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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Young Birder (3 Viewers)

OwlTalon said:
If the name and avatar aren't dead give-aways, I love owls, Snowy being the BEST, especially since they show up right around my hometown in winter.
I seen three Great-horns, one Barred (and lured in another with a recording, only heard it), one Barn, one Great-gray, heard numerous Screechs, but they still avoid me, and one handsome immature male Snowy at the beach.
Today, I hope I will get an oppurtunity to see some turkey! (and eat a drumstick!)
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Yeah, here in South Boston, we get a couple Snowy Owls every year at one of the local beaches, that is within short bicycling distance.
 
AmpelisChinito said:
we get a couple Snowy Owls every year at one of the local beaches
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Same, for some reason they are regulars to the Northeast and Great Plains, whereas in other regions they only show up in irruption years. The field guides, however, never show Long Island, or for that matter Massachussets, within the normal winter range for Bubo scandiacus, which bothers me, because we ARE in the normal winter range. I wanted to complain to Sibley about that, but he fixed it in the pocket regional guides, so hopefully others will follow. (the little things bug me at times ;))

I have a thery about this phenomenon. Adult snowies follow the population fluxes of the lemming, right? Most of the non-irruption year birds I have seen pictures of are immatures. Maybe, for their first winter, snowies follow the arctic breeders south, perhaps because they are not skilled enough to survive an arctic winter as adults can. Perhaps shorebirds like dunlin or plovers, or the snow buntings and horned larks, all of which are common in winter up the northeast coast. Maybe that's why we are graced with their presence yearly. AC, you live in regular snowy range, what do you think?
 
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Hi Hubert |;|

I feel the same. I'm going pleas my aunty that she will buy me some book about birds of Norht America. What're good books (it isn't must the best)?
 
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I was two times on "owling camp" (about 3 days), but during camps i saw only one owl which was long or short-eraed :). But actually I've seen Tawny, Ural and barn owl in Poland and Little owl in S Europe.
 
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Hey OwlTalon,

Today I got my 3rd owl ever, a Short-eared Owl. YEAH! It was awesome, right in the middle of the day. While birding, we ran into some folks at Plum Island is way northern Mass, from New York! They came all the way from NY in search of a Green-tailed Towhee and an American Avocet. Both birds haven't been seen there since last week. Stupid New Yorkers. Haha, just kidding. Seriously though, Red Sox rock. ;)
 
AmpelisChinito said:
Hey OwlTalon,

Today I got my 3rd owl ever, a Short-eared Owl. YEAH! It was awesome, right in the middle of the day. While birding, we ran into some folks at Plum Island is way northern Mass, from New York! They came all the way from NY in search of a Green-tailed Towhee and an American Avocet. Both birds haven't been seen there since last week. Stupid New Yorkers. Haha, just kidding. Seriously though, Red Sox rock.
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Hey! State discrimination!! I don't like how vagrants always disappear before you get a chance to get down there! However...........I was lucky enough to go to Jamaica Bay (a few miles away) on the day a FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK was there, without even knowing about it! Did you catch that one? When I don't expect rare birds, they show, when I go to find something, "Just missed it".

I have a confession to make, don't beleive in rails, I've never seen one. (limpkins and cranes are real, but I'm not so sure about some warblers) ;) 3:) :D ;)
 
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No Rails!

If you're from Long Island You should have gotten the early King Rail at Tobay in April. It the easiest rarity I have ever seen. I got some great looks at it. Oh yeah, and you should have gotten the Connecticut at Jamaica bay in September. It was as easy to find as the King Rail. And I got the Fulvous Whistling Ducks


And the Red Sox rock.

Brent Bomkamp, 13
 
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You see? I gotta join a message board so I know when these things show up! I woulda made (my parents take) the drive to see the Red-footed Falcon up in Mass, if I didn't hear about it a year later! Frustrating!
 
hey OwlTalon,

Rails DO exist, and so do Connecticut Warblers. :)

I chased a Vermillion Flycatcher and Green-tailed Towhee in the UP this weekend, and I saw both. Also Gray Jays, Northern Shrike, and Rough-legged Hawks. What fun.

--Neil G. 14

PS - if there are any birds that don't exist, they are Black-backed Woodpeckers or Northern Hawk Owls...
 
OwlTalon said:
I saw NO owls this sunday. AAARRRGGGHH!!!
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I am so jealous of you guys! :C I have only seen one species of owl in the wild and that was a Barred Owl! What I really want to see is a Great Horned Owl!

PS: I am 15 going to be 16 in April. Yeah! ;)
 
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Great-horns really are amazing, my favorite owl next to the Snowy. Barreds are cool too! If I could see any owl I have never seen, it would be a Northern Hawk Owl.
 
OwlTalon said:
Great-horns really are amazing, my favorite owl next to the Snowy. Barreds are cool too! If I could see any owl I have never seen, it would be a Northern Hawk Owl.
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I would like to see a Burrowing Owl
 
The Barn Owl said:
I'm only 13 but I already have a passion for birds and wildlife in general (in the Summer hols I went to Aviemore and found Ospreys, Hen Harriers and Sparrowhawks flying over the cottage). Just wondering if anyone has any tips for someone my age to travel to new places to see new birds, apart from holidays. I live in Coventry so I have reasonable access to most of England and Wales. I'm always keen to see new birds (my lifetime ambition is to beat the record set by Phoebe Snetsinger, but my lifelist (all in Britain) only consists of 158 species). Any help greatly appreciated!!!
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i too started birding at about your age although older now, i live in scotland and have done nearly all my life but when i first started i lived in bedworth which is very near to coventry. i find the most enjoyment in having a local patch, traveling to see new birds is very exciting but nothing compared to really getting to know 'your' patch with all its related wildlife and when something rare turns up there its really special. i have been a ringer for a good many years also and it helps you to question the birds you see - why are they there? what are they doing? birds are such a vast and wonderful hobby that there is always something to learn, good luck and enjoy
 
Wiktoria said:
I feel the same. I'm going pleas my aunty that she will buy me some book about birds of Norht America. What're good books
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Yeah, the Sibley Guide to Birds of North America is probably the best, but the National Geographic Complete Guide to Birds of North America is like, a reference guide, REALLY good!
 
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