The Good, the Bad, And The Compulsive Birding

May is a busy month for birders. Migration is in full swing with warblers, flycatchers, and other assorted goodies decorating every tree with their unique colors and style.

For me, the best part is sitting next to a trickling brook watching everything unfold at its own pace but spring migration is like having a ticket to an all you can eat buffet at the world's greatest restaurant. You're tempted to stuff your plate with the as much of a variety of food as you can!

Birding can become a compulsion. You start to know what birds to expect in what places and it becomes a race to see as much as you can or you might miss something. 

Above is the elegant Eastern Kingbird with a nice contrast of charcoal and white.

This is the Blue-winged Warbler. I see them every year at powerline cuts or other open areas with similar habitat. The make a call that sounds like bee-buzzz. They have what looks like a small black eyeliner that marks their yellow head.

It's not uncommon to see as many as 50 or 60 species a day this time of the year! Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining but after I see as much as I can manage I will look forward to slowing down and watching just one bird at a time!