12 replies to this topic

[EyesOnTheSky]

My vote goes for any of the Nightjars.

[JimBob]

Day birds. . . I would say rails or bitterns. Night birds. . . goatsuckers.

[NatureLady]

Goatsuckers and owls.I personally have the toughest time photographing warblers but thats just me.

[Desertthorn]

_{I have to agree with Nightjars, and looking at my life list, warblers are few and far between.}

[illin]

Northern Saw-whet Owl would be my vote.

[ColoTomo]

2 for Saw whet!!!

[horseface]

Some of the owls are really really tough. Barred and GHO and probably Barn are fairly simple but the other ones good luck. I can't imagine ever finding something like a Flammulated Owl without a lot of help.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I would definitely vote for one of the less common owl species. I think nightjars are easier to locate if you're in the right area, since they are such active feeders and are often out before it gets pitch black.

[EyesOnTheSky]

A birder friend of mine related the following story. He was in Arizona with a group of hardcore British twitchers and they were looking for a Nightjar. For several nights they had no luck until one of them decided to take a leak, stepped a foot of the path and promptly pissed on their nemesis bird. The bird flew off and he got his check mark.

[Liam]

Yellow Rail

[illin]

Black Rail is another tough one. Smith's Longspurs are boogers too.

[Paruula]

Well, I have shrike issues, but that's a unique problem. Ammodramus sparrows also have a vote from me.

Yellow Rail

We have a pair of Peregrine Falcons that chill out on the bell tower here, and part of volunteering at the museum involves cleaning up and identifying their food items. Last summer they dropped two, whole, uneaten Yellow Rails. Highly insulting when you haven't seen one. Why can't they just go for the pigeons like normal city raptors? Yeesh.

[johnnybirder]

My vote goes to Ivory-billed Woodpecker! Also Cerulean Warblers are pretty hard to get up here in NJ. For night birds Barn Owl are very scarce here as well.