Birding in Pennsylvania or how I got several life birds in a week.

I was lucky to have gotten bitten by the birding bug when we moved to Mission, Texas in
the Rio Grande Valley, which  is one of the best birding hotspots in the world. There are so many specialty birds of the Rio Grande Valley, those not occurring elsewhere in North America, along with many migrating species that I added birds to my life list weekly of not daily. I was even lucky enough one year to see and photograph a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, a bird that had never been seen in the states before.


After we came to PA for work two years ago, I didn’t do much birding. I didn’t have the luxury of living next door to the World Birding Center any more and I figured after Green Jays and Kiskadees and Scissortail Flycatchers that there really wasn't  a lot around here to get excited about.
This year though the birding fever hit me again. I’ve found some state parks and a lake and my own backyard to be filled with life birds for me. A life bird is a bird that you have never seen before and that you put on your “life list”
So far this spring I’ve seen the following.
Barn Swallows, these are my favorite birds here so far. So much personality and they fly like Mig jets.

The one on the right looks to be laughing, while the one on the left is soooo serious!

Go get me some nest material now!


Brown Thrasher


Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee female

Rose Breasted Grosbeak


Indigo Bunting

Yellow Warbler

Tufted Titmouse

Swan

Starlings

Red Headed Woodpecker

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Nuthatch


Dark Eyed Junco


Gold Finch

Red Tailed Hawk

Gray Catbird

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Orchard Oriole

Bluebirds

Common Grackle


Robin

Osprey with fish

American Redstart

So these are my life birds so far from Pa. I feel so blessed to have seen all these beautiful birds and to photograph them.