Birds of the Mid-Atlantic #16: Indigo Bunting

As the summer enters its peak season, bird-watching becomes a matter of endurance. The temperatures are high (close to 100°F in Washington this week), humidity is high, and cool breezes are rare events. Biting insects and ticks are a constant nuisance. Most birds have reduced their singing and hunker down out of the heat. It is enough to make a birder want to stay indoors and long for late September.

Even so, there are a few birds that stay active through the middle of summer. These species help keep our parks lively and our birding interesting during the typical midsummer lull. One such bird is the lovely indigo bunting.

Indigo Bunting / Photo by Dave Menke (USFWS)

... great article from a fellower birder John and can be found on his bird blog "A DC Birding Blog"...

A DC Birding Blog: Birds of the Mid-Atlantic #16: Indigo Bunting

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Bird watching helps anglers

By Steve Waters.South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Big fish have been in short supply for offshore anglers, but every now and then, someone catches a whopper.

Kenny Harris, Will Klima and Chris Soccol picked a perfect time to get their biggest-ever dolphin, a 55.33-pound bull that earned them first place in the recent Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce Summer Sizzler dolphin tournament.Click here to find out more!LocalLinks"

We've caught 30-pounders before, but not a 55-pounder," Soccol said.

The three Davie Fire Department firefighters were fishing on Harris's 23-foot open fisherman No Chiefs. They ran around off Jupiter looking for birds. Early in the day, some birds tipped them off to a bunch of small dolphin about 12 miles offshore."We were in a school of about 100 schoolies, but they weren't keepers," Soccol said.

They kept looking and around noon they saw a frigate bird about 14-15 miles offshore. They trolled by the bird and the big bull grabbed a pink-and-blue Ilander lure with a ballyhoo."

He just slammed it," Soccol said.

...I kinda like that idea, one hobby helping another hobby. fishing and birdwatching  :-)

Bird watching helps anglers: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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