My latest column in The Record is about a fun new way to hone your birding skills.

The column is in the Better Living section of the Thursday Record and Herald News.

I saw a Pied-billed Grebe at the CF from my mouse, thanks to a spotting scope, at 6:45 last night. Rushed out and took the above distant photo.

Grebe is clearly billed, and bill is clearly pied. :- )

My 44th yard bird of the year.  Helps to live next to the Celery Farm.

What's amazing is I went on the Fyke website to check Rob Fanning's CF arrival date spreadsheet, and Pied-billed Grebes are expected to arrived between 3-25 and 3-30. BTW< Rob had a PG Grebe at the CF on March 14 this year. No surprise there -- I am typically way beyond Rob ...

Link to Rob's spreadsheet is here.  Click on the second spreadsheet. (Thanks, Rob!)

Who he? Taken at my feeder between Grackles earlier this month.  (We are thinking House Finch....)

Had my first-of-the-year CF American Coots and Osprey this morning, along with some awesome Wood Duck drakes. Julie McCall reports also seeing a Rusty Blackbird by the north end of the loop.

Oh, also had this Turkey Vulture giving me the stink eye.

The Allendale DPW flailed the wildflower garden last week as part of an effort to get rid of that nasty mugwort. A major step.