10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2020

Birds, butterflies, flowers, reptiles – you name it, Gehan has covered it. No doubt, the big five of Sri Lanka include the biggest of the big ever – the Blue Whale , followed by Sperm Whale , Asian Elephant , Leopard and Sloth Bear. Okay, okay, huge and hard to miss aside, but what about birds?

Sri Lanka 208

Sri Lanka Whales Whaling Leopards 208

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2020

I was lucky to visit India several times, but as a keen birder I carried along only a bird book, and even upgraded it to a new edition between the trips. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales. The post Mammals of South Asia (Lynx Edicions) appeared first on 10,000 Birds. cm Weight 0.4

Asia 179

Asia Mammals Sri Lanka Bhutan 179

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

I only had a few days in California while visiting my brother at Berkeley, but we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to visit one of the most famous birding sites in the country: Point Reyes National Seashore. Add those life mammals to the life birds I already expected to see, and I was practically vibrating with excitement.

Seals 191

Seals Elephants Whales Whaling 191

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

All of these titles deal with birding in specific North American geographic areas: The Atlantic coast, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The photos show the forms of the bird seen on the east coast and are annotated with notes on plumage and other distinguishing field marks. It’s time for some short book reviews. Well, short for me.

Pennsylvania 173

Pennsylvania Texas Whales Whaling 173

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2018

– Birds are indeed dinosaurs, yet, are indubitably not. Knowledge is knowing that a bird is a dinosaur. For example, “the Ungulata include hooved animals with multi-chambered stomachs, except the whales.”. A term like “hooved animals” is monophyletic and a perfectly sound adaptive group, except for the whales.

Monkeys 142

Monkeys Gorillas Whales Whaling 142

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2014

There is a fantastic paper just out in Science : “Sustained miniaturization and anatomoical innovation in the dinosaurian anceestors of birds” by Michael Lee, Andrea Cau, Darren Naishe and Gareth Dyke. Whales are cows. The point is, of course, that whales are not cows. You should have said whales. But birds are dinosaurs.

Camels 202

Camels Whales Whaling Apes 202

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2019

It was the sixth year in a row of the Queens County Bird Club Big Sit, my favorite event of the year. As always, I was the first to the platform and in the light northwest wind and under a full moon I sipped my coffee and willed birds to make some noise so I could start checking off species. and Lincoln’s Sparrow.

Pelicans 135

Pelicans New York Whales Whaling 135

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2017

North America is aflame with eclipse fever right now, which provides yet another opportunity to wonder what life would be like if the average citizen felt a fraction as much passion for birding as is devoted to countless sports, media, celebrities, fashion, or even the rare astronomical phenomenon. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2017 100

2017 North America Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2014

Is it mere coincidence that Father’s Day falls on such a perfect weekend for birding? Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend isn’t rare, difficult to see, or worthy of such a status by any other typical metric. What was your best bird of the weekend? Birding best bird weekend' I think not.

2014 165

2014 Whales Whaling New York 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

Usually, it’s “Bird eating fish” but here we have a case of a “Bird-eating fish.” Now and then individual catfish of various species hunt nearer the surface and larger catfish such as the American Channel Cat will take a duck or other water bird. pigeons, Columbia livia ).

Fish 208

Fish Birds Whales Whaling 208

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2011

The risk of bird or turtle nests being crushed by vehicles above the high tide mark is a possibility, but of course it is hard to police these rules. These birds are often seen fishing along the shores, but do attack shorebirds and they are very wary of them. I quickly took a couple of photos and retreated.

Whales 259

Whales Whaling Birds Turtles 259

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

I am shocked to be writing this post already, and doubly shocked that I’ve seen six new species for Queens since I guessed what my next five Queens birds would be just eight months ago, back in March. It’s been a good year for birding in Queens! Fortunately, there are birds to help.

New York City 152

New York City Birds New York Blackbirds 152

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

And there aren’t just cool birds rocking up, migratory bats do too. It was the start of the shark season, which meant I saw my first Great White Shark attacks on Northern Elephant Seals , but it was also the best season for whales. The seas were glass still, and far out we could see whales, dozens of the things.

Whales 157

Whales Whaling Sharks Bats 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2014

Especially if you can fit in some birding? But others actually do some birding, and they paved the way for this Great Ornithologist to do a little bit on a recent vacation to Todos Santos. Of course, the town also boasts some very fun birding. What better way to start the year than with a visit to Mexico?

California 227

California San Jose Birds Mexico 227

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2013

Dawn breaks over Kaikoura (where Duncan saw Sperm Whales !). Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? Also be sure to come back Monday to share your best bird of the weekend ! Birding April weekend' If April showers bring May flowers, what does April sleet bring? Guess I’ll be finding out!

2013 153

2013 Whales Whaling Birds 153

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2013

Even the solo birders out there have to appreciate that birding together is often better than birding alone. Corey and I don’t get out in the field together much, since we’ve determined that the ongoing security of 10,000 Birds requires the two of us to live in separate cities. Another new Queens bird for Corey!)

New York City 171

New York City 2013 New York Nashville 171

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2013

Our time on the island was spent looking at birds, exploring, picnicking, throwing rocks in the water, and admiring a very cooperative Santa Cruz Island Fox. Then the birds showed. Sooty Shearwaters and a Western Gull fly back the aftermath of a Humpback Whale breaching. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae.

Whales 151

Whales Whaling Dolphins California 151

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2011

Most of the time when we think of birds, we think of the things that make them birds, and not the things that make them dinosaurs. You’ll hear people tell you that birds are dinosaurs, and that is supposed to blow you away and make you go all gaga about birds and evolution. are convenient secondary uses.

Birds 271

Birds Primates Marsupials Whales 271

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The boat is called the Legacy and it is an 80 foot whale watching vessel that generally seats 115, but takes about 70 for birding trips. If I saw that bird, I did not appreciate it, so it is not on my list. My recollection of prior trips is that we used relatively small fishing boats and had 20-25 birders, plus the leaders.

San Diego 147

San Diego Los Angeles Cooking North Carolina 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2019

Presuming that you want to bird Costa Rica, you would book a southbound flight (from N. Reachable by direct flights from Portugal, the island country of Sao Tome and Principe lying in the Gulf of Guinea, in the armpit of Africa, has about 140 bird species and 28 endemics – more endemics per square mile than anywhere else on Earth.

Costa Rica 197

Costa Rica Sri Lanka Rwanda Papua New Guinea 197

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2013

The boat-trip over to the island is far from uneventful and the pelagic birding is very rewarding. Northern Humpback Whales visit the waters surrounding Isla Isabel every year to mate and its not unusual to see dozens of these cetaceans breaching and whacking their tales on the ocean surface. If you like boobies (no giggles please!),

Whales 264

Whales Whaling Sharks Marine Life 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The descriptions of the territory’s birds, seals, whales, introduced mammals, invertebrates, and plants are written within the framework of the conversationist, so it is more than a field guide, it is a record of endangered wildlife and the efforts being made to protect it. Who can resist penguins and whales?

Georgia 174

Georgia Penguins Wildlife Whales 174

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

Birds of California , the new volume in the ABA series, arrived the day I returned. Every bird book seems to be about the west coast this month!) Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast is designed to be a quick, handy resource for use on whale watching and one-day pelagic trips.

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Whales Whaling Porpoises 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

To get out to the deep water we have to cruise for hours which necessitates leaving late in the evening, trying to sleep on an uncomfortable, moving boat, and waking up in the predawn hours to spend not-enough-time amid amazing birds before suffering through the long, boring ride through the “dead zone” back to shore.

Whales 112

Whales Whaling Albatross Dolphins 112

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2017

The long reef is home to an annual coral spawning event that attracts enormous numbers of charismatic marine megafauna, from whales to Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. The purpose of our trip up Western Australia’s coast was to allow Mum to celebrate her significant birthday milestone of turning 40 by swimming with whale sharks.

Sharks 100

Sharks Whales Whaling Australia 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2013

Some of those mysterious creatures were birds. The most obvious place that cryptozoology and ornithology overlap is in the area of Lazarus taxa and would-be Lazarus taxa — the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Eskimo Curlew, Pink-headed Duck , and the like — birds that no one doubts existed once, whether or not they exist today.

Apes 161

Apes Birds Woodpeckers Primates 161

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

She contributes regularly to Ontario Nature , reviews books for Birding, and also blogs about her misadventures in bird identification while offering trenchant analysis of avian coiffures on her own blog Birds and Words. This is Julia’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds. Happy puffins. Murres and Kittiwakes.

Puffins 181

Puffins Whales Whaling Bald Eagle 181

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2013

Today we take a brief reprieve from birder commentary to talk actual birds, specifically those of Santa Cruz Island, where my lowly-esteemed colleague Seagull Steve is currently doing field work on some of the nearshore seabirds there. The fundamental question is, where is it? is concerned.

California 168

California Birds Sea Lions Whales 168

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

You should know by now that there are a good number of birds that spend an appreciable amount of time underwater. And then there are the crazy-awesome Dippers and one should not forget the great diving birds like Gannets and Albatrosses. See, with a little bit of imagination, even a scuba diver can find birds all over the place.

Sharks 198

Sharks Thailand Dolphins Fish 198

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

I bring this up not to boast (well, not much) but because I think that this approach to wildlife travel is somewhat neglected in birding circles. Read most accounts of how birders see birds outside their patch and one way or another, they’re tourists. Nothing forms bonds like rolling around in bird…uh… waste.

Uganda 162

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2016

The other day, Redgannet, when sharing the 10,000 Birds combined bird list for 2016 , mentioned that I had made some sort of notable contribution by submitting 25 checklists in one day. The reasons for this protocol are as unique as this unique type of birding. That sounds exciting, like there’s some sort of story there.

Whales 100

Whales Whaling North Carolina Mammals 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

The Ross Sea is the most productive stretch of water in the Southern Ocean, teeming with large predatory fish, whales, seals, penguins and other animals that form the last intact marine ecosystem on Earth. There are 11 species of birds that breed in the Ross Sea region. Enough History – Back to the Future.

Russia 178

Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 178

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2016

Kaikoura is New Zealand’s finest birding destination, and seeing it brought low is a terrible blow. Thanks to it’s marine canyon it’s the place to see Sperm Whales, swim with Dusky Dolphins and New Zealand Fur-seals, and watch albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. Sperm Whales are a huge draw, literally!

New Zealand 162

New Zealand Albatross Seals Fur 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2019

I was poking around my eBird checklists recently and came across one from one of my more intriguing days birding. Like many birders, I’ve had “patches” where I routinely go birding. Patch birding is rewarding because the birds become familiar, as do the changes across the seasons. There is satisfaction in the everyday.

San Francisco 132

San Francisco Portland Whales Whaling 132

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2014

As New Zealand’s beat writer I think I’ve done an okay job of discussing the birding of an entirely different island for most of the year, so it’s only fair that I keep that winning streak going by talking about my target for the trip. New Caldonia’s odd flightless heronish bird. A beaked whale.

Sharks 175

Sharks Leopards Whales Whaling 175

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

This place is such an epic birding location that one cannot possibly do the city and its surrounds justice in one post. These birds, and their closely-related counterparts, the Drakensberg Rockjumper, constantly find themselves on the most-wanted list of pretty much every visiting birder. And rightly so. But by George is it worth it!

South Africa 248

South Africa Penguins Birds Africa 248

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

The bill of the Greater Flamingo is a marvel of nature that would make any baleen whale turn pale with envy. Indeed, they are the avian equivalent to baleen whales, feeding exclusively on brine shrimp and blue-green algae using their highly specialized bills as filter devices. … It is Pink Bird Weekend on 10,000 Birds! .

France 178

France Whales Whaling 2013 178