Social Flycatcher in the Rio Grande Valley!
What a day here in the Rio Grande Valley! We had an early meet-up to head east toward the coast, and after battling our way through the Starbucks ‘holiday cup’ madness we had coffee in hand and were cruising toward Boca Chica Beach in the pouring rain. Almost immediately after passing the border patrol station…
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT: Finding a Bar-tailed Godwit in Monterey!
Visiting Monterey each September on our California: Central Coast trip is a major highlight of my year, and when our group birded the shorebird hotspots in that region this past September we were not disappointed. During an afternoon visit to Moss Landing we enjoyed thousands of shorebirds close up including 180 Marbled Godwits, 6 Whimbrel,…
A Snowy Owl spends the summer in southern Maine and New Hampshire
There have been a number of Snowy Owl records this year through late-spring and summer in southern Maine and New Hampshire, and it seems they may all involve the same large, mostly white individual. Details of the plumage pattern seems very consistent between the 3 main locations it was reported. Initially this bird was discovered…
Wildside Big Year is Back!
Our Big Year Birding Tours and Short Tours for Target Species were sidelined due to the pandemic for over a year, but as of this month we are back! Our unparalleled series of 26+ tours across the United States are specifically tailored to maximize birding potential at all the right places during all the right…
2020 “BIG YEAR” RESULTS!
Compiled and written by Alex Lamoreaux and Chris Brown Well, 2020 is over! We started off our North American ‘Big Year’ series very strong but all that came to an abrupt end in March. Suffice to say, it wasn’t a great year to travel for birding. In total we did manage to run 7 of…
DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT: Bosque del Apache
Nothing can prepare you for the splendor of morning flight in Bosque del Apache NWR in the fall. Until you’ve seen it for yourself, you will hardly believe the enthusiastic reports of friends. Until you’ve heard what several thousand snow and Ross’s geese sound like when they lift at once from a pond, you can’t…
DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT: Quoddy Head State Park
“The passage through all of the rocky galleries of the Pine Tree Coast culminates at Quoddy Bay in a masterpiece.” -Samual Adams Drake, The Pine Tree Coast. If you follow Route 1 up the coast of Maine you’ll eventually, though maybe briefly, find yourself in a little village called Whiting. At this juncture the best…
DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT: Mount Washington
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern United States, at 6,288 feet, and boasts some of the worst weather and strongest winds ever recorded. Despite this impending reputation, in spring it is a truly beautiful place. Each year in early June we savor the winding drive up this iconic mountain during our ‘Maine: Mountains…
The DRY TORTUGAS – Paradise Islands for Birders
While we are not able to visit the Dry Tortugas this month, we are already looking forward to returning next year to this wonderful destination. We are running 4 trips in 2021 with spaces still available. Have questions? See below, or feel free to contact me. Why visit the Dry Tortugas? The Dry Tortugas is…
2019 “BIG YEAR” RESULTS!
Compiled and written by Alex Lamoreaux and Chris Brown, with Sally Ingraham A new year (and new decade!) has come around, and our guides have been enjoying some down time at home with friends and family. They certainly deserve a little rest because 2019 was the busiest year yet for our Wildside team! Our North…
Where’s Greg? (Nov 2019 edition)
For the last (almost) 3 years I have been spending a lot more time caregiving. My brother has been intellectually handicapped since birth. It’s a mutation in the gene KPTN that also causes epilepsy. He requires full care including diaper changes, clothing, bathing, feeding, and personal care. He is also non verbal and does not…
Maine: A Place of Serendipity
Maine holds a special place in my heart. It is a place where I love to visit. The mountains beckon. The incredible rocky seashores are striking. And the islands off the coast are home to many seafaring birds. Maine has a great concentration of nesting passerines, too. Many of our migrant warblers end their journey…