This juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron was a pleasant surprise. I was bird watching along the Susquehanna River when I found the heron perched on the hood of my car.

Listen in Pennsylvania's forests during the summer, and you may hear the persistent song of the Black-throated Green Warbler. 

This week we visited Monticello, the historic site and former home of Thomas Jefferson, and met "Rob," an enterprising American Robin.

Virginia Rails are not rare in Pennsylvania, but seeing one is always special. They are more often heard than seen.

On a recent camping trip, one of the most persistent songs we heard was from a Scarlet Tanager that may have been nesting right there in the campground.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are a common forest-nesting bird across most of Pennsylvania during late spring and summer.

Most terns and gulls are white, often with gray and black wings. A Black Tern stands out as one of the few with mostly black feathers.

Common Grackles may visit your feeders during spring and early summers. They cause a lot of frustration because they can be aggressive towards other feeder birds.

We had one of the cutest yard birds visit our family's backyard last week when a female Mallard brought her three Mallard ducklings to their stream.

On a recent trip, we got great looks at a pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers (we found their nest!) and a family of Canada Jays, commonly known as Whiskey Jacks.