Chirps and Cheeps

The last week of May has arrived and, with my eye on the clock, so to speak, I birded as much as I could, knowing the magic was ending soon.

A Black-billed Cuckoo at Birdsong in Orchard Park was a nice find.  I have been hoping to add this species to the hotspot's checklist for some time now.  And what a cooperative bird this was!  This cuckoo didn't flush when I came upon him. I froze as soon as I saw him but I don't think I needed to.  He just kept looking around for insects, hopping / flying / maneuvering from bush to bush.  I was amazed.  Finally, I got some photos of him once I realized I could move.

Coming upon a Cerulean Warbler was a very nice treat.  They are soooo beautiful and I got some eye-level views of this gorgeous warbler.  Nearby, was ANOTHER Acadian Flycatcher.  He was calling out the standard "peet sah" call so this time, there was no messing up his identity!  More than a couple of Yellow-throated Vireos and a pair of Wood Thrushes were in the same area as well.  A Blue-winged Warbler and Scarlet Tanagers too!

At Tillman WMA, I happened to look up and see a Common Nighthawk flying during the day.  It landed at the edge of the woods on a horizontal branch.  That was very cool - something we don't see often in Western New York!

I saw a checklist from someone who reported an Olive-sided Flycatcher at Amherst SP.  I've been looking for that species for the last week now, so I thought I'd go see if the report was valid and if the bird was still there.  Luck was with me and I saw it at the top of a dead tree - pretty far in the distance, so forgive the poor photo!

There was a good number of shorebirds out on the breakwalls at the Erie Basin Marina on the 28th.  I won't even put any photos of them here as they were pretty far out - but I always love seeing them!  I spent a full two hours just watching and focusing on as many fieldmarks as I could in order to ID them.  Some were beyond my ability but I did pick out a Dunlin, a White-rumped Sandpiper, some Sanderling, a few Ruddy Turnstones - but as for the rest, I had to cry "uncle" and list them as peeps!

The last significant bird of the month was an immature Glaucous Gull seen on the beach at Woodlawn.  eBird sightings show they can run into June so it's not exceptional, just noteworthy...