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A New Year Begins! But First–A Celebration of My 2018 Top Ten Birds

10,000 Birds

John James Audubon first heard the sparrow in July, 1944, on a buffalo hunt in North Dakota. So, I was excited to read reports in late 2017 of a pair of Whooping Cranes being seen on a cattle farm. I easily spotted the Whooping Cranes in the cattle field. It has always been a difficult bird to find, even when abundant.

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When conservation and animal rights collide

10,000 Birds

New Zealand has been the recipient of a higher than average number of introduced species, in particular a range of mammals from elk to mice. This is quite a big deal for an island group that had no mammals save bats for millions of years. It is without question an unpleasant way to die for any animal.