Put the wrong title on at 4:17! Should be Black-backed Woodpecker again! Thanks for watching! Want more Badgerland Birding? Support us on Ko-fi! ko-fi.com/badgerlandbirding
I really appreciated that the list went beyond the usual suspects (Magee Marsh, Cape May, etc.) Having birded both in Central California and Southeast Arizona, I can most definitely attest to the amazing diversity of birds spotted there, my big faves being Sandhill Cranes, tons of hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Pyrrhuloxia! The Texas and Florida spots have been on my list for a while! Thanks for this list!
I do enjoy the migrant hotspots, but there are a lot of places you can get the same if not better migration, but Magee and Cape May are both great spots!
A Central California birder here. What you didn't mention were the huge numbers of migrating waterfowl from November to April. The Central Valley is along the Pacific Coast Flyway
Cool to see my home state of Florida made the list. Central Florida has quite a few parks that are geared for birding. Orlando wetlands, lake apopka wildlife drive, and merritt island national wildlife refuge are go to spots for birders
I've been to 4 of your 5 recommended hotspots and agree with them. Hope you can check out the mid-Atlantic area which is quite birdy. Chincoteague NP (VA), Bombay Hook and Delaware Bay (DE), Cape May (NJ), C&O Canal (Montgomery County MD) and environs are excellent for shore birds and woodland species as well as spring/fall migrations. Love following you around as you bird our beautiful, diverse country.
Great list! I'm so happy that my home region, Central California, made number five!! It so often gets overlooked! Having birded in SE Arizona & the Rio Grande Valley, I agree that they're at the top of the list in terms of unique species & birder-friendly spaces. They're amazing! But while Central California seems to have less of a birding scene overall, it's also a much larger area to cover than the LRGV or Sax-Zim & birding hotspots are a lot more spread out. And yeah - I'm often the only birder around, lol.
I love that you made a video about top birding locations - thank you! I can't help but to notice that all 5 of your locations are on the very perimeter of the country. What about locations that are much more inland, like at least 400 miles from the edge of the country. Could you make a list of top locations in that heartland area? States with areas that would be viable for such a list would be Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri.
@@BadgerlandBirding the Sandhill Crane festival and viewing opportunities in the Platte River valley in central Nebraska would be a good one ..... birding doesn't always have to be about a lot of different species. Another one would be the opportunities to view the ultra-rare Gunnison Sage-Grouse in Colorado, as well as Greater Sage-Grouse in a number of inland states.
Audubon Riverland Migration Center just outside St. Louis is an awesome spot for short eared owls and migratory waterfowl such as trumpeter swans. Shaw Nature Reserve an hour south of St. Louis is incredible for birding throughout the year, but especially in spring. It's a native plant botanical garden kinda like Mt. Cuba in Delaware. The Ozarks also has a couple good spots inside the Mark Twain National Forest. If prairie species are what you're looking for, then Dunn Ranch Prairie Preserve 2 hours north of Kansas City and Prairie State Park 2 hours south of Kansas City are excellent old-growth/never-tilled tallgrass prairies. Both have the last remaining populations of greater prairie chickens in the state as well as free ranging bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas about 2 hours west of Kansas City is the largest remnant of tallgrass prairie left in the world, with a great birding scene especially on early mornings in spring. Hayes, Kansas 3 hours west of that also has a Prairie Chicken festival every year with guaranteed tours to both lesser and greater prairie chicken leks.
These are very cool destinations for sure, especially if you are going for diversity. I lived in North Dakota, and the sheer amount of water fowl that migrate through the state was incredible to behold. Even living in the city, you'd see flocks of birds in v-formation all throughout the season. For my biology course, we'd hike out to a protected state park and just camp in the reeds with binoculars - the windy days helped with mosquitos and so did bug spray - but it was just fascinating watching immense flocks of ducks, geese, shorebirds, gulls, etc. Hawks would actively hunt around, the different species with their different behaviors all just making a pitstop or perhaps breeding, ... just point your binoculars and you'd be watching your very own wildlife special.
I will say that the Dakotas are actually really cool for wildlife. I went through some of the prairie potholes and the badlands and it was really fun to see everything in such unique habitats
I enjoy when others share their opinions about their favorite birding destinations so this really hits. Thank you! Yo isn't 4:17 a Black-backed Woodpecker?
South Florida is an awesome place, but you can't forget about the rest of the state. You have birding hotspots such as Merrit Island NWR, Lake Apopka, St Marks NWR, Paynes Prairie Preserve, Celery Fields, Honeymoon Island SP, and of course Fort DeSoto.
I was at Sax Zim in the Spring. The bog is like a whole different world and I feel lucky to have spent time there. I was on an ornithology field trip for college and needless to say, we got to see a lot of really cool birds. I’ve never seen so many species of sparrows in one place.
Oh Derek you did a fantastic job here I love it , you put everything into perspective especially Arizona and Texas those are my 2 favorite places to go no question about it .
The Ospreys in Florida blew my mind, unreal. Canadian west coaster here, great list, thanks for sharing. Love your work, professionalism and dedication. Hats off to you two, cheers.
Good Morning to you, from HONG KONG 🇭🇰 SAR. The Tri-coloured Blackbird and the California Scrub are just two of the many bird species found on the western parts of the United States 🇺🇸
also i got to see a really really really special sighting of a Pel’s Fishing Owl on my last trip to south africa, it was absolutely unreal and got some great video
Thank you for this cool top 5! I've so enjoyed SE AZ and two birds I'm particularly fond of there (in addition to the others you mentioned) are Canyon Wren, and Buff-Collared Nightjar. Central California -- my favorite is the Water Ouzel! -- and Rio Grande Valley -- listening to the chorus of hundreds of Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, or being visually blown away by cryptic camouflage on the Common Paraque are highlights, plus Cinnamon Teal. I think of all the destinations you mentioned, SE AZ is my favorite, though I'd REALLY like to spend the month of April on High Island Texas some day ❤
Great! 2 out of 5 done (Rio Grande Valley in April 2012 and Central California in September 2016). I plan to go in South Eastern Arizona in spring 2026 (with a group of french birdwatchers) and Saxon Bog in 2 or 3 winters. Florida is not a priority for me. Congratulations for your videos!
NotJeff here. Central CA is really big, bigger than many eastern states. We have one Christmas Count circle here on the SF peninsula that regularly approaches 200 species in just one day. I suggest making multiple day trips each targeting a certain habitat in order to see what you can without being exhausted just from traveling around. I guarantee that you will also be distracted by the marine mammals, spectacular spring flowers, arrays of tree species, and all the different kinds of food.
I want to get down to South Florida in the winter for a trip one year. My additions would be Green Bay and coastal Lake Michigan all around it. (I’m sure you know about that). Also Ocracoke Island or the outer banks in general especially in the wintering time frame. Nice video sir!
This is a solid top 5 list, I don't think I'd change anything. If anyone's looking for a #6, my pick would be the New England area in winter. It's great for sea ducks and alcids and pretty reliable for some European vagrants as well.
As a Californian, I'm a little jaded on CA birding. Even though the birding here can be great, I wouldn't have included Central Cal on your list. In fact, I was a bit shocked that you didn't include Magee Marsh, OH. Going there in the month of May is borderline magical, truly a must visit location.
It really boils down to the fact that there aren’t any species that go through Magee Marsh that you can’t get almost anywhere else in the east or the Midwest while California has a lot of species with restricted range that you have to go there or eastern Mexico for.
Your map left off Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Which also includes great birding hotspots like the Rudyard area and Whitefish Point, which had a Burrowing Owl this fall.
Great list! As an extension to the Rio grande valley, I’d give a shout out to the big bend area further west on the Texas Mexico Border. The combination of the Chisos Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, and Rio grande allows for a huge variety of birds. It’s also the only place in the US to see the Colima Warbler.
There is a great spot during late Autumn and into Winter in New Mexico; Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, South of Socorro. In particular there are huge number of Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, and in recent years huge flocks of Red-wing Blackbirds. If you’re looking for spectacle this should be on your list.
Awesome video :) I live in Sacramento CA (which is technically closer to the middle of the state, but we all call it Nor Cal :) My two favorite places to visit (multiple times) is SE AZ, and South Texas. Yes, the Rio Grande Valley is awesome, and South Padre Island was my first big cross country birding trip, so it will forever hold a place in my heart :) But a little ways up around the Gulf to High Island TX is fantastic too, as is 40 miles inland in the Big Thicket area. I'd SO love to see the birds at Sax-Zim Bog..... but I'm a wimp with cold, and I just don't think it would be a good place for car camping, which is the only way I can afford to bird across the country :( Might have to pick "most" of those species off one at a time, in more hospitable times and places.... or even a few early, and later, at Sax-Zim Bog. I guess the Great Gray's are still doable earlier and later. I can do 30's and 40's... but that's about my limit.
@@BadgerlandBirding Yes, from what I hear, some of them migrate, but others are there all year..... So there might be "more" of them there when it is ridiculously cold and miserable (terrible shooting conditions) but I only need one, so the warmer times will likely be best for me :)
Three out of five of these are places I have on a kind of bucket list anyway... I *must* get back to Arizona sometime, not only for the birds and wildlife but for my aunt, heh. And southern Texas is a no brainer, as the Rio Grande Valley is a destination that just MIGHT get my dad to agree to a trip together. California and the northwest have always fascinated me and someday I really want to see Mount St Helens with my own eyeballs (among plenty of other things like those sequioas!). I'd not considered the bog TBH - I'm a little too familiar with wetlands living where I do and I find swamps quite disagreeable, ha! And you're not getting me into Florida without a crowbar, no matter the time of year it just seems so miserably hot, and I'm far too much a polar bear type for that nonsense. Seriously: it's been actually cold here for a week and I'm reveling in it wearing short sleeves while everyone else is moping and complaining about below 50 F! I'm built for the cold I guess, haha - must be the northern German genetics! So maybe the bog in winter would be a lot easier to tolerate. And for Great Gray Owls I'm willing to tolerate a lot!
I was going to say, based on that I think you’d love the bog! lol It looks like we’ll likely be going to Florida in January so we’ll let you know if it’s unbearable
Can't believe you left off the south New Jersey coast, Brigantine to Cape May. Both sites are considered two of the best individual birding sites in the country. Brigantine being the premier shorebirding spot and Cape May being the premier Hawk Watching site.
tbh Cape May is rather overhyped, as someone who lives in NJ and has gone time and time again, there are very few species unique to the region/area which most of these other spots have. Cape May is really just cool for the large number of migrants and other birders but I wouldnt say it is anything special biodiversity wise
@justastaronblox5823 of course. Being a migrant hotspot is exactly what makes Cape May and Brigantine special. The point of the video was to outline the best birding destinations, not the areas with the most rich biodiversity.
That's why I made my comment at 2:57 :) I've been to Forsythe (The Brig) and Cape May and love them as individual hotspots, but as far as birding regions, I think you get more out of these other spots. Now, if we're talking birding festival spots, Cape May is probably another story
Cape May is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the birding hotspots found in S.E. Arizona or the Rio Grande Valley of TX. S.E. AZ with its stunning biodiversity, and habitat ranges with varying altitudes (often over very short distances) makes for an unreal birding experience.
@m.kennedy342 OK, I'm tracking. I have been to both of those spots and I would also put them as #'s 1 and 2 in my list. But I still saying that southern New Jersey belongs on list of the top 5. Not just Cape May, but Brigantine, the barrier islands, the deciduous woodland, and pine barrens definitely make the area a contender for the top 5 list.
@cameraprepper7938 I’ve been birding for 10 years and have been to all these places, birding, filming, and guiding, and talking to other birders on our 50+ episode podcast, including the best of the best birders out there. I am the most qualified person to talk about this.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Put the wrong title on at 4:17! Should be Black-backed Woodpecker again!
Thanks for watching! Want more Badgerland Birding? Support us on Ko-fi! ko-fi.com/badgerlandbirding
I really appreciated that the list went beyond the usual suspects (Magee Marsh, Cape May, etc.) Having birded both in Central California and Southeast Arizona, I can most definitely attest to the amazing diversity of birds spotted there, my big faves being Sandhill Cranes, tons of hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Pyrrhuloxia! The Texas and Florida spots have been on my list for a while! Thanks for this list!
I do enjoy the migrant hotspots, but there are a lot of places you can get the same if not better migration, but Magee and Cape May are both great spots!
A Central California birder here. What you didn't mention were the huge numbers of migrating waterfowl from November to April. The Central Valley is along the Pacific Coast Flyway
Fair!
As a Brazilian I watch this video and dream of having our country with a proper birding ecotourism industry. We have soo much potential.
I'm surprised to hear you don't have more already!
Would love to check out south american birds
As someone who lives 20 min from Sax Zim, it’s one of my favorite places to go out and explore!
@@TheManFromTwig it’s a gem!
Cool to see my home state of Florida made the list. Central Florida has quite a few parks that are geared for birding. Orlando wetlands, lake apopka wildlife drive, and merritt island national wildlife refuge are go to spots for birders
I've been to 4 of your 5 recommended hotspots and agree with them. Hope you can check out the mid-Atlantic area which is quite birdy. Chincoteague NP (VA), Bombay Hook and Delaware Bay (DE), Cape May (NJ), C&O Canal (Montgomery County MD) and environs are excellent for shore birds and woodland species as well as spring/fall migrations. Love following you around as you bird our beautiful, diverse country.
Thanks so much! Have been to New Jersey and Central Park in NY but definitely want to check out more on that coast.
Thank you for the great recommendations! Loved SE Arizona.
You’re very welcome!
great video ! we're planing a trip to Rio Grande TX ! Cheers
You'll love it!
Great list! I'm so happy that my home region, Central California, made number five!! It so often gets overlooked! Having birded in SE Arizona & the Rio Grande Valley, I agree that they're at the top of the list in terms of unique species & birder-friendly spaces. They're amazing! But while Central California seems to have less of a birding scene overall, it's also a much larger area to cover than the LRGV or Sax-Zim & birding hotspots are a lot more spread out. And yeah - I'm often the only birder around, lol.
Yeah that's true!
I love that you made a video about top birding locations - thank you! I can't help but to notice that all 5 of your locations are on the very perimeter of the country. What about locations that are much more inland, like at least 400 miles from the edge of the country. Could you make a list of top locations in that heartland area? States with areas that would be viable for such a list would be Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri.
That would be cool to look into!
Two I can think of. Horicon(WI) and Cheyenne Bottoms(KS)
@@BadgerlandBirding the Sandhill Crane festival and viewing opportunities in the Platte River valley in central Nebraska would be a good one ..... birding doesn't always have to be about a lot of different species. Another one would be the opportunities to view the ultra-rare Gunnison Sage-Grouse in Colorado, as well as Greater Sage-Grouse in a number of inland states.
Audubon Riverland Migration Center just outside St. Louis is an awesome spot for short eared owls and migratory waterfowl such as trumpeter swans. Shaw Nature Reserve an hour south of St. Louis is incredible for birding throughout the year, but especially in spring. It's a native plant botanical garden kinda like Mt. Cuba in Delaware. The Ozarks also has a couple good spots inside the Mark Twain National Forest.
If prairie species are what you're looking for, then Dunn Ranch Prairie Preserve 2 hours north of Kansas City and Prairie State Park 2 hours south of Kansas City are excellent old-growth/never-tilled tallgrass prairies. Both have the last remaining populations of greater prairie chickens in the state as well as free ranging bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas about 2 hours west of Kansas City is the largest remnant of tallgrass prairie left in the world, with a great birding scene especially on early mornings in spring. Hayes, Kansas 3 hours west of that also has a Prairie Chicken festival every year with guaranteed tours to both lesser and greater prairie chicken leks.
@@geckoguy4141 Thanks for that GREAT writeup of heartland birding venues, especially for those based in the Kansas City or Saint Louis areas!
Those are wonderful birding destinations in the USA.
Thanks for the comment, Nathan!
Arizona is awesome birding spot where the elusive Roadrunner roams.
These are very cool destinations for sure, especially if you are going for diversity. I lived in North Dakota, and the sheer amount of water fowl that migrate through the state was incredible to behold. Even living in the city, you'd see flocks of birds in v-formation all throughout the season. For my biology course, we'd hike out to a protected state park and just camp in the reeds with binoculars - the windy days helped with mosquitos and so did bug spray - but it was just fascinating watching immense flocks of ducks, geese, shorebirds, gulls, etc. Hawks would actively hunt around, the different species with their different behaviors all just making a pitstop or perhaps breeding, ... just point your binoculars and you'd be watching your very own wildlife special.
I will say that the Dakotas are actually really cool for wildlife. I went through some of the prairie potholes and the badlands and it was really fun to see everything in such unique habitats
I enjoy when others share their opinions about their favorite birding destinations so this really hits. Thank you!
Yo isn't 4:17 a Black-backed Woodpecker?
@@BertosBirdLife yeah good catch! I had cut clips of both of them and must have accidentally put the wrong title on 😢
Well said! Never been to these places, but going off of ebird records I couldn't argue!
Great video! Nice to see Sax Zim Bog -- I only recently found out about it. Nice to see it's one of the best. Thank you!
It's very cold in winter but very very cool!
Absolutely great! Fun to know
Thanks, Tim!
South Florida is an awesome place, but you can't forget about the rest of the state. You have birding hotspots such as Merrit Island NWR, Lake Apopka, St Marks NWR, Paynes Prairie Preserve, Celery Fields, Honeymoon Island SP, and of course Fort DeSoto.
Lots of good spots in the state!
I was at Sax Zim in the Spring. The bog is like a whole different world and I feel lucky to have spent time there. I was on an ornithology field trip for college and needless to say, we got to see a lot of really cool birds. I’ve never seen so many species of sparrows in one place.
Glad you had a good time at the bog!
Oh Derek you did a fantastic job here I love it , you put everything into perspective especially Arizona and Texas those are my 2 favorite places to go no question about it .
Thanks, Gary!
Great list since it exactly matches the first 5 locations I will be hitting this year starting with the bog the first week of January. 😀
Awesome!
Oregon and Washington have an amazing diversity of birds
💯
Alright Alright Alright
🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌👍👍👍👍
Love the RGV !!!❤❤❤
Long live the RGV!
The Ospreys in Florida blew my mind, unreal. Canadian west coaster here, great list, thanks for sharing. Love your work, professionalism and dedication. Hats off to you two, cheers.
Thanks so much!
I have that exact same Trogan hat lol, I bought it in Madera Canyon
@@Melanittanigra we’re hat buddies!
Good Morning to you, from HONG KONG 🇭🇰 SAR. The Tri-coloured Blackbird and the California Scrub are just two of the many bird species found on the western parts of the United States 🇺🇸
That's true!
All of central Texas from the Red River south to the border is in the central migration zone and is great for birding in the spring and fall.
i have that same elegant trogon hat!! thats awesome
also i got to see a really really really special sighting of a Pel’s Fishing Owl on my last trip to south africa, it was absolutely unreal and got some great video
#hatbuddies
@@skinnyskinhead9492 Very very cool!
Thanks for the video! Mississippi River Valley is rather good as well with fairly extensive migratory bird species.
Glad you liked the video!
Thank you for this cool top 5! I've so enjoyed SE AZ and two birds I'm particularly fond of there (in addition to the others you mentioned) are Canyon Wren, and Buff-Collared Nightjar. Central California -- my favorite is the Water Ouzel! -- and Rio Grande Valley -- listening to the chorus of hundreds of Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, or being visually blown away by cryptic camouflage on the Common Paraque are highlights, plus Cinnamon Teal. I think of all the destinations you mentioned, SE AZ is my favorite, though I'd REALLY like to spend the month of April on High Island Texas some day ❤
Buff-collared Nightjar is a great bird!
Great! 2 out of 5 done (Rio Grande Valley in April 2012 and Central California in September 2016). I plan to go in South Eastern Arizona in spring 2026 (with a group of french birdwatchers) and Saxon Bog in 2 or 3 winters. Florida is not a priority for me. Congratulations for your videos!
NotJeff here. Central CA is really big, bigger than many eastern states. We have one Christmas Count circle here on the SF peninsula that regularly approaches 200 species in just one day. I suggest making multiple day trips each targeting a certain habitat in order to see what you can without being exhausted just from traveling around. I guarantee that you will also be distracted by the marine mammals, spectacular spring flowers, arrays of tree species, and all the different kinds of food.
Good tips!
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
I want to get down to South Florida in the winter for a trip one year. My additions would be Green Bay and coastal Lake Michigan all around it. (I’m sure you know about that). Also Ocracoke Island or the outer banks in general especially in the wintering time frame. Nice video sir!
This is a solid top 5 list, I don't think I'd change anything. If anyone's looking for a #6, my pick would be the New England area in winter. It's great for sea ducks and alcids and pretty reliable for some European vagrants as well.
Definitely need to do some more birding out there!
Love the Trogon hat! Did you get that in Portal or Madera? Great video. Hope to do Rio Grande some day.
@@TheBirdingThrifter thanks! I actually got it at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival! The Alamo Inn had a booth and they were selling them.
I’m lucky enough to live in Sacramento. The Delta brings us tons of birds , and our feeders are wonderful for spotting residents and visitors alike.
As a Californian, I'm a little jaded on CA birding. Even though the birding here can be great, I wouldn't have included Central Cal on your list. In fact, I was a bit shocked that you didn't include Magee Marsh, OH. Going there in the month of May is borderline magical, truly a must visit location.
It really boils down to the fact that there aren’t any species that go through Magee Marsh that you can’t get almost anywhere else in the east or the Midwest while California has a lot of species with restricted range that you have to go there or eastern Mexico for.
Your map left off Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Which also includes great birding hotspots like the Rudyard area and Whitefish Point, which had a Burrowing Owl this fall.
Great list! As an extension to the Rio grande valley, I’d give a shout out to the big bend area further west on the Texas Mexico Border. The combination of the Chisos Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, and Rio grande allows for a huge variety of birds. It’s also the only place in the US to see the Colima Warbler.
That’s a place on our list to visit!
Not including the pacific northwest is wild
That's why I made my comment at 2:57 :)
I’ve Birded all 5 of the Hot Spots. Most more than once.
You get it!
There is a great spot during late Autumn and into Winter in New Mexico; Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, South of Socorro. In particular there are huge number of Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, and in recent years huge flocks of Red-wing Blackbirds. If you’re looking for spectacle this should be on your list.
Heard great things about it! Haven't made a visit yet though!
Woooop Texas!! Hoping one day I can make the drive and enjoy the incredible biodiversity there.
Texas is great!
Michigan's a great spot
Awesome video :) I live in Sacramento CA (which is technically closer to the middle of the state, but we all call it Nor Cal :) My two favorite places to visit (multiple times) is SE AZ, and South Texas. Yes, the Rio Grande Valley is awesome, and South Padre Island was my first big cross country birding trip, so it will forever hold a place in my heart :) But a little ways up around the Gulf to High Island TX is fantastic too, as is 40 miles inland in the Big Thicket area. I'd SO love to see the birds at Sax-Zim Bog..... but I'm a wimp with cold, and I just don't think it would be a good place for car camping, which is the only way I can afford to bird across the country :( Might have to pick "most" of those species off one at a time, in more hospitable times and places.... or even a few early, and later, at Sax-Zim Bog. I guess the Great Gray's are still doable earlier and later. I can do 30's and 40's... but that's about my limit.
We were talking to Sparky who works at the bog and he said the Great-gray Owls actually live there year-round!
@@BadgerlandBirding Yes, from what I hear, some of them migrate, but others are there all year..... So there might be "more" of them there when it is ridiculously cold and miserable (terrible shooting conditions) but I only need one, so the warmer times will likely be best for me :)
Three out of five of these are places I have on a kind of bucket list anyway... I *must* get back to Arizona sometime, not only for the birds and wildlife but for my aunt, heh. And southern Texas is a no brainer, as the Rio Grande Valley is a destination that just MIGHT get my dad to agree to a trip together. California and the northwest have always fascinated me and someday I really want to see Mount St Helens with my own eyeballs (among plenty of other things like those sequioas!). I'd not considered the bog TBH - I'm a little too familiar with wetlands living where I do and I find swamps quite disagreeable, ha! And you're not getting me into Florida without a crowbar, no matter the time of year it just seems so miserably hot, and I'm far too much a polar bear type for that nonsense.
Seriously: it's been actually cold here for a week and I'm reveling in it wearing short sleeves while everyone else is moping and complaining about below 50 F! I'm built for the cold I guess, haha - must be the northern German genetics! So maybe the bog in winter would be a lot easier to tolerate. And for Great Gray Owls I'm willing to tolerate a lot!
I was going to say, based on that I think you’d love the bog! lol It looks like we’ll likely be going to Florida in January so we’ll let you know if it’s unbearable
Don't forget High Island and Sabine Woods!
Didn’t forget them, just not in the top five!
Can't believe you left off the south New Jersey coast, Brigantine to Cape May. Both sites are considered two of the best individual birding sites in the country. Brigantine being the premier shorebirding spot and Cape May being the premier Hawk Watching site.
tbh Cape May is rather overhyped, as someone who lives in NJ and has gone time and time again, there are very few species unique to the region/area which most of these other spots have. Cape May is really just cool for the large number of migrants and other birders but I wouldnt say it is anything special biodiversity wise
@justastaronblox5823 of course. Being a migrant hotspot is exactly what makes Cape May and Brigantine special. The point of the video was to outline the best birding destinations, not the areas with the most rich biodiversity.
That's why I made my comment at 2:57 :) I've been to Forsythe (The Brig) and Cape May and love them as individual hotspots, but as far as birding regions, I think you get more out of these other spots. Now, if we're talking birding festival spots, Cape May is probably another story
Cape May is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the birding hotspots found in S.E. Arizona or the Rio Grande Valley of TX. S.E. AZ with its stunning biodiversity, and habitat ranges with varying altitudes (often over very short distances) makes for an unreal birding experience.
@m.kennedy342 OK, I'm tracking. I have been to both of those spots and I would also put them as #'s 1 and 2 in my list. But I still saying that southern New Jersey belongs on list of the top 5. Not just Cape May, but Brigantine, the barrier islands, the deciduous woodland, and pine barrens definitely make the area a contender for the top 5 list.
Idaho should’ve been #1 😉
HAHA, Maybe once I visit I'll change my mind
There are too many young youtubers talking as if they have a long lifetime experience !
@cameraprepper7938 I’ve been birding for 10 years and have been to all these places, birding, filming, and guiding, and talking to other birders on our 50+ episode podcast, including the best of the best birders out there. I am the most qualified person to talk about this.