My recent travel to the east coast was not specifically a birding trip. However, as you know, birds are around and when we take time to look, we’ll see a bird or two! Many birds I already recognized when I saw them and/or heard them. Rarely was my camera out for photos, but amazingly I did observe many birds through my binoculars. Five birds were new to me on this trip!

I sketched each of the five new birds so I would remember seeing them. My sketches may not even be close approximations of what the bird really does look like, but I aimed for the shape and color I saw.

As I drove Interstate-40 from Oklahoma to Hot Springs, Arkansas, I stopped in Ozark, Arkansas. Sometimes I’ll discover a nature center, an interesting rest stop, or a nearby river. It was in this area I saw a worm-eating warbler. Fortunately I was driving across the USA during peak bird migration. Here is a quick sketch of a worm-eating warbler:

Warblers were definitely flying across our country. In Kentucky, I saw a Tennessee warbler … sort of funny, Tennessee … Kentucky …. here’s a sketch:

I actually saw and heard this next bird in numerous places. It was most easy to see the hooded warbler at Sandstone Falls in West Virginia. There is a nice, short trail to hike at the river’s level with plenty of birds in the area. Here is a sketch of a male hooded warbler:

Observing shorebirds is always fun. At Massachusetts’ Buzzard’s Bay, I observed a bird with a unique bill. I knew the first couple of birds were females with their young, but was unsure if it was an eider. A friend and I walked around Gooseberry Island and saw a couple of male common eiders! Unfortunately no photos, but here’s a sketch of a male common eider; distinctly different than the drab-brown-colored feathers you’ll see with the females:

Flycatchers are difficult birds to identify any time I hear and/or see one. However, in Cuyahoga, Ohio it seemed easier to observe, then identify, an Acadian flycatcher. Here’s a sketch of one:

I truly wish I had my camera capturing good photos of each of these birds; however, it simply did not happen. The joy of observing the birds was fun in itself, and especially when sharing the moment with a friend. Be sure to get outdoors to listen and observe the birds in your neighborhood! See any new bird recently?