Sunday, 4 January 2026

First Twitch of 2026 - Red-Flanked Bluetail

When a "Mega" rarity is seen 25 minutes from your house, it is pretty hard not to go twitch it. This morning I went to Great Falls Park in Virginia to chase a Red-flanked Bluetail, a vagrant from Asia. This is only the second time that it has been seen on the east coast of North America, how it got here is a very fun thought exercise. 

Namesake Blue tail

& Namesake Red Flanks!
Chasing a rarity like this is always exciting and even better when you get to see it.

Great American Road Trip of 2025 - Part 4 - Great Gray Owl in Idaho

Turns out Idaho is just as gorgeous as Montana, if not more so. In another life I could be very into fishing but the birding bug hit hard in...