Hi Reporters!! It has been a very long time, and for that I apologize. I started high school earlier this week and am enjoying it. For today’s three year post (has it really been that long???) I compiled a list of the top ten coolest birds I have seen, since I enjoy birdwatching. Here goes!
- BLUE JAY (cyanocitta cristata)
These are my favorite animals and my favorite North American birds. I have only seen one blue jay in Chicago. The rest were at forest preserves and Washington DC.
2. EGYPTIAN GOOSE (alopochen aegyptiaca)
Egyptian geese pick one body of water to live in for their whole lives, unless drought occurs or predators become too abundant. When I was in Portugal this August, we went to the Lisboa Zoo. In the pelican enclosure, I saw an Egyptian goose with her chicks nesting alongside the pelicans. In addition to them not living in Chicago, they are considered rare in the Lisbon area.
3. PURPLE MARTIN (progne subis)
Purple martins are the largest species of swallow in North America. I was at the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary when I saw a flock of them in a tree. They are rare in the Chicago area.
4. SNOWY EGRET (egretta thula)
Snowy egrets mate for life. I find them to be extremely elegant. I saw one of these in Orlando and a few on Wadmalaw Island in South Carolina.
5. ROSEATE SPOONBILL (platalea ajaja)
Roseate spoonbills are the only spoonbills in North America. I have one of their feathers in my room. I saw several on Wadmalaw Island.
6. PAINTED BUNTING (passerina ciris)
Painted buntings are some of the most rapidly declining songbirds in the eastern United States. I was lucky enough to see a few male painted buntings in their prime last summer. Wadmalaw Island was again where I recorded the sighting.
7. BROWN THRASHER (toxostoma rufum)
Brown thrashers are named due to the thrashing sound they make digging through dry leaves, and have been known to attack dogs. I saw one of these at Humboldt Park on a routine birding trip this summer. They are considered rare in the Chicago area.
8. CASPIAN TERN (hydroprogne caspia)
Caspian terns are the largest terns in the world. This one was also spotted at Humboldt Park. I saw it in action, flying over the Humboldt Park Lagoon and diving. They are absolutely fascinating to watch.
9. TURKEY VULTURE (cathartes aura)
Turkey vultures can travel up to 200 miles a day. I’ve seen many of these soaring above my head, but once on Wadmalaw Island, I saw one perching twenty feet in front of me. It was huge. Of course, I’ve read that their wingspan is six feet, but seeing such a massive bird in front of you is rather different.
10. SCARLET TANAGER (piranga olivacea)
Scarlet tanagers’ nests are often victimized by the parasitic brown-headed cowbirds. This summer, in Michigan, a male scarlet tanager in his vibrant, early-summer plumage landed on a fence just in front of me. I got a wonderful look at him and enjoyed a moment of peace. I saw him again a few days later.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post that has been accumulated over two years! I really loved making this and I hope you liked reading it! Thanks so much for the support over the last three years, even despite my horrible posting habits.
Today’s quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed.” -Ernest Hemingway
The Abby Report 
Thanks Abby for getting your blog going again!
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