Mid-March may not pack the punch we get from more migratory months in the temperate zones, but this time of year has its birding charms. More surprisingly, not all of them are subtle.

For example, I was able to wrangle my first Short-eared Owls of the year, where else but at Nations Rd IBA. Even though a snow squall whipped up as soon as I arrived, a pair of highly conspicuous owls made the trip worthwhile. Corey had a nice range of options for his Best Bird of the Weekend as on Sunday he had a trio of Snowy Owls, his first Tree Swallows of the year, and a nice, cooperative Long-tailed Duck. But his Best Bird of the Weekend was a bird he eagerly anticipates each year, his first American Oystercatchers of the season chasing each other around the tip of Breezy Point.

How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

Written by Mike
Mike is a leading authority in the field of standardized test preparation, but he's also a traveler who fully expects to see every bird in the world. Besides founding 10,000 Birds in 2003, Mike has also created a number of other entertaining but now extirpated nature blog resources, particularly the Nature Blog Network and I and the Bird.