When you hear “ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp” or a mellow “cu, cu, cu, cu” call in the distance it might be a sign of rain. Cuckoos are known for their weather forecasting abilities.

“Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier, Tier.” Have you heard this call? It’s the call of a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), but it could be a Blue Jay you’re hearing. Even if you have a discerning ear, the calls can be indistinguishable.

Last fall Kit Fechtig, an avid birder from Pungoteague, Virginia was birding around Machipongo, on Virginia’s barrier island, when he spotted a Northern Wheatear, a small thrush-like bird who is almost never seen in the continental United States. He reported the sighting to the Eastern Shore Post which wrote an article about this rare find.