10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

The nickel was placed in the nest for the photo to show me the size of the egg for identification purposes, then removed. The Mourning Dove is a prolific breeder. It’s a good thing too, because it is the leading gamebird in North America in terms of total harvest and the widespread distribution of hunting effort.

Hunters 181

Hunters Hunting North America Game 181

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2022

Eagle-eyed Pat spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull in nonbreeding plumage and other birders that week noted a Thayer’s Gull (which we may have seen too–I mean, who expects Iceland Gull in April?). Multitudes, hundreds of Brown Pelicans and Terns–Least, Common, Foster’s, Sandwich, Royal, and Caspian.

Houston 226

Houston Texas Sanctuary Sparrows 226

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

The proprietor of our ecolodge guides my small group of birders up a steep slope where we see, just at the point where a scope view deteriorates into pixels, a huge bird—a Chaco Eagle, also known as a Crowned Eagle—on a huge nest. We are cautioned to keep the location of the eagle a secret. Author Joshua Hammer.

Falcons 224

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 224