A turkey vulture lengthens its wings as it perches on a tree branch and preens feathers on its neck.
On May 14, I spent a sizable portion of the day birding, and I had the perfect excuse to do so. It was World Migratory Bird Day and also Global Big Day. This is a day when people all over the world watch and listen to birds and are encouraged to document sightings on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology run website ebird.org. I enjoyed the day of birding and had some memorable sightings, including of birds I see on a regular basis. Some of those sightings are shared here.
A turkey vulture was hard to miss as it perched in a tree and preened with its large wings held out. When I stopped to watch, some small movements, which easily could have been missed in the overgrowth below the turkey vulture’s tree, caught my attention. Within this unassuming overgrowth were several different bird species darting about, emerging from the spring foliage and disappearing as quickly as they appeared. One of those birds was a common yellowthroat.
A common yellowthroat was one of the many birds that preferred to remain hidden in the foliage under the tree where the turkey vulture was perched.
In contrast to the overcast morning, the afternoon was sunny. A great blue heron made its entrance at a pond, flying just above the water’s surface before landing on top of a muskrat lodge. Standing in full sunshine, the heron opened its long beak and unfolded its wings to sunbathe. Unlike the turkey vulture from earlier, who held its wings out at its sides, the heron assumed its signature sunning position where its wings were held out in front and angled upward, a different technique to increase its body’s surface area for maximum sunshine absorption.
Standing on top of a muskrat lodge, a great blue heron unfolds its wings in order to catch as many sun rays as it can.
Secluded roads tend to offer nice birding opportunities, so I made sure to visit at least one on this day of birding. That was where I made my first Baltimore oriole sighting of the year. The fast black and orange bird flew around in the treetops where it was feeding. Also seen on this quiet road were blue-winged teals swimming leisurely in a water-filled ditch while some mallards napped behind a wall of tall grass.
A flash of orange in the treetops announced the presence of a Baltimore oriole who rarely sat still as it was feeding.
It was early evening when I visited a woodland. As I made my way down the designated trail with trees towering on either side, a large bird silently flew by and landed in one of those trees. The bird was a barred owl. Had I not seen it fly, I would not have been able to locate the owl as it perched. Its camouflage was impeccable. Previously quiet birds sounded their alarm calls, an audible indication that a bird of prey was in the vicinity, until the owl flew away.
A barred owl gazes from a tree.
While I was watching birds, I could not help but find other wildlife to watch as well. Painted turtles, a muskrat, a rabbit, a raccoon, dragonflies, and other people birding were spotted in addition to those with feathers.
Two painted turtles peek out of the water at the edge of a pond. In addition to birds, other interesting wildlife was found on this day of birding.
Birding can be done on any day of the year, but there is an undeniable air of excitement on Global Big Day. From the house sparrow in the parking lot to the eastern meadowlark in the field, every bird, seen or heard, counts. Whether the day is spent trying to find the most species possible or spent by simply saying hello to our avian neighbors, birding in any way is bound to be rewarding.