10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

As I always do on the way home, following a short visit to the San Francisco Bay Area, I take in at least one of the National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) found in the Sacramento Valley. California is blessed with 51 NWRs and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), second only to North Dakota with 77. Click on photos for full sized images.

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Wildlife San Francisco Sacramento North Dakota 158

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2016

He has visited more than 40 National Wildlife Refuges in 20 states and frequently visits NWRs in his travels, most recently Buenos Aires NWR in southern Arizona. The focus on Malheur is and was appropriate, but we should not lose sight of the significance of the entire National Wildlife Refuge System. The combination is potent.

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Wildlife Grizzly Bear Puerto Rico United States 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2014

“Here’s an idea for a blog,” wrote Donna Osburn, a wildlife rehabilitator from Kentucky. It was the height of baby season, I was insanely overworked and underslept, and I did not – I repeat, did not – do waterbirds, except for mallards and Canada geese and wood ducks and swans etc. What’s your best misidentification of a bird?”.

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Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Falcons Pit Bulls 244

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Nearly 800 acres of wetlands and tidal flats provide diverse habitat for the local birds, as well as large numbers of migratory species, including thousands of ducks and geese. The last weekend of January found me in the frosty Pacific Northwest, meeting some long over due work and family obligations.

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Wildlife Seattle Bald Eagle Geese 104

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced as part of Great Outdoors Month the agency is proposing to expand fishing and hunting opportunities on 21 refuges throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System. National wildlife refuges provide premier outdoor recreational opportunities across the Nation.

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Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 142

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2018

Late Saturday afternoon a Tundra Swan was reported from the south end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I watched the swan for awhile, occasionally being distracted by Snow Geese flying over, a Northern Flicker calling from nearby, and other birdy distractions. I didn’t see any of the dabbling ducks dabble.

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Jamaica Wildlife New York City Ducks 104

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Cinnamon Teal ( Anas cyanoptera ) pair by Larry Jordan (click on photos for full sized images) Winter is the time to visit the National Wildlife Refuges in California. Fish and Wildlife Service; they serve as resting and feeding areas for nearly half the migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway.” million, according to the U.S.

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Sacramento Wildlife United States North America 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2016

The best place I could come up with that was within a short drive of my in-laws’ place in Yorba Linda was the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in nearby Irvine, only a quick twenty-minute drive away. The goose flies out early with a flock of Canada Geese so if you want to see it get there at or shortly after dawn!

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Sanctuary Wildlife California Ducks 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

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Birds Albatross Barn Owls Sparrows 202

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2012

Around thirty miles from Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley lies the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. My specific goal was to see Trumpeter Swans , which, let’s just say it’s lucky that they’re not my new nemesis species – we spotted a group of three from the parking lot as soon as we got out of our cars.

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Wildlife Montana Geese Bald Eagle 165

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Most of the estuaries of Puget Sound in Washington State have been developed, but one of the few that remain is the Nisqually River Delta, which was protected as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Nisqually NWR is a major staging area for migratory birds , a wintering area for many ducks and geese, and a breeding area for numerous songbirds.

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Washington Portland Birds Geese 227

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2019

A while back, I wrote about an under-appreciated part of the National Wildlife Refuge System : Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). Although little-known, WPAs provide critical breeding, resting, and nesting habitat for millions of ducks, geese, and swans, as well as shorebirds and grassland species.

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Nebraska Dissection Geese Ducks 146

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2019

A while back, I wrote about an under-appreciated part of the National Wildlife Refuge System : Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). Although little-known, WPAs provide critical breeding, resting, and nesting habitat for millions of ducks, geese, and swans, as well as shorebirds and grassland species.

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Nebraska Dissection Geese Ducks 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2012

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex offers four photo blinds on three of their refuges which can be reserved, two on the Sacramento Refuge, one at Colusa NWR and one at Delevan NWR. This blind in particular is usually good for ducks, geese, waders and shorebirds. This is what blind #2 at the Sacramento NWR looks like.

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Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 102

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

For all that, though, migration here is still largely a water-based show, with the most spectacular signs of springs coming in the forms of ducks, geese, and swans. Several locations in the state, most notably Freezeout Lake, are graced with epic spring migrations of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans as they return north along the Pacific Flyway.

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Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 176

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2017

Birders are familiar with the National Wildlife Refuge System, which consists of more than 550 units distributed through all fifty states. National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs), which are managed by the U.S. FWS calls WPAs the “Prairie Jewels of the National Wildlife Refuge System.”. Ding” Darling NWR in Florida.

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Factory Ducks North Dakota Nebraska 116

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

” are the big questions at the heart of Vagrancy in Birds by Alexander Lees and James Gilroy, an impressive, fascinating book about what ornithologists and wildlife biologists have found out about avian vagrancy so far and their theories explaining this phenomenon. ” and its companion question, “Why is this bird here?”

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Birds Compassion Eagles Science 255

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

This refuge came up as #4 on a recent list of the top 25 National Wildlife Refuges that were featured in a great story here by 10000 Birds own Jason Crotty. While most major estuaries in Washington state have been filled, dredged, or developed, Nisqually River’s has been set aside for wildlife.

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Fox Washington Geese Sparrows 121

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

It is extremely unusual that we birders can still walk the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in November. I saw two other species of shorebird during my walk up and down the east side of the East Pond. What I lacked in species diversity I made up for with good looks. Of course, it wasn’t all Pectoral Sandpipers.

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Jamaica Geese Ducks Canada 176

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Every autumn, tens of thousands of Snow Geese arrive in California’s Sacramento Valley following their long journey from the Canadian Arctic (click on photos for full sized images). Snow and Ross’s Geese winter there in the tens of thousands. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeCKWKGhgR8

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Geese South Dakota Sacramento Arkansas 152

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

In a typical birding year, no other month will bring you that many new species as January. So I walked up and down the paths through subtropical vegetation (if I remember well, with 20+ species of figs alone) looking carefully for a green, pigeon-sized bird with a purple crest and scarlet wings. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Serbia Geese 2001 Ducks 176

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2016

The nature reserve is really well managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust with numerous hides and wheelchair access to much of the reserve. The nature reserve is constantly evolving and although part of it is a former sand quarry it has been carefully developed to encourage wildlife. Greylag Geese in front of Wild Bird Cafe.

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Geese Wildlife 2001 Woodpeckers 101

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Imagine waking up to the call of thousands of ducks, geese, and every kind of marsh bird you can imagine. Right, smack dad in the middle of Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge. By the time we left, I had recorded one new Lifer, 12 New Year Birds, and a total of 76 species. US species – 175. This shot was taken at 2:00 PM.

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Blackbirds Mules Beavers Wildlife 119

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2013

If constructed properly, these facilities can be not only a boon to birders and other wildlife enthusiasts but an obvious benefit to their local communities. One of the best examples in the world is the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary on the northern California coast. There were House Finches ( Capodacus mexicanus ).

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Sacramento Sparrows Sanctuary Geese 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2015

Since we’ve covered some generalities already, once a month I’ll be exploring how a species, genus, or family of birds got its name, and how those names fit in with our larger understanding of, and relationship with, birds. Images courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Birds Goshawk names Northern Goshawk'

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Falcons Eagles Meat Geese 258

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2017

High above the great Rift Valley, endless treeless plains stretch out as far as you can see, holding birding (and other wildlife treasures). An eclectic mix of endemics, specialties and oddly displaced species, it is one of the most memorable places I have ever birded… and I never visited it as a trip. Rouget’s Rail.

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Ethiopia Mammals South America Rats 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2018

We were able to find a very nice RV park, just a couple of miles from one of my all time favourite birding hotspots, Billy Frank Jr, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. In the winter this place is alive with thousand of ducks and geese. USA species – 111. Australia species – 242. Mexico species – 148.

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New Zealand Seattle Qatar South Africa 110

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2017

Covenham Reservoir is the largest stretch of inland water in Lincolnshire and although it is used for various water sport activities during the year it is also used by many species of birds. Canada Geese. We observed both of these species on both visits on cloudy overcast afternoons in October. Common Buzzard.

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Geese Ducks Canada Shelters 101

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

The male of the species has the upper portion of the head, back of neck, back and wings all glossy black. The male is the only Black-necked Stilt in the second segment of this video, along with several Greater White-fronted Geese, and the third bird that comes into view in the final segment that is larger than the other two birds.

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South Dakota Jordan Sacramento North America 180

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 15 March 2009 It was at about 1:30 AM on Saturday morning that I startled awake and found myself sitting in an empty subway car in an unfamiliar location. Maybe their numbers are being augmented by birds that wintered a bit further south? But we weren’t done yet!

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New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2017

And I think it’s safe to say the other two North American crow species aren’t showing up in New York any time soon. I’m certain Allagash used the familiar, cultivated blackberry in Uncommon Crow, but an unrelated “blackberry” found in northern climes more widely known as the crowberry is a favorite of many wildlife species.

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New York Portland Washington Geese 124

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Two full days at Hart Mountain Wildlife Refuge, three days at Dog Lake, and a short visit to Upper Cottonwood Lake brought back many great memories, in addition to a nice list of birds. Then, to finish the week, we visited the famous, and not necessarily for all the right reasons, Malhuer Wildlife Refuge. eBird Reports – 276.

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Oregon Owls Wildlife Barn Owls 114

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2011

If it is an emergency and since I get calls and texts from all over the country (even a few out of the country), I direct people to Rehabber Search or Wildlife Rehabber. The adults of most species will still care for the chicks no matter how much you touch them. If the nest was in a bird house, open the house and check the damage.

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Birds Fox Raised Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Alkborough Flats were only formed in 2006 when the River Humber burst its banks and flooded 450 hectares of farmland and it is now a haven for wildlife. These reeds were an excellent place to observe Bearded Reedlings , though and a bird species that people come to the area to see. Greylag Geese on the move.

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Geese Australia 2006 Investigation 140

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2014

Among birders, wildlife photographers, and nature enthusiasts, it is renowned for its incredible concentrations of birds at the end of the dry season. During this time, the fish trapped in the shrinking pools of water attract hordes of herons, egrets, storks, and other wetland species. I must mention one thing.

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Brazil Birds Blackbirds Paraguay 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2018

By the time you see this in the United States, I will have had a full week to explore this amazing area, and the wildlife that calls this home. I will try to get everything tallied as far as bird species goes tonight. I should be at about 140 African species both counted and photographed!

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Lions Buffalo United States Zebras 118

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2023

I would advise allowing as much time as possible if you hope to walk all of the trails and to be able to explore the different environments and the many species of birds. Many visitors appear to do the short walks, so you can enjoy the area mostly alone other than the wildlife. The Cape Barren Geese had goslings when I visited.

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Sanctuary Kangaroos Geese Transported 130