10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2012

As 2012 draws to a close we here at 10,000 Birds thought that it would be a great idea if we, like we did in 2010 and 2011 , shared our Best Birds of the Year. We also want to know what YOUR Best Bird of the Year was. Now on to the Best Birds of the Year for those who write on 10,000 Birds! Sound good?

2012 153

2012 Birds Guatemala Florida 153

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2012

Now that late winter has eased into early spring, it seems owls are in the air. I’m hearing all kinds of owl howls, from Saw-whets at (where else?) Owl Woods and Short-eared Owls from New York to the Galapagos Islands. One birder known to many of us even had her life Barn Owl turn up in her backyard!

Barn Owls 182

Barn Owls 2012 Owls New York 182

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2012

As promised, I finally made it up to Owl Woods and the Braddock Bay area. Too bad the hawks and owls couldn’t make it too! Corey had a hard time choosing his Best Bird of the Weekend, but picked his first New York Blue-gray Gnatcatchers of the year, which he saw in Alley Pond Park in Queens.

2012 175

2012 United States Fox New York 175

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2013

In fact, the last one was back on 15 May 2012 when my Queens list stood at 289 and I guessed what my next eleven birds would be that would get me to 300. Note that starred birds are birds that have since been seen and are not indicative of how well I predicted each time.).

2012 158

2012 2013 New York City Jamaica 158

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

This weekend, however, I didn’t see any special birds, unless you count the bird M.I.A. Corey, on the other hand, birded like a boss; his Best Bird of the Weekend™ was either of the two Snowy Owls at Breezy Point in Queens. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2012 162

2012 Owls New York Birds 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

My Best Bird of the Weekend was a Peregrine Falcon gracing an enjoyable Rochester barbecue; good food, good company, and good birds make a powerful combination. But my extended weekend may hold even better birds once I hit Montezuma NWR. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

2012 161

2012 Falcons Birds Owls 161

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2012

Do you get out birding much? If you’re checking in here on a Monday morning, chances are you have a bird tale to tell. Then again, maybe like me you simply enjoy hearing about the avian observations of others even when you can’t make time for your own bird chases. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2012 163

2012 Birds Medical Owls 163

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2012

My best bird of the weekend was heard, not seen: I thrilled to the haunting whinny of an Eastern Screech-Owl somewhere in my neighborhood. Corey’s BBOTW was a Hooded Crow , the last bird he saw before flying out of Germany early Saturday morning. What was your best bird of the weekend? Perhaps it has already begun!

2012 154

2012 Germany Birds Owls 154

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Many of us picture owls in the sky, silently soaring, or perched atop tree branches or light poles as they sleep or keep an eye out for prey. However, on my first trip to Aruba I scanned the ground for a very special type of small owl, known for its terrestrial antics.

Prairie Dogs 101

Prairie Dogs Tortoises Owls South America 101

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2012

Or join in… Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was, what else, his first Red-headed Woodpecker in Queens ! I had my share of best birds while visiting Wild Wings at Mendon Ponds Park. What was your best bird of the weekend? Woodpeckers FTW! Who says there’s no truth in advertising?

2012 165

2012 ALA Woodpeckers Birds 165

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2012

Obviously, that means a lot of things in a lot of contexts, but here, of course, I’m talking about birding. Exotic locales make for exotic birding and even the most mundane territory can astound the first time visitor. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? How does summer look for you?

Botswana 162

Botswana 2012 Birds Fish 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 12, 2012

” As far as I’m concerned, watching spring advance one bud, blade, and bird at a time makes for a very good time. I keep threatening to head up towards Braddock Bay in search of owls and raptors; I may very well make good on that threat this weekend. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding?

2012 157

2012 Birds Owls Breeding 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2012

Few experiences birding get me more excited than adding a new bird to my Queens list. My latest addition, a Parasitic Jaeger off the coast, finally got me to my 289th bird, well over a year since I got my 279th. The first time I did this I accidentally added twelve birds to my list before reviewing it.

Connecticut 175

Connecticut 2011 2012 Jamaica 175

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2012

Several years ago, I was asked to visit my nephew’s preschool class and talk about birds. I was delighted by the invitation and spent hours going through my photos, printing them out, imagining fifteen 4-year olds entranced by egrets, herons, and Burrowing Owls. How old were the baby birds? How did they get into the nest?

Birds 219

Birds Owls Switzerland Lions 219

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2012

The latest news from IUCN Redlist regarding birds is not good. This gloomy article made want to go birding in the Amazon before it is gone. The exuberance of the Amazon jungle is a compelling drive to get people to explore this disappearing eco-system, so I thought I would post some beautiful pictures of Amazonian birds.

Parrots 205

Parrots 2012 Birds Humane 205

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2021

Louisiana is a magical place to bird. At the same time I was ogling Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Upland Sandpipers, Marybeth Lima was also birding Louisiana. The book focuses on two listing events: her 2012 Louisiana Big Year and her 2016 Louisiana 300 Year. ’ What was left to write about? ” I wondered.

Louisiana 264

Louisiana Species Mississippi Alabama 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2012

I’m feeling pretty good about 2012 so far. Not only am I suffused with the pleasant warmth that comes with watching one’s favorite sports team clinch the playoffs, but I also managed to shake off a scant night’s sleep to chase some birds this morning. What was your best bird of the weekend (and the year?)

2011 168

2011 2012 New York Birds 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2012

Of the birds I encountered this weekend, the one I was most excited about was the Rough-legged Hawk that claims territory near my mother-in-law’s home some winters. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a Barred Owl in Central Park, the only remaining one from the three that were discovered about a week ago.

2012 113

2012 United States Laws Birds 113

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Corey will be wandering around Queens about on Saturday morning and then searching for a Snowy Owl with his folks when they visit NYC on Sunday. What will you be doing this weekend and where will you be birding? Also be sure to come back Monday to share your best bird of the weekend ! Share your plans in the comments below.

2012 157

2012 North America Australia Birds 157

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The end of 2012 – and the holidays – are coming fast. On the plus side, it’s almost time for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, and by all accounts, it’s shaping up to be a very finchy winter across much of North America. Now if you’re a regular 10,000 Birds reader (and the cool kids are, amiright?),

Bald Eagle 139

Bald Eagle Puffins 2012 Baltimore 139

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2012

I’ve got an active schedule ahead of me this weekend, but hope for the chance to chase an owl or two. 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 ! Also be sure to come back Monday to share your best bird of the weekend !

Portugal 140

Portugal 2012 Birds Owls 140

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2014

Herons and raptors and rails and gulls and ducks and cranes and jays and owls and alligators are all awaiting me – and you – at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival. If anyone has good advice for tracking these birds down I would love to hear about it in the comments! No bird is as cool as the Green Heron.

Wildlife 175

Wildlife Tampa Alligators 2012 175

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Certain kinds of birds, such as finches and Snowy Owls , may go for years without travelling outside of their normal ranges. The Hook-billed Kite is a wonderful bird. But there have still been hundreds of Waxwing reports across the country this year, and they are still on the increase. Many years I see none.

Mexico 147

Mexico 2020 2012 Parrots 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2012

Sitta canadensis isn’t just irrupting out of its far northern home but exploding southward, with reports in every southern state except for Florida, including birds on the outer banks of North Carolina, on Grand Isle, Louisiana, in a suburb of Atlanta, and on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Bird bloggers from Wisconsin to Massachusetts.

United States 270

United States Owls Atlanta New York 270

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2012

Two-thousand-and-eleven was a pretty darn good year for me, birding-wise. Sure, I didn’t leave the United States but my first trip to the Pacific Northwest allowed me to see lots of new birds and spending the beginning of the year in southern California didn’t hurt the ol’ year list either. Those birds are big!

2011 172

2011 Puffins United States New York 172

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2019

. “Where they stop and water and get some food before they continue their migration,” the voice continues, and, if you’re not a birder you could be excused from a sense of confusion–is this a film about migrant birds or migrant people? ” and then adds, “The border wall is no barrier to birds.”

Advocacy 268

Advocacy Mexico United States Texas 268

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

It’s December and that means one thing—a great excuse to buy books on birding. I thought I’d do a round-up of some of the best bird books reviewed this year, a few memorable titles from recent years past, and one that wasn’t reviewed but which I love, that would be great holiday gifts. Books for Beginning Birders.

Papua New Guinea 185

Papua New Guinea 2014 Penguins Birds 185

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2014

Any doubt I had about the need for a book about rare birds in the United States And Canada were wiped out on a Sunday evening in early February with two birding friends. My friends had many more years of birding on me and had many stories to tell. I kept wishing I had Rare Birds of North America , by Steve N.

North America 258

North America America Birds United States 258

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2014

Hugh, who years ago helped me find my first Pauraque in the Rio Grande Valley , visited Peru as part of the 2014 World Birding Rally, where he stopped thinking of himself as an experienced birder. This is his first contribution to 10,000 Birds. You can see the world’s smallest passerine and the Western Hemisphere’s biggest flying bird.

Peru 255

Peru Birds South America Owls 255

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

It actually makes a lot of sense, the geographic features of the isthmus between North America (including Mexico, because Mexico is part of North America) and South America cut across political lines, as do birds. It is the first bird field guide to every country of Central America (plus the islands governed by those countries).

America 214

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 214

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Hawks At A Distance was one of the first books I reviewed for 10,000 Birds and I’ve decided to rerun it this month, partly to remind us all to read and use it, and partly because I’m preparing for a birding trip out of the country and I need all my brain power to make sure I pack the right camera lenses and hats.

2011 100

2011 North America 2005 Eagles 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

As 2013 draws to a close we here at 10,000 Birds thought that it would be a great idea if we, like we did in 2010 , 2011 , and 2012 , shared our Best Birds of the Year. We also want to know what YOUR Best Bird of the Year was. Now on to the Best Birds of the Year for those who write on 10,000 Birds!

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

2011 is about to become 2012 and birders the world over are taking a look at their year lists and reminiscing about the awesome sightings and devastating dips that they have experienced. Not only did we not expect to see this seabird this far inland, it was a life bird for me! We would like you to join in!

2011 188

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 188

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

There are 35 raptor species that have a presence in the United States and Canada, 56 (more or less) if you count by subspecies, and they are all covered in admirable, exhausting, unbelievable detail in B irds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide and Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide by Brian K. Structure & Organization.

North America 196

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 196

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2016

New Year’s resolutions from birding friends are starting to trickle in as I write this review. It is the last day of 2015, time to select the bird of the year past and set goals for the bright open future, when everything is new again. The process is called “Wide-angle birding: Be the bird, see the bird.”.

Birds 190

Birds Groups 2015 North America 190

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2017

I started keeping year lists – not just blogging about them but really keeping track of what I see each year – as late as 2012, roughly 30 years into my birding career. Therefore, the 2012 list itself was never the focus of my year listing, it was competition and blogging. What was left? The blogging element.

2017 100

2017 Germany 2012 2013 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2013

The cahow is one wild and crazy bird. And, all the while it vocalizes with the strange-sounding, weird cries that give the bird its name, cries so bizarre sounding that they once kept Spanish explorers from settling the island. other birds that collided with a tower and a radio antenna. You’ve never heard of the cahow?

Birds 170

Birds Rats Breeding 2012 170