May Birding
Published: October 28, 2016
Tags: General Observations, Brant, American Avocet, Willet, Golden-winged Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Summer Tanager, Western Tanager, Mississippi Kite, Common Nighthawk, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Eared Grebe, Cerulean Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Clay-colored Sparrow, Black-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed Woodpecker, Least Flycatcher
The month of May started out with some great rarities. A stop at the Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant brought a few surprises: Brant (first noticed by Greg Lawrence), 7 Willet, and both a Forster's Tern and Black Tern. More Willet and Brant were reported throughout the day - plus a couple of American Avocets were found in Canandaigua. There were fallouts all over the region!
The rest of the month brought the beautiful warblers that we all look so forward to in Western New York. I got to see a male Cerulean Warbler practically in my own back yard! Between those little jewels and a few more rarities, the month was one of the best birding months I think I've enjoyed so far.
Some of the rarities I got to see included: a Harris's Sparrow in Kendall, a Golden-winged Warbler found by Matt Nusstein at Forest Lawn, a Worm-eating Warbler that Alec Humann and I found at Forest Lawn, a Yellow-throated Warbler I refound at Forest Lawn, an Eastern Whip-poor-will found by Garner Light and Nate Johnson at Forest Lawn, a Summer Tanager down in Chautauqua County, a Gray Kingbird found by Greg Lawrence, a Western Tanager found by Alan Baczkiewicz, a dozen Whimbrel at Canandaigua, and a Mississippi Kite up in Port Colbourne, Ontario. The kite and kingbird were both life birds!
The Common Nighthawk became a yard bird towards the end of the month as I discovered from a post by Mike Zebehazy that they were flying over Orchard Park for a few nights. Sure enough, another stakeout on my deck proved fruitful - I had six fly over one night!
May is certainly a magical month here in Western New York and below are some of those magical moments captured as best as I was able...
Brant at the Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant
Willet at the Canandaigua City Pier
American Avocets at the Canandaigua City Pier
Yellow-throated Vireo
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Western Tanager
Blue-winged Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
A terrible shot of the elusive Yellow-throated Warbler Peter Yoerg found at Forest Lawn. This was taken later that same night in light rain and just about dark. He was very high up in a tree with some other warblers; I can't believe I refound the guy in those conditions!
Cape May Warbler
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Summer Tanager in Chautauqua
Ruddy Turnstone
Clay-colored Sparrow
Mississippi Kite in Port Colbourne
Mississippi Kite in Port Colbourne
Whimbrel in Canandaigua
Black-billed Cuckoo at Tifft
Common Nighthawk as seen from my deck
Common Nighthawks - a new yard bird!
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpeckers mating
Eared Grebe at BWWTP
Least Flycatcher at Forest Lawn