Hi, I'm a cool bird.

             This Golden-crowned Kinglet was part of a big push of winter birds that landed in Louisiana over the Halloween weekend.  Golden-crowneds are tiny birds: you might be able to hide one in your hand.  Somehow, these tiny flying creatures manage to make it all the way from the northern forests to the Gulf Coast.  Impressive abilities aside, these birds are really beautiful.    

Cameron Parish Birding, LOS Fall Weekend, 10/30/2010

            It was a pretty happy day-before-Halloween. Temps were very cool in the early morning, there was a light breeze all day, and mosquitoes were bearable. Best of all, it was a good moving day for birds, especially sparrows and winter warblers. Especially abundant were Savannah Sparrows, Palm, Pine, Orange-crowned,and Yellow-rumped Warblers (including one Audubon's Warbler).

            I birded with Mac Myers. We did pretty well, managing to relocate the Ferruginous Hawk (being harassed by a Marsh Hawk, bottom) that James Beck had reported a few days earlier, and also lucking onto a Burrowing Owl (middle) and a Sage Thrasher (top).

White-tailed Hawk, Cameron Parish, 10/10/10