The best bird of 2012 for me was not the most beautiful (Painted Bunting, Florida) or most longed-for bird (Burrowing Owl, also Florida). It was the one that made itself available for close and repeated observations: the Eastern Screech-owl. During the summer, we hosted a family of 2 parents and 3 fledglings which hunted right outside our window for weeks- amazing! The first bird I saw on my birthday? A screech-owl. What bird kept me company while my fiancé was away for many weeks of Sandy relief? A screech-owl. There surely can be no doubt that 2012 was, for me, the Year of the Screech-owl, and it didn't even require any travel.
A close second was seeing the Osprey return to and successfully nest at their restored home on Portland Point Road. It was great to see them back and raising a family after their former nest burned down. The best birds always have stories around them, don't they? May 2013 be full of stories for us all. Robyn Bailey Lansing -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
