I had an enjoyable but mostly unremarkable weekend of birding; I hit the black dirt both mornings and the Newburgh Waterfront on Saturday afternoon. I added three new species to my Orange County year list: Brown Creeper, Hairy Woodpecker, and Red-breasted Merganser. Photos were tough to come by in general, but I did score with a trio of Common Goldeneyes at the Newburgh Waterfront. It was probably comical to watch, but I waited for all three birds to dive at the same time, and then I ran and jumped into some brush on the shoreline.
02/10/25 I enjoy your posts on the everyday stuff more than I do the rarities. I love paying attention to the local birds. I love the photo of the Goldeneye scratching her face. I have an album entitled “Birds Doing Yoga” which is a bunch of photos of birds doing weird stretches.
I like your take, John. I feel like it’s the rarities that seem to hit home with most readers, so it’s good to know there are some that appreciate the day to day birds – I sometimes forget how they can really be so enjoyable. After a particularly demanding work week, for me to just get out and see ANY birds can be so rewarding. Thanks for checking in. Matt