Brewbirds

Phalaropes

Got my 10th Pennsylvania out-of-county (Bucks Co) year bird today...a record pace for me, compared to just 2 last year (232 in Bucks, 2 elsewhere in PA). PA bird #187 for 2004. Missed a lot of easy stuff this spring, but this was a good one: female Red-necked Phalarope in Shartlesville, Berks County PA. This bird has been on a farm pond for the last few days. Today was terrible, meteorologically speaking. Rained almost all day. Decided i had to get out anyway cuz sittin around the house just makes ya nuts. Got thoroughly soaked watching this cool little bird. Picture quality is rather poor, but here it is:

If you're a big fan of phalarope pictures that totally suck, then this is your lucky day. Here's a male Wilson's from East Rockhill Twp, Bucks Co, on 31 May. Also taken in the rain. I've been battling a serious PA phalarope curse for years now. Always miss em. Always! Now at least i can find em in the rain. It's certainly a step in the right direction...can't complain too much aye?! Bring on the Red...

Odd nesting and cicadas

Got a hot tip on breeding Cliff Swallows in one of my blocks for the PA Breeding Bird Atlas. The swallows are nesting under a bridge over Lake Nockamixon...at least two nests so far. They've been seen here over the past two summers, but this is the first confirmed nesting. Something else is nesting under that bridge too, and it was actually a bit more of a surprise to me:

This Egyptian Goose got up under the joint work of the bridge, kicked together a few stones and laid eggs, evidently. Unfortunately, this is NOT the first confirmed nesting for the area. Another pair is probably nesting again this year at a local farm pond just a few miles away. The bridge nesting seemed pretty weird to me, but maybe this is the way these birds operate. Think i've heard that they nest in trees in Africa, but have to look into that?!?

The most interesting nature event in the area is the emergence of Brood X of the 17 Year Cicadas this month. On the south shore of Nockamixon you can't find one to save your life, but they're EVERYWHERE on the north side. Don't understand why they're not on both sides of the lake, which is manmade and didn't even exist just 3 cycles ago in 1953. The noise on the north shore is almost deafening in places. It's pretty cool, but i'm glad they don't emerge every spring. Here's one sitting on my hand: