10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2019

The last ten day days have been one of the most intense, yet invigorating days of birding that can ever remember embarking on. It has almost been a “Perfect Storm” scenario, with several contributing factors all coming together to start me on this birding blitz.

Arizona 125

Arizona Tucson Mississippi Nashville 125

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Just a few miles northwest of downtown Tucson, the Sweetwater Wetlands is truly a birding gem. This is a water reclamation plant, so the water is not quite as sweet as the name might suggest, but it certainly is a magnet for a lot of bird species. The post The Little Big Year – Week 42: Tucson’s Sweetwater Wetlands.

Tucson 131

Tucson Arizona Blackbirds Texas 131

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2019

For the past few weeks I have been touting all the different reasons that Southeast Arizona is such an amazing area for birding. With the formation of last week’s hurricane, it delivered a Magnificent Frigatebird , a Wood Stork , and a Herring Gull to the Tucson area. Talk about the world’s easiest Twitch!

Arizona 165

Arizona Tucson Seattle United States 165

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Most birders that have spent any amount of time chasing down our fine feathered friends have learned that most cities waste treatment facilities are incredible magnets for many species of birds. One of the small cities south of Tucson Arizona, Amado, has a very small pond, right along highway 19, also known as the Nogales Highway.

Pelicans 167

Pelicans Tucson Arizona Groups 167

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

If they are passing thru Pima County, and the Tucson area, Arivaca Lake is the last stop for water before crossing the US/Mexico border. This 90 acre lake, managed by Arizona Fish and Wildlife is about a 45 mile drive from Tucson, and 9 miles from Mexico, as the Chihuahuan Raven flies. One raft along had over 380 birds in it.

Mexico 138

Mexico Tucson Arizona Ducks 138

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2012

Tucson, AZ, August 2012 – When you get a bunch of bird bloggers together, which you do you imagine comes first: birds or blogs? Swarovski Optik confirmed the obvious answer rather quickly when the SONA group invited a bunch of us to Tucson for a Social Media Summit. Where else can you see something like that?!

Tucson 154

Tucson Arizona North America Sparrows 154

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2012

I just returned from a phenomenal long weekend in Tucson, AZ where I participated in a really enjoyable event. Our friends at Swarovski Optik organized a Birding Social Media Summit to discuss the many ways in which birding and socal media intersect. This is Arizona This is Arizona This is Arizona!

Arizona 173

Arizona Tucson North America Texas 173

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2021

I got back into birding less than a decade ago, long after moving to Mexico in 1983. So I can hardly speak with authority on birding in the U.S. You fly to Phoenix, or Tucson, rent a car (or ride a bike cross-country, if you are Noah Strycker), drive to the tiny towns of Patagonia and Sierra Vista, and voila!

Arizona 264

Arizona Mexico Los Angeles Dallas 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2018

That was the best possible spot we could find from our Tucson base, and given our badly stressed budget. It just so happens, that there were some pretty decent priced flights out of Tucson, so Jeanne booked a couple of tickets, and then had to beat it back home from Texas. We had done it all the way around the world, why not now?

Bahamas 113

Bahamas Tucson El Paso Texas 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2019

As we march ever closer to the end of 2019, I continue to marvel at the number of birds that pass thru, or reside in this relatively small area. After an extensive year of travel in 2018, I have mainly focused on Pima County and the Tucson area for my birding.

Arizona 121

Arizona Tucson 2018 2019 121

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2012

One wonders how birding tour leaders and industry reps manage to embrace life on the road. As you might have guessed, I’ll be birding somewhere new this weekend. You’ll find me in the area of Tucson, Arizona with a number of other people you probably know. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding?

Tucson 158

Tucson North Carolina 2012 Arizona 158

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2019

It ended with little fan fare; in fact I did not even go chasing birds on the last two days of 2018, as I am just plain tired. Not of the birds, but the seemingly endless early mornings, rarely sleeping in my own bed, and the pressure, mostly self imposed, to find yet one more bird. Overall World Ranking as per eBird.com 79th.

Costa Rica 142

Costa Rica Tucson South Africa Bahamas 142

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2019

Now that Jeanne and I have finally settled on Tucson, Arizona at least for a while, I will pick up where I left off at the end of 2018. I have lived most of my life in a desert of some form, be it the high desert areas of Oregon, to the more arid Southern Baja of Mexico, so I am truly amazed at the birding opportunities this area provides!

Arizona 149

Arizona Tucson Florida 2018 149

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2019

Another friend recently commented that while she loved all forms of birds, owls were, well, just something special! They are located in the Santa Cruz Flats just north of Tucson, and are quite honestly, living right alongside the road. I counted a total of 9 owls, with 4 being mature adults and 5 juvenile birds.

Owls 167

Owls Arizona Tucson South Africa 167

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2013

Much like how Everglades National Park flanks the western border of metropolitan Miami, Florida, Saguaro National Park flanks both the eastern and western outskirts of Tucson, making for easy access to residents and tourists alike who spend time in that city. Many bird species were observed feeding in the blooms of these cacti.

Arizona 166

Arizona Tucson Miami Shelters 166

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2018

Nearly 30,000 of these acres is set aside as dry wilderness habitat for other birds, animals and other various living creatures. We returned to the visitors center to look around inside, have some lunch, and do a little birding while we there. As we were heading back to the truck, this Solitary Sandpiper walked out on a small sandbar.

New Mexico 113

New Mexico Mexico Tucson Costa Rica 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2012

Report the rare birds you see, including known “continuing” rarities. Sometimes, report the rare birds you DON’T see. It’s illegal, it disturbs birds, and if you do admit to doing this, you are only going to encourage others to make the same mistake. Anyways I saw this bird. What bird is this?”

Tucson 217

Tucson Endangered Species Virginia illegal 217

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds , Terminology / Cow Birds Cow Birds By Rick • March 22, 2011 • 1 comment Tweet Share So what do Buffleheads and Bitterns and Hornbills have in common? They’re all named for livestock.

Cows 143

Cows Cattle 2011 Birds 143

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

“Crissal&# is a made-up adjective derived from a made-up noun, “crissum,&# denoting the feathers surrounding the vent of a bird. • Explore These Related Posts Cow Birds Half Hardy I Am Heron, Hear Me Roar Good Gully: A Birder’s Oddity The Magenta’s Petrels.Or I had no idea I should have been embarrassed.

2011 140

2011 Tucson Arizona Deer 140

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

My first birding trip ever was to Arizona. I saw a lot of birds, learned a lot about birding (including the fact that I had lousy binoculars), and gained good birder friends. I had a list of birds I had missed and a list of birds I needed to see again—second lifers I call them. At least for birders.

Arizona 104

Arizona Lovebirds Phoenix New Jersey 104

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

Pre-Internet, I got all my birding info from print magazines; and WildBird was my go-to back in the day. One particular issue had a feature on the birds of Madera Canyon, Arizona. Up to 256 bird species, deer, black bears, foxes, big cats, Gila Monsters, and 16 species of bats call this area of southeastern Arizona home. (

Arizona 158

Arizona Tucson Birds North America 158

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2018

Things had just started to settle down a bit, now that we had parked the RV in Tucson. We were making some new birding friends, learning the local hotspots etc. I mean really, what 1200 miles (one way) if you might get another 30 birds or so? I mean really, what 1200 miles (one way) if you might get another 30 birds or so?

Texas 139

Texas Tucson San Antonio Owls 139

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2018

This area also is where I hope to fill in a few target birds, like the newly spilt Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Pinyon Jays and Prairie Falcons. This all mixed in with a very nice bunch of birds. This lovely bird is the new Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay. A new Lifer, the Woodhouse’s Scrub jay was split away from the Western Scrub Jay.

Colorado 113

Colorado Texas Trinidad Albuquerque 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

7 species were added to the life list in the time-honoured fashion of actually identifying the birds in the field. 12796 Tucson Avenue, Mount Lemmon, Arizona, US (32.442, -110.758) Private residence. 12796 Tucson Avenue, Mount Lemmon, Arizona, US (32.442, -110.758) Private residence. I just live for this stuff! 11 Aug 2019.

2019 119

2019 Arizona Ghana Tucson 119

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2018

We have escaped the clutches of the Bahamas, and are finally back “home” in Tucson, Texas. We did however gain an extra night, at our expense in Miami, Florida, all of which was in the dark, so I could not even run out and put a couple of birds on a Florida State List. Now to the fun part, a few of the bird pictures!!

Bahamas 133

Bahamas Costa Rica Abandon Abandoning 133

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2019

If I know the readership at 10,000 Birds, they are already way ahead on this one, but please remember to give the migrants a little space. Gene C Reid Park, Tucson US-AZ (32.2076,-110.9233). Bajada Washington Trail, Tucson, Arizona, US (32.278, -111.199). Gene C Reid Park, Tucson US-AZ (32.2076,-110.9233). Vulnerable.

2019 113

2019 Australia Ghana Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2019

Despite looking way older than his years, we cannot attribute Regannet’s haggard appearance to hard birding, scoring only 19 during eBird’s Big Day was not the greatest effort expended on May 4th. 6900 South Jamie Avenue, Tucson, Arizona, US (32.19, -111.112). 8272 San Joaquin rd, Tucson, Arizona, US (32.175, -111.142).

2019 113

2019 Australia Ghana Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2019

We can use the figures above to compare the birds that cross between the hemispheres. Gene C Reid Park, Tucson US-AZ (32.2076,-110.9233). Bajada Washington Trail, Tucson, Arizona, US (32.278, -111.199). Gene C Reid Park, Tucson US-AZ (32.2076,-110.9233). 8272 San Joaquin rd, Tucson, Arizona, US (32.175, -111.142).

2019 113

2019 Ghana Australia Woodpeckers 113