Bird Migration and Misc Birding Thread

[BoxsterCy]

Repost that got no response, thought I'd try again. I'll add a reply with my best Mexico bird.

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What's your best ever bird sighting?

Can you even pick one or two?

I might need to think about it some. I am sort of a newb, only got interested a bit more seriously six years or so ago seeing different birds around a resort in Mexico. Also will have to think some to distinguish between "best bird" versus "rarest Minnesota bird" versus "best bird photo". Mexico will be easy, same bird, not a rare one just a best one. USA birds, I'll need to mull that over some.

My easy best (not rarest) and favorite Mexico bird was this Ferruginous Pygmy Owl I saw in a resort garden near Playa del Carmen in 2019. Was off to do a birding walk at dusk and stopped by hammock shelter to tell my sister I'd be off and about for an hour or so. And than this owl flew and landed and perched on a nearby palm tree. The images came out great considering it was an entry level Nikon with a kit lens at dusk. Keep in mind this guy is about the size a 16oz tall boy can.

 

[MTCyclone43]

What's your best ever bird sighting?

Can you even pick one or two?

I might need to think about it some. I am sort of a newb, only got interested a bit more seriously six years or so ago seeing different birds around a resort in Mexico. Also will have to think some to distinguish between "best bird" versus "rarest Minnesota bird" versus "best bird photo". Mexico will be easy, same bird, not a rare one just a best one. USA birds, I'll need to mull that over some.

I really enjoy photographing and watching Blue Jays. They are the hardest working birds among those that frequent my yard in mass. If you zoom in on the top image the Blue Jay has a peanut in his beak- heading for one of probably dozens of food caches. I have observed them throwing two or three peanuts in the shell inro their throats before flying off.

 

[arobb]

People will ice fish on it so it does freeze over but part of it probably stays open of its warm enough

Just curious. Geese will usually only roost where there is open water in the winter. Maybe there's an aerator in the pond? Ponds with aerators always attract geese.

 

[ianoconnor]

Repost that got no response, thought I'd try again. I'll add a reply with my best Mexico bird.

************************************************************************************************

What's your best ever bird sighting?

Can you even pick one or two?

I might need to think about it some. I am sort of a newb, only got interested a bit more seriously six years or so ago seeing different birds around a resort in Mexico. Also will have to think some to distinguish between "best bird" versus "rarest Minnesota bird" versus "best bird photo". Mexico will be easy, same bird, not a rare one just a best one. USA birds, I'll need to mull that over some.

Pileated woodpecker is probably the coolest I've seen in the backyard. For ones that are more common, my favorites are rose-breasted grosbeak, Baltimore oriole, & bluejay. Northern flickers and red bellied woodpeckers are cool too.

 

[isucyfan]

Repost that got no response, thought I'd try again. I'll add a reply with my best Mexico bird.

************************************************************************************************

What's your best ever bird sighting?

Can you even pick one or two?

I might need to think about it some. I am sort of a newb, only got interested a bit more seriously six years or so ago seeing different birds around a resort in Mexico. Also will have to think some to distinguish between "best bird" versus "rarest Minnesota bird" versus "best bird photo". Mexico will be easy, same bird, not a rare one just a best one. USA birds, I'll need to mull that over some.

I posted mine earlier (Whooping Crane), but I'm birding in Costa Rica in a couple of weeks, so that could change. Really looking forward to that.

 

[MTCyclone43]

This little "guy" looks like he partied to hard.

 

[VeloClone]

We were out of town for the weekend but daughter saw 17 turkeys in our yard and on our driveway. Someone (squirrel, likely) managed to empty our feeder on the ground and the turkeys spent over an hour strutting all over our property - back yard and driveway in the front - and cleaning up the black sunflower mix on the ground under the feeder.

 

[BoxsterCy]

We were out of town for the weekend but daughter saw 17 turkeys in our yard and on our driveway. Someone (squirrel, likely) managed to empty our feeder on the ground and the turkeys spent over an hour strutting all over our property - back yard and driveway in the front - and cleaning up the black sunflower mix on the ground under the feeder.

The local flock I call The Eleven were making a racket in the neighbors yard the other day. Seemed sort of early for the males to be squaring off but there was a bit of strutting, cackling and full feather dominance displays going on.

 

[VeloClone]

The local flock I call The Eleven were making a racket in the neighbors yard the other day. Seemed sort of early for the males to be squaring off but there was a bit of strutting, cackling and full feather dominance displays going on.

So did you name the leader of the flock Danny Ocean? If so, does he look more like Sinatra or Clooney?

 

[CascadeClone]

We get them all the time, but had FOURTEEN cardinals around the feeder and crab tree the other day, males and females. Has happened before, but only once.

Looks like a freaking hallmark card from the kitchen window.

 

[madguy30]

I'm starting to hear blue jays etc as the sun gets higher.

It's still only January but it's still a nice feeling to start with subtle signs of spring.

 

[cymac2408]

Saw my first robin of the year this morning. A mailman’s sign that spring is coming. Screw the groundhog.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Saw my first robin of the year this morning. A mailman’s sign that spring is coming. Screw the groundhog.

A lot of robins are here all year round, we just don't see them in the residential hoods since they are not bird feeder birds. There's always a small flock in Theodore With Park near me. They take advantage of the flowing water there from a couple of springs and seeps from the hills there. Do sort of wonder where they are finding fruit to eat since the park is well into a huge buckthorn removal effort.

 

[Kinch]

Great Backyard Bird Count 2025—when the world comes together for the love of birds! - eBird

The annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 17. The GBBC was one of the first online projects to collect information on wild birds and was also instrumental in the creation of eBird back in 2002.

ebird.org

 

[NWICY]

The European Starlings leave the water, what is left in the lid, disgustingly dirty.
View attachment 141471 View attachment 141472

Now there is one bird that I have no tolerance for destructive boogers. Sorry to bring negativity into a cool thread. Plus it is a neat Pic

 

[Kinch]

What's your best ever bird sighting?

Can you even pick one or two?

I might need to think about it some. I am sort of a newb, only got interested a bit more seriously six years or so ago seeing different birds around a resort in Mexico. Also will have to think some to distinguish between "best bird" versus "rarest Minnesota bird" versus "best bird photo". Mexico will be easy, same bird, not a rare one just a best one. USA birds, I'll need to mull that over some.

One of my favorites is riding on the Katy trail and coming close up with an indigo bunting.

 

[madguy30]

Saw my first robin of the year this morning. A mailman’s sign that spring is coming. Screw the groundhog.

Had a small group go over me last week.

I've heard no sandhills but I'd guess it happens soon.

 

[cymac2408]

Had a small group go over me last week.

I've heard no sandhills but I'd guess it happens soon.

Sandhills crane? I’m not great with birds so forgive my ignorance.

 

[Fishhead]

What's your best ever bird sighting?

Can you even pick one or two?

I might need to think about it some. I am sort of a newb, only got interested a bit more seriously six years or so ago seeing different birds around a resort in Mexico. Also will have to think some to distinguish between "best bird" versus "rarest Minnesota bird" versus "best bird photo". Mexico will be easy, same bird, not a rare one just a best one. USA birds, I'll need to mull that over some.

My first Minnesota rarity find was a brown pelican in southern Minnesota in 2013

I am big into home county (Scott county, Mn) birding and I found some first county records.
Nelson’s sparrow in 2015
Worm-eating warbler in 2015
Lesser black backed gull in 2017

 

[madguy30]

Sandhills crane? I’m not great with birds so forgive my ignorance.

Yep.

Wisconsin is full of them spring-late fall.

I've seen some in eastern Iowa the last couple of years and I don't recall ever seeing them before that.

Saw pelicans last year too in eastern Iowa backwaters which was pretty wild.