Another Western Rarity
There are scattered very rare western birds continually being spotted across the Northeast. A gorgeous male Painted Bunting in New York City’s Prospect Park made some big news recently, and yesterday Stefan Martin found a Townsend’s Solitaire in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, Connecticut. Masschusetts, Vermont, Maine and New York have also had Townsend’s Solitaires recently, as you can see on this eBird occurrence map for the species – orange markers are less than 30 days old while others are from October and early November. Keep your eyes open for all sorts of...
Read MoreYard Pine Siskin
There are still Pine Siskins hanging out in the Northeast, and if you provide them with enough food in your yard and they are able to find a mate, they may nest right there! The nomadic species is certainly opportunistic, and I hope this bird in Twan’s yard can find a partner and settle down soon. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MorePurple Finch and Pine Siskin invasion
Two species have recently flooded the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic according to list serv reports, accounts from friends and my own personal observations – the Purple Finch and the Pine Siskin. The former has been unbelievably abundant in my experience, often being difficult to go outside for any length of time without seeing one in the past month. The latter, while a bit tougher to spot, has nonetheless zipped by in sizable groups and maintained their nomadic feeding habits. Just how massive are these irruptions in our region? I turned to eBird to find out the truth. Here are both...
Read MorePine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion
A Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion is underway with birds expanding across a sizable swath of the United States. On some conducive flight mornings it is hard to go outside without seeing or hearing some flying south! Have your feeders been swamped with hungry new arrivals? If you do not have them yet you may soon.
Read MoreSnowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) by Twan Leenders
We have some Snowy Owls sticking around for the long haul, especially near water – even the mostly frozen Lake Erie. This Snowy was at the Chautauqua County/Dunkirk Airport on February 3, 2014 and beautifully photographed by Twan in some light snow. You can even see tiny flakes accumulating around its bright yellow eyes!
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