A Plethora of Painted Buntings

While my wife, son and extended family rested on a beach in North Carolina (Holden Beach, to be more specific), I went out birding. Here are some photos of just a few of the birds I observed.

PAINTED BUNTINGSROYAL TERNSWILLETRUDDY TURNSTONEA PACIFIC LOONRED HEADED WOODPECKERS

And others, like a COMMON MOORHEN, a LAUGHING GULL and a WOOD STORK who both liked my jokes so much they laughed and laughed and laughed, a HOODED WARBLER and a pair of LEAST TERNS.Even the Squirrels looked strangely different.And tomorrow, I'll tell you all about the SWALLOW-TAILED KITE that Emery, Declan and I added to our life list (on the first day of our vacation).

Best,
Dan

Year Birds Are Like a Box of Chocolates

This week alone has been a bounty of new year birds for me, here in Anne Arundel County. It hasn't required lots of effort. Most of them are just merely observed while doing my day to day. It's easy this time of year; the birds just come to you!From Royal Terns to Caspian Terns, from Northern Rough-Winged Swallows to Barn Swallows, from Chipping Sparrows to... well, I'm still waiting for the LeConte's Sparrow to show up again! ; ) The year birds are dripping from the trees, falling from the skies, playing in the mud, swimming in the water and hiding in the grass.Look at the bush outside your bedroom window. See those little leaves about to explode?Notice the trees? Yep, they are ready to paint the brown branches green.Have you seen the ground? There are plants bursting out of the mulch!It's wonderful. I hope you are enjoying it. Oh, and these photos... well, they are of those WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS that invaded West Annapolis a short while ago.

-Dan