love seeing different birds. I need better binoculars for watching, and better knowledge of what I'm looking at. Congrats on adding a few new ones to your list!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I really enjoy watching birds though it's getting harder to see new ones where I live. But spotting my favorites every year is also fun. :)
DeleteWow! 201 different birds is such a great accomplishment! Congrats! I love the Hoopoe and Vermillion Flycatcher. They're so pretty! :)
ReplyDeleteAren't they great? They're very memorable birds to say the least.
DeleteWhat beautiful birds! You are so lucky to see all those varieties.
ReplyDeleteI feel very lucky. :)
DeleteLove this post! A hoopoe is near the top of my must-see list, but with current travel restrictions, I imagine it will be awhile. And...a blue-footed booby. That's a real coup.
ReplyDeleteI see kingfishers almost every day, which is good because they're one of my favorites. Love the punk hairdo!
Happy birding and thanks for posting such great images.
200 is a great life list.
Kingfishers are awesome! I love them, too. :D I hope someday you get a chance to see a hoopoe, too.
DeleteThat's quite the list! It must be so peaceful and fun to go birding. I've noticed quite a few in our back yard since we started staying home. I love being able to look out the windows and spot all the different creatures.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot of fun to go birding. Even if I don't spot very many birds, at least I'm out hiking in the mountains, or walking near a river or lake, or in some other pretty spot, which makes it all worthwhile. :)
DeleteI love birds. They are such fascinating creatures. I think we have an owl in our neighborhood, which I'm not sure is common. I hear him (her?) sometimes when I am out in the yard.
ReplyDeleteLucky! Owls are definitely not common. I say any day with an owl in it is a very good day. :)
DeleteDo you use that Merlin Bird ID app on your phone? It's a pretty amazing way to snap a photo of a bird and have it very quickly identified for you. I was hoping to start a little birding of my own but this virus thing has kind of messed up "normal" to the point that I never got started good.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used that app. I do have a lot of birding books. :D The great thing about birds though is that they're always around; so if you don't get a chance to spot any this year, there's always next year. And hopefully 2021 won't be as messed up as this year has been!
DeleteI've been a bit put out by the influx of doves on my feeders! They are greedy, and I resent having to refill my feeders because the doves chase away the smaller birds. I love the favorites you've listed, Lark! I'd be so excited to have them on my list. :)
ReplyDeleteDoves aren't my favorite either. I have a tube feeder that only the little birds can use to eat from...six at a time. The doves still come, but they're forced to stay on the ground.
DeleteI always love your birdphoto's! And the birds are so gorgeous, you are lucky to have these beautiful ones in your country. I especially like the one with the blue feet (he had a funny look on his face). And I like the punk-one above the blue one, the Kingfisher. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteKind regards,
The belted kingfisher lives near me and I see him every spring and summer, but I had to go all the way to the Galapagos Islands to see the blue-footed booby. :D
DeleteI love these photos! I don't think I'm patient enough to do this, but I love the pictures.
ReplyDeleteThanks. :D
DeleteI've been watching and paying a lot more attention to the birds the last couple of years, and especially now since we've been sheltering-in-place. I guess I'm taking more time to smell the roses, as they say. :) But it's been very relaxing and rewarding to do so.
ReplyDeleteI do love listening to loon calls.
I've only recordings of loon calls. The loons I saw last month were too busy eating to stop and make some noise. But maybe next year. :)
DeleteI love your bird posts - and so does bird loving Cassius!
ReplyDelete:D
DeleteGorgeous! I dabble in photography, too. You're talented!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous birds! My dad is so jealous as he's a big fan of birds! He really wants to see a Hoopoe!
ReplyDeleteThey're amazing. But I had to go all the way to Egypt to see one. :)
DeleteI don't know anything about birds, but I love these pictures. The blue-footed booby is especially striking (and its name makes me laugh)!
ReplyDeleteIsn't he the best bird? I love those blue feet! :)
DeleteThese birds are beautiful. The colour of the Blue-footed Booby's feet are such a pretty shade of blue! The Vermillion Flycatcher is stunning! Wow. :)
ReplyDeleteAren't they great? You can see why I like birdwatching so much.
DeleteI can imagine it requires a LOT of patience, and no sudden movements!
DeleteA really good pair of binoculars helps, too. ;D
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