With a new set of binoculars and about two weeks break between spring and summer classes, I've been eager to get out and bird, though even with a small gap, most time was taken up with moving and buying supplies. Of the time I was able to spend out in nature, there were 3 main trips I took over the past several days, all with somewhat specific goals. The first was to see the Northern Lights, which, despite driving 45 minutes North, was sadly fruitless. The Northern Lights have been visible as far south as Alabama, but it always seems that people who drive specifically to look for it miss out
I'll have other chances to see it farther North though. I did see plenty of rats taking out the trash that night.
As for the second journey, I walked along Vulcan Trail, a forested ridge overlooking the city. A couple of neat birds had been reported here - Scarlet Tanager, Swainson's Warbler, and Bay-Breasted Warbler, to name a few - but the only new bird here was a yearly Great Crested Flycatcher. I flipped rocks along the trail hoping to find some herps, and while there were many Southeastern Five-Lined Skinks sunning, no snakes.
The final trip was to a small birding hotspot near the Birmingham Airport - "Zion Prairie." A network of several large, grassy, prairie-like meadows and rolling hills, this area is truly a goldmine for grassland birds. I went in with low expectations - after not seeing the aurora or any new birds despite some being reported just days prior, I tried not to get too excited. Still, I went in with a goal bird in mind - the Eastern Meadowlark. Once I got there, there was trash strewn about on the road and several couches laying around. I didn't let this discourage me and walked on, and while nothing appeared at first save for omnipresent mockingbirds and a lone Indigo Bunting, birds eventually came out of the woodwork, starting with a bathing
Field Sparrow, my first lifer of the day. Before long, an
Eastern Meadowlark flew up to a powerline and began to sing. I was struck by the small, almost sparrow-like size of this species - I had been expecting it to be grackle or mockingbird sized. I saw several more that day, but the highlight was a huge flock of around 35
Bobolink that fluttered low above the grass before disappearing among the stems. This is an extremely rare bird in the Birmingham area and, as I learned, was very localized. What an amazing day of birding!
Mammals:
7. Black Rat (Rattus rattus) - 5/11/24
Birds:
76. Great Crested Flycatcher (
Myiarchus crinitus) - 5/12/24
77. Cliff Swallow (
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) – 5/13/24
78. Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) – 5/13/24
79. Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) – 5/13/24
80. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) – 5/13/24
Invertebrates:
50. Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) – 5/12/24
51. Eastern Tawny-Horned Spider Wasp (Entypus unifasciatus) – 5/13/24
Butterflies/Moths:
9. Silver-Spotted Skipper (
Epargyreus clarus) – 5/12/24
). It soon then disappeared behind some reeds, but after two hours of waiting and a viewing point change, I was finally able to get a good look at it. This sighting was especially amazing, as it is the first American green-winged teal to be spotted in the greater Helsinki area in 4 years! 
