Not my photo. From Wikimedia Commons.

I’ve decided that from now on I’d like to combine my birding with bike riding. The impetus for this comes after the World Series of Birding where I spent 90% of my time in a car, only popping out to barely hear a bird and then back on the road. That doesn’t seem very environmental, even though most of us who bird consider ourselves environmentalists. So I’m on a crusade to drive as little as possible. Just get myself to some location then unstrap the mountain bike and go. And so far it’s paid off by seeing a lot of species/individuals.

I did some riding each of the three days of this long Memorial Day weekend. Here are the lists from those rides. Of course I often skip putting common species (or a second sighting of a common species) when I make a list— even though it’s really easy to keep records thanks to my app, birdcountr. (wink, wink. nudge, nudge)

The highlights of a the weekend include a Golden-winged Warbler singing right in front of me with perfect light. Of course my digiscoping setup was in the car— it’s a little too hard to bike with. Also I finally bumped into a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It seems like they are no where to be had this year. And a bunch of my top 3 favorite warblers: Hooded, Cerulean, and Blackburnian. The best day was probably today at Hickory Run State Park just because of the sheer number of individuals I had, especially of Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Blue-headed Vireo.

Friday, May 29- Hunlock Creek Boat Launch to the Susquehanna Wetlands
For a lark I tried to keep exact number of American Redstarts.
Wood Duck 1
Green Heron 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Willow Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Fish Crow 4
Tufted Titmouse 4
Carolina Wren 3
Eastern Bluebird 2
Veery 2
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 30
Gray Catbird 10
Cedar Waxwing 4
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 6
Cerulean Warbler 4
American Redstart 25
Common Yellowthroat 1
Hooded Warbler 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 10
Scarlet Tanager 3
Northern Cardinal 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Baltimore Oriole 5
American Goldfinch 2
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sent via birdcountr

Saturday, May 30- Flat Iron Road? In Delaware State Forest- Pike County
Wild Turkey 8
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Least Flycatcher 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Brown Creeper 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Veery 1
Hermit Thrush 1
Cedar Waxwing 2
Golden-winged Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 5
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 2
Ovenbird 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Field Sparrow 1
Scarlet Tanager 1
Baltimore Oriole 1
Purple Finch 1
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sent via birdcountr

Saturday, May 30- Highline Dr- In Delaware State Forest- Pike County
I actually only went 200 yards just to check it out and had to get home
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Prairie Warbler 1
Cerulean Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Ovenbird 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Scarlet Tanager 2
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sent via birdcountr

Sunday, May 31- Hickory Run State Park
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Blue-headed Vireo 5
Red-eyed Vireo 9
Blue Jay 2
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Veery 5
Hermit Thrush 4
Cedar Waxwing 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 3
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 14
Blackburnian Warbler 5
Black-and-white Warbler 12
American Redstart 1
Ovenbird 18
Common Yellowthroat 4
Hooded Warbler 2
Canada Warbler 5
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Scarlet Tanager 5
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sent via birdcountr

Sunday, May 30- Lehigh Gorge
Another check out trip. Only spent about twenty minutes.
Veery 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Dark-eyed Junco 1
And I swear I heard a Yellow-throated Warbler but when I stopped riding to check it out, it stopped.
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sent via birdcountr