I had the thorough pleasure of attending the ABA's Camp Avocet as a counselor last week. The camp, based at the beautiful and birdy Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, attracted 22 keen young birders and a slew of bird experts who joined the staff for birding jaunts in Delaware, Pennsylvania,... Continue reading

It’s not easy, but somebody just has to do it. I think doing overlapping big years is just an extreme example of what all of us, even non-birders, do all the time. We chose to make our lives more complicated than they already are. At least that’s how what we... Continue reading

Two more first state records this week, including an amazing White-crowned Pigeon in Virginia and a Tropical/Couch's Kingbird in Pennsylvania. Continue reading

Ted Floyd’s ABA blog post last week has gotten me thinking, first specifically about the arbitrariness of big year starting dates, and then about all sorts of other arbitrary things, bird-related and otherwise. Below are a few arbitrarily chosen thoughts on the arbitrariness of big year timing, bird species definitions,... Continue reading

Noah and the Wild Turkeys search for Ash-throated Flycatchers in eastern Oregon. (All photos by Tim Kurtz.) “Ten minutes to go!” As I stood at Yaquina Head on the Oregon Coast last weekend, my head reeled. Thousands of Common Murres jostled for space on the guano-stained cliffs in front of... Continue reading

We’ve all thought about it. When our day of reckoning comes to pass, let’s say we have the option of coming back as a species of bird... Which one would you choose? There are some pretty interesting makes and models to choose from. Below are a couple of choice options.... Continue reading

I’ve been managing ABA Events for just over a year now and the one question I am asked perhaps more than any other is: “When are we going to have another convention?” Now I can happily say NEXT YEAR, in 2014! The convention will be held April 22-26, in Corpus... Continue reading

On April 27, Louise and Pierre Simard discovered an ABA Code-4 Garganey in flooded fields in Mirabel, Laurentides, Quebec. This is the second Garganey this spring in Quebec and the 18th record of the species for the province. photo by Louise Simard, used with permision Mirabel is just north of... Continue reading

Here's an image of the quiz bird in the March/April 2013 issue of Birding magazine: Hmm... Where to start? Well, it would be helpful to note the date and location. Ask, and ye shall receive. The photo is from the third week in April (like, right now), and the location... Continue reading

On March 8, 2013, Sharon Lynn found a Crested Caracara on White's Neck Rd near Ocean View, Delaware. This has been an amazing year for Crested Caracara in the Mid-Atlantic, with apparently multiple birds reported from southern New Jersey for most of the winter. Pending acceptance, this is a first... Continue reading

Bill Schmocker offers some tips on using your camera to get accurate counts of birds. Continue reading

Lynn Barber transitions from a state Big Year to a county Big Year. Continue reading

Bill Schmoker offers some not quite intuitive tips to get your windows ready for winter bird viewing and photography. Continue reading

This is not the Big Day and List Report you're used to. It's so so much more! Continue reading