In a society that values consensus and clarity, speaking out against the conventional wisdom or shared beliefs requires bravery. Sometimes a moment demands a voice of dissent, even if speaking out could incur skepticism, ridicule, or even scorn. Nonetheless, when you positively ID a bird that differs from the usual expectations, you’ve got to spread the word. That’s what being a hero is all about!

While I would classify my birding this weekend as more clumsy than courageous, I did swim against the prevailing current by identifying a lone dowitcher as Long-billed when eBird cites the common dow at King’s Bend Park in Pittsford as Short-billed. While I generally loathe these exercises in discerning the nearly indiscernible in the field, subtle evidence points to the bird my local reviewer will likely question. But how could I keep silent? 😉 Corey enjoyed the weekend visiting his folks in the mid-Hudson Valley. A trip to North-South Lake State Park was enjoyable, especially the walk to the overlook where the Catskill Mountain House once stood. A trio of Peregrine Falcons playing tag in the updrafts off the cliff edge was a pleasure and any one of the three was Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend.

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.