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One question every self-described birder must grapple with is to twitch or not to twitch. Some of us love to chase down preposterous vagrants, while others eschew bird chasing for contemplation of standard local fare and seasonal specialties. I raise this perennial issue because I found myself twitching a rare ABA bird this weekend. Did you? My ill-advised twitch was a run for the Long Island Ruffs recently spotted on the south shore. MORE
Heading out of Ecclesdown Road on the second day of my trip, I had nailed all of my targets save four species ( Caribbean Dove , Yellow-billed Parrot , Jamaican Owl , and Stolid Flycatcher ). I had a reservation to stay at Hardwar Gap for the night, previously thinking that I would need the extra full day to look for Jamaican Blackbird and Crested Quail-Dove, which I decided to honor. MORE
This weekend had something for everyone: celebrations, congregations, and migrations. And also sports! Please tell me you found something special to do… I took my kids on our traditional Easter morning hike, though the timing this year meant that spring has scarcely sprung. Still, hearing the tricksy triplets of a Northern Mockingbird made my weekend. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was one of the three Red-shouldered Hawks he spotted. MORE
Can you handle it? It is fall, the time of year when wood-warblers are at their most difficult, and I have curated three images of wood-warblers for you to destroy yourself upon, pulling out your hair as you frantically flip through your field guides. The only clues you get on this quiz are that all three images were taken in Queens in the last two weeks and all three pictures are of wood-warblers. Can you guess all three? As usual, you are to put your answers in the comments. MORE
No need to draw this question out. Many of us are still enjoying the final weekend of May, so let’s cut to the chase and talk about our best birds. My best bird this weekend was an Eastern Wood-Pewee calling from a bare branch. When it comes to New World flycatchers, empids tend to irritate me for the same reasons they irritate everyone, but species in the genus Contopus make me much happier for inexplicable reasons. MORE
Believe it or not, a Snowy Owl is in this photo! The first weekend of December is a good time to review your lists: year lists, shopping lists, naughty or nice lists, etc. How do these lists need to change for you to be satisfied with your year? More importantly, what are you going to do about it? Corey will be conducting some pre-CBC scouting throughout Queens this weekend. I’ll be mostly indoors for work events but will keep my eyes to the skies whenever possible. How about you? MORE
Light a virtual candle on September 26, 2013, for a pet on-line. This Thursday, you can be a light for pets waiting in shelters. The message of Remember Me Thursday is to remember the millions of orphan pets who lost their lives over the last year. By uniting animal lovers across the world on one very special day, we can help raise awareness about animal adoption, and hopefully save the lives of more pets. If you are active on social media, please help spread the message. MORE
If you are planning a birding trip to 2013 maybe you should consider Ecuador, my home country! Thanks to Lonely Planet we hope to see a small boost in tourism this year since Ecuador has made it to Top 10 Countries to travel in 2013. Happy Birding in 2013! Destinations Ecuador 2013Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve. Even if you are not a birder, you will find Ecuador to be a top notch destination for all sorts of people. MORE
Keep your eyes to the skies for fun celestial bodies! Did you see Pan-Starrs? Clare Kines spotted the charismatic comet above Admiralty Inlet in Nunavut!). Spring is here! I know this not from the gradual appearance of robins, grackles, and blackbirds around me, but rather from the fact that our local schools are about to embark on spring break. Party! We won’t be leaving town until after the weekend, but plan to celebrate Easter the way we always do: egg hunt, baskets, and a nice hike. MORE
Here in the United States, April 15 is Tax Day, which means that countless Americans have toiled through the last 48 hours to prepare their taxes. Some are surely at it still. What a way to ruin a weekend! With the foresight to get my taxes taken care of early, I was free to enjoy the cold spring weather and lingering winter species around here. It’s nice to see that Red-breasted Nuthatches still haunt my home turf. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a total surprise. MORE
How’s May migration treating you so far? We’re early in the month, but many birds are late compared to last year, at least in my part of the world. Then again, migratory birds arrived very early last year. So I frankly have no idea what to expect. Feels slow though… I headed up to Lake Ontario to spy my first Caspian Terns of the year. Luckily, I caught a few and little else apart from a Hermit Thrush , Ruby-crowned Kinglet , and lots of Ring-billed Gulls. MORE
I’m wondering if Best Bird of the Weekend is too restrictive a way to consider the avians we encounter from Friday to Sunday. Of course we should seek reasons to celebrate every bird species we share our weekends with, but is the species that delights us most always the most memorable? MORE
Keep your eyes to the skies for flying pink birds like these Roseate Spoonbills , which are really ibises with big flat bills ! Excited about the equinox? One half of our global population will be surrendering minutes and then hours of daylight for darkness while the other half enjoys the inverse transaction. Those dark days of December are still far off, however, and migrants fill our skies in light and darkness. This threshold weekend holds promise everywhere in the world, so enjoy it! MORE
With simply a couple of days remaining before we consign this year’s calendars to the compost pile, our 2013 lists (deeds, birds, etc.) are pretty much set. Most people can live with that, content in the knowledge that much of the year was spent in pursuit of worthy goals and satisfied to glide towards year’s end. Some, though, see immense opportunity in the next 48 hours to strive and perhaps succeed in adding to their year lists. MORE
I finally saw my first Eastern Phoebe of 2013 yesterday at Hempstead Lake State Park on Long Island. So, like last year, I thought I would ask the question,which is only really relevant to folks in the midwest and northeast of the United States and in eastern Canada: When did you see your first Eastern Phoebe of 2013? In fact, I saw three! MORE
Another long, lovely summer weekend has slipped into history. Midsummer will be giving way any moment to late summer. I know that families in the United States are already fretting/anticipating September’s arrival. How do you feel about it? Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a Least Tern that flew over his apartment, only the second he ever saw from the comfort of his balcony. My best birds were Eastern Kingbirds , which usually catch my attention in summer. MORE
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. Blog security is serious business! But when I do get to go birding with him or any of my other friends and colleagues in the natural history space, I remember what about this hobby I enjoy so much. MORE
Wow, wouldn’t you love to go camping in Windjana Gorge like Clare Morton did? The second weekend of August is marked, at least in these parts, by hysteria. Birds are gorging themselves for their imminent odysseys, while humans frantically expend themselves in the drive for as much summer fun as possible before Labor Day. This sometimes involves gorging themselves as well. This weekend promises all kinds of fun for me and hopefully all kinds of birds as well. MORE
Winter in the temperate portions of the Nearctic ecozone might be cold, but fine birds choose to visit no matter what the weather. I’ve always equated winter with big predatory birds like Snowy Owls and Rough-legged Hawks. But on second thought, smaller birds like Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs spring to mind. And on third thought are those winsome winter waterfowl and exciting alcids… so what avifauna do you equate with winter in your part of the world? MORE
So as many of my loyal readers know, I have a very mixed relationship with vagrants and the chasing thereof. Nevertheless, when a Baikal Teal was reported by the illustrious Radd Icenoggle just outside Missoula, I couldn’t very well ignore the siren call. Especially once the bird made the front page of the Missoulian and my friends started asking me about it. My quest began on Tuesday, two days after the first sighting and mere hours after the second set of x-rays on my wrist. (It’s MORE
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. I was fortunate to rack up a number of lifers in 2013, both at home and abroad ( Varied Thrush in Washington, Brewer’s Blackbirds in California, Burrowing Owl in the Nevada desert). MORE
Is it coincidence or conspiracy that Father’s Day falls on a weekend where very good birding can still be found in most areas? You be the judge… I got into a bunch of great grassland and forest birds this weekend. Honors go to American Redstart which somehow escaped me for the year until now. Corey was very pleased to finally find a Bell’s Vireo this weekend in Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Orange County, California. MORE
Keep your eyes to the skies for swallows… you know what they are , right? If you subscribe to the maxim that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, you’ve probably been miserable about eating the dregs of last year’s crop as part of your daily health maintenance routine. But nobody needs to gnaw on mealy fruit anymore now that apple season is sweeping the Northern Hemisphere. My family already boxed a bushel and look forward to much more. How do you like them apples? MORE
What records will fall in 2013? Periodically throughout 2013 we will check in with the folks we find doing big years to see how they are doing. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 2013 Big Year birders! Check out EPIC Big Year 2013. You can keep up with Matt at Canada Big Year 2013. Laura Erickson is doing a “Conservation Big Year” seeking to see, photograph, and highlight conservation stories around the United States in 2013. MORE
Were there any birds about this weekend? The only ones that concerned me were Ravens, Falcons, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Eagles. Welcome back, NFL football! Of course I still kept my eyes out for other types of birds. This time of year is perfect for finding juvenile Eastern Bluebirds , which I was happy to do. Corey’s BBOTW was a Blackburnian Warbler on Saturday in Alley Pond Park in Queens. Fall migration is in full swing! How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend? MORE
Even in winter, a sunrise is warm. Ah, December, such a deceptively cheerful month! December offers us many reasons to celebrate, one of which I never considered until I heard the words of American author Oliver Herford. Herford (1863-1935) gave the world such wry epigrams as “Many are called but few get up,” and “Only the young die good,” but his most sincere and touching contribution was surely this poem, I Heard a Bird Sing : I heard a bird sing. In the dark of December. A magical thing. MORE
What will you do this weekend to improve your 2013 year list? Keep your eyes to the skies. Snow is in the air! This penultimate weekend of the year inspires last-minute panic: how are you going to get everything you need before time is up? Some folks will go to extraordinary lengths to cross off everything on their sizable lists. How about you? You knew that’s what I was talking about, right?). MORE
Winter may not technically begin for another couple of weeks, but frigid temperatures and wicked snow are assailing various parts of North America. The weather outside is frightful, but winter birds are so delightful… guess that’s as good a reason as any to brave the cold. Alas, I had no time outdoors this weekend, which leaves House Sparrows sheltering a giant wreath as my Best Bird of the Weekend. Jealous? MORE
Birding and wildlife watching can be, as we all know, a solitary activity. And our practices, though familiar to anyone in our phenologically-attuned culture, can seem strange, sometimes even threatening, to the uninitiated. We receive ample, often poignant reminders of what tragedy can befall those who travel alone among those who don’t recognize their ways or understand their motives. So be careful out there, wherever you roam. MORE
Now seems like a good time to look in on the birding big years happening in 2013 to see how folks are doing as they tear around their county or region or state or province or country trying to see as many birds as possible before 1 January 2014. Since the initial post on 2013 big years I have learned of several more people attempting big years this year. You can follow along at Birding for Conservation , where I learned that David has already reached 270 species for 2013. MORE
Before this lovely June weekend began, I bemoaned the evident end of spring migration. What I failed to recognize were all the great things that happen around here when the waves of migrants subside. For example, the local farmers’ markets are back in action! If you can’t get fresh birds, at least enjoy fresh produce. My favorite sighting this weekend was a House Wren at my house. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was an easy one to decide upon. MORE
To all you hardy naturalists who have already logged Christmas Bird Count hours in service to citizen science, I salute you! Winter has come early and often to Western NY. In the face of endless snow, all I want to do is seek shelter, warmth, and booze. Those of you willing to eschew creature comforts to tally birds across your ice-rimed count circles are my heroes. Share your CBC stories here! MORE
At last, we stand on the threshold of a new season, moving inexorably into a period of phenological flux. Nature lovers love those magical months between winter and summer, so get your affairs in order… migration is either coming or may have already come! I took a run up to the lake today to find that most of the winter seaducks have moved offshore, at least for the weekend. MORE
No matter where you live in the world, you’ve probably noticed how interesting the unfolding of this season is becoming. True, many of you live in locations that are verdant and vibrant all year long or cold and white most of the time. But from pole to pole, creatures are on the move and blossoms and berries are bursting to greet them. Isn’t that exciting? MORE
As the year 2013 accelerates towards its imminent endpoint, I find myself deluged with end-of-year tasks both mundane and inspired. Instead of easing into the last days of December and out of 2013, you might consider redoubling your efforts to end this year on a triumphant note. We may all perceive time differently, but in the modern world we are all subject to the same calendar. MORE
After all, this is National Moth Week 2013! When the birds of summer grow stale, a birder’s fancy turns to leps and odes. If you don’t know what those terms mean, think about the most colorful and fascinating flying creatures that aren’t birds. Summer is sweet for dragonflies, butterflies, and moths, the last of which deserve your attention over the next seven or so days. MORE
The 2013 ABA Bird of the Year has been announced. It’s well worth clicking over to the ABA Blog and checking out the video announcing the 2013 selection. Congratulations to the Common Nighthawk ! It’s a nice bird, though no Green Heron. Seriously. Asides ABA MORE
Oh to be in Texas admiring the celebrity bird du jour , an incredibly unexpected Amazon Kingfisher ! Amazing encounters occur when amazing birders visit amazing places, but serendipitous sightings increase exponentially when so many amazing birders gather for an amazing birding festival. MORE
The first batch of proposals for the 2013 American Ornithologists’ Union North American checklist supplement has hit the ‘tubes. Let’s take a look at some of what lurks inside: Pygmy-owl split. Proposal 2013-A-2 would split the “Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl” ( Glaucidium cobanense ) of southern Mexico and northern Central America from the widespread Northern Pygmy-Owl ( G. gnoma ) on the basis of vocal differences and a discrete range. Sandwich Tern split. MORE
One of the perks about living in Miami is that plane tickets to the bird-rich Caribbean, Central, and South America are often cheaper than going to places like Arizona, Colorado, or California. MORE
When citizens of the United States tout the superiority of our country, we tend to focus on debatable issues of culture, economy, and government. However, if we’re being fair, one of the irrefutable elements that makes America great is our proliferation of Northern Cardinals. In fact, we lead the world in these ubiquitous red birds, a fact that undoubtedly chafes terrorists and freedom haters everywhere. MORE
I unearthed this 2013 Laguna de la Nava, a Spanish Gran Reserva wine bottled by Bodegas Navarro Lopez in Valdepeñas, a Denominación de Origen Protegida region in the province of Ciudad Real, about one hundred miles south of Madrid. Bodegas Navarro Lopez Laguna de la Nava Gran Reserva (2013). MORE
In 2013 I birded in two countries, submitted eBird checklists for seven U.S. At the beginning of the year I said the following about my goals for the year’s birding: I start 2013 with 297 birds on my Queens Life List , 500 birds on my ABA Life List , and 1,096 birds on my World Life List. I would like to end 2013 with 303, 512, and 1,150 birds on those lists. But what were my top ten birding moments of 2013? What were your top birding moments of 2013? MORE
The most flamboyant of all hummers, the Marvelous Spatuletail will be one of the many endemic bird highlights along the route of the Second International Birding Rally Challenge in Peru. Photo: Courtesy of Dubi Shapiro. I can’t convey how thrilled I am about the upcoming International Birding Rally Challenge in Peru. This is the second version of an event like this in a different region of the country; and this time I will be participating!!! MORE
2013 Related Topics 10,000 Birds
JANUARY 9, 2013
What records will fall in 2013? Periodically throughout 2013 we will check in with the folks we find doing big years to see how they are doing. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 2013 Big Year birders! Check out EPIC Big Year 2013. You can keep up with Matt at Canada Big Year 2013. Laura Erickson is doing a “Conservation Big Year” seeking to see, photograph, and highlight conservation stories around the United States in 2013.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 16, 2013
Now seems like a good time to look in on the birding big years happening in 2013 to see how folks are doing as they tear around their county or region or state or province or country trying to see as many birds as possible before 1 January 2014. Since the initial post on 2013 big years I have learned of several more people attempting big years this year. You can follow along at Birding for Conservation , where I learned that David has already reached 270 species for 2013.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 12, 2013
If you are planning a birding trip to 2013 maybe you should consider Ecuador, my home country! Thanks to Lonely Planet we hope to see a small boost in tourism this year since Ecuador has made it to Top 10 Countries to travel in 2013. Happy Birding in 2013! Destinations Ecuador 2013Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve. Even if you are not a birder, you will find Ecuador to be a top notch destination for all sorts of people.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 31, 2013
In 2013 I birded in two countries, submitted eBird checklists for seven U.S. At the beginning of the year I said the following about my goals for the year’s birding: I start 2013 with 297 birds on my Queens Life List , 500 birds on my ABA Life List , and 1,096 birds on my World Life List. I would like to end 2013 with 303, 512, and 1,150 birds on those lists. But what were my top ten birding moments of 2013? What were your top birding moments of 2013?
10,000 Birds
MARCH 25, 2013
I finally saw my first Eastern Phoebe of 2013 yesterday at Hempstead Lake State Park on Long Island. So, like last year, I thought I would ask the question,which is only really relevant to folks in the midwest and northeast of the United States and in eastern Canada: When did you see your first Eastern Phoebe of 2013? In fact, I saw three!
10,000 Birds
MAY 3, 2013
So as many of my loyal readers know, I have a very mixed relationship with vagrants and the chasing thereof. Nevertheless, when a Baikal Teal was reported by the illustrious Radd Icenoggle just outside Missoula, I couldn’t very well ignore the siren call. Especially once the bird made the front page of the Missoulian and my friends started asking me about it. My quest began on Tuesday, two days after the first sighting and mere hours after the second set of x-rays on my wrist. (It’s
10,000 Birds
MARCH 17, 2013
The first batch of proposals for the 2013 American Ornithologists’ Union North American checklist supplement has hit the ‘tubes. Let’s take a look at some of what lurks inside: Pygmy-owl split. Proposal 2013-A-2 would split the “Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl” ( Glaucidium cobanense ) of southern Mexico and northern Central America from the widespread Northern Pygmy-Owl ( G. gnoma ) on the basis of vocal differences and a discrete range. Sandwich Tern split.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 26, 2013
One of the perks about living in Miami is that plane tickets to the bird-rich Caribbean, Central, and South America are often cheaper than going to places like Arizona, Colorado, or California.
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. I was fortunate to rack up a number of lifers in 2013, both at home and abroad ( Varied Thrush in Washington, Brewer’s Blackbirds in California, Burrowing Owl in the Nevada desert).
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 8, 2013
Were there any birds about this weekend? The only ones that concerned me were Ravens, Falcons, Seahawks, Cardinals, and Eagles. Welcome back, NFL football! Of course I still kept my eyes out for other types of birds. This time of year is perfect for finding juvenile Eastern Bluebirds , which I was happy to do. Corey’s BBOTW was a Blackburnian Warbler on Saturday in Alley Pond Park in Queens. Fall migration is in full swing! How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?
10,000 Birds
APRIL 14, 2013
Here in the United States, April 15 is Tax Day, which means that countless Americans have toiled through the last 48 hours to prepare their taxes. Some are surely at it still. What a way to ruin a weekend! With the foresight to get my taxes taken care of early, I was free to enjoy the cold spring weather and lingering winter species around here. It’s nice to see that Red-breasted Nuthatches still haunt my home turf. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a total surprise.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 22, 2013
As the year 2013 accelerates towards its imminent endpoint, I find myself deluged with end-of-year tasks both mundane and inspired. Instead of easing into the last days of December and out of 2013, you might consider redoubling your efforts to end this year on a triumphant note. We may all perceive time differently, but in the modern world we are all subject to the same calendar.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 21, 2013
One question every self-described birder must grapple with is to twitch or not to twitch. Some of us love to chase down preposterous vagrants, while others eschew bird chasing for contemplation of standard local fare and seasonal specialties. I raise this perennial issue because I found myself twitching a rare ABA bird this weekend. Did you? My ill-advised twitch was a run for the Long Island Ruffs recently spotted on the south shore.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 28, 2013
Keep your eyes to the skies for fun celestial bodies! Did you see Pan-Starrs? Clare Kines spotted the charismatic comet above Admiralty Inlet in Nunavut!). Spring is here! I know this not from the gradual appearance of robins, grackles, and blackbirds around me, but rather from the fact that our local schools are about to embark on spring break. Party! We won’t be leaving town until after the weekend, but plan to celebrate Easter the way we always do: egg hunt, baskets, and a nice hike.
10,000 Birds
JULY 19, 2013
After all, this is National Moth Week 2013! When the birds of summer grow stale, a birder’s fancy turns to leps and odes. If you don’t know what those terms mean, think about the most colorful and fascinating flying creatures that aren’t birds. Summer is sweet for dragonflies, butterflies, and moths, the last of which deserve your attention over the next seven or so days.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 20, 2013
What will you do this weekend to improve your 2013 year list? Keep your eyes to the skies. Snow is in the air! This penultimate weekend of the year inspires last-minute panic: how are you going to get everything you need before time is up? Some folks will go to extraordinary lengths to cross off everything on their sizable lists. How about you? You knew that’s what I was talking about, right?).
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 27, 2013
Winter in the temperate portions of the Nearctic ecozone might be cold, but fine birds choose to visit no matter what the weather. I’ve always equated winter with big predatory birds like Snowy Owls and Rough-legged Hawks. But on second thought, smaller birds like Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs spring to mind. And on third thought are those winsome winter waterfowl and exciting alcids… so what avifauna do you equate with winter in your part of the world?
10,000 Birds
JUNE 6, 2013
The most flamboyant of all hummers, the Marvelous Spatuletail will be one of the many endemic bird highlights along the route of the Second International Birding Rally Challenge in Peru. Photo: Courtesy of Dubi Shapiro. I can’t convey how thrilled I am about the upcoming International Birding Rally Challenge in Peru. This is the second version of an event like this in a different region of the country; and this time I will be participating!!!
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
Keep your eyes to the skies for flying pink birds like these Roseate Spoonbills , which are really ibises with big flat bills ! Excited about the equinox? One half of our global population will be surrendering minutes and then hours of daylight for darkness while the other half enjoys the inverse transaction. Those dark days of December are still far off, however, and migrants fill our skies in light and darkness. This threshold weekend holds promise everywhere in the world, so enjoy it!
10,000 Birds
APRIL 29, 2013
No matter where you live in the world, you’ve probably noticed how interesting the unfolding of this season is becoming. True, many of you live in locations that are verdant and vibrant all year long or cold and white most of the time. But from pole to pole, creatures are on the move and blossoms and berries are bursting to greet them. Isn’t that exciting?
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 4, 2013
Another long, lovely summer weekend has slipped into history. Midsummer will be giving way any moment to late summer. I know that families in the United States are already fretting/anticipating September’s arrival. How do you feel about it? Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a Least Tern that flew over his apartment, only the second he ever saw from the comfort of his balcony. My best birds were Eastern Kingbirds , which usually catch my attention in summer.
10,000 Birds
MAY 26, 2013
No need to draw this question out. Many of us are still enjoying the final weekend of May, so let’s cut to the chase and talk about our best birds. My best bird this weekend was an Eastern Wood-Pewee calling from a bare branch. When it comes to New World flycatchers, empids tend to irritate me for the same reasons they irritate everyone, but species in the genus Contopus make me much happier for inexplicable reasons.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 2, 2013
Before this lovely June weekend began, I bemoaned the evident end of spring migration. What I failed to recognize were all the great things that happen around here when the waves of migrants subside. For example, the local farmers’ markets are back in action! If you can’t get fresh birds, at least enjoy fresh produce. My favorite sighting this weekend was a House Wren at my house. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was an easy one to decide upon.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 16, 2013
Is it coincidence or conspiracy that Father’s Day falls on a weekend where very good birding can still be found in most areas? You be the judge… I got into a bunch of great grassland and forest birds this weekend. Honors go to American Redstart which somehow escaped me for the year until now. Corey was very pleased to finally find a Bell’s Vireo this weekend in Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Orange County, California.
4 The Love Of Animals
SEPTEMBER 24, 2013
Light a virtual candle on September 26, 2013, for a pet on-line. This Thursday, you can be a light for pets waiting in shelters. The message of Remember Me Thursday is to remember the millions of orphan pets who lost their lives over the last year. By uniting animal lovers across the world on one very special day, we can help raise awareness about animal adoption, and hopefully save the lives of more pets. If you are active on social media, please help spread the message.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 18, 2013
I’m wondering if Best Bird of the Weekend is too restrictive a way to consider the avians we encounter from Friday to Sunday. Of course we should seek reasons to celebrate every bird species we share our weekends with, but is the species that delights us most always the most memorable?
10,000 Birds
JULY 14, 2013
Birding and wildlife watching can be, as we all know, a solitary activity. And our practices, though familiar to anyone in our phenologically-attuned culture, can seem strange, sometimes even threatening, to the uninitiated. We receive ample, often poignant reminders of what tragedy can befall those who travel alone among those who don’t recognize their ways or understand their motives. So be careful out there, wherever you roam.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 10, 2013
At last, we stand on the threshold of a new season, moving inexorably into a period of phenological flux. Nature lovers love those magical months between winter and summer, so get your affairs in order… migration is either coming or may have already come! I took a run up to the lake today to find that most of the winter seaducks have moved offshore, at least for the weekend.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 12, 2013
Even in winter, a sunrise is warm. Ah, December, such a deceptively cheerful month! December offers us many reasons to celebrate, one of which I never considered until I heard the words of American author Oliver Herford. Herford (1863-1935) gave the world such wry epigrams as “Many are called but few get up,” and “Only the young die good,” but his most sincere and touching contribution was surely this poem, I Heard a Bird Sing : I heard a bird sing. In the dark of December. A magical thing.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 31, 2013
This weekend had something for everyone: celebrations, congregations, and migrations. And also sports! Please tell me you found something special to do… I took my kids on our traditional Easter morning hike, though the timing this year meant that spring has scarcely sprung. Still, hearing the tricksy triplets of a Northern Mockingbird made my weekend. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was one of the three Red-shouldered Hawks he spotted.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 20, 2013
When citizens of the United States tout the superiority of our country, we tend to focus on debatable issues of culture, economy, and government. However, if we’re being fair, one of the irrefutable elements that makes America great is our proliferation of Northern Cardinals. In fact, we lead the world in these ubiquitous red birds, a fact that undoubtedly chafes terrorists and freedom haters everywhere.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 8, 2013
Winter may not technically begin for another couple of weeks, but frigid temperatures and wicked snow are assailing various parts of North America. The weather outside is frightful, but winter birds are so delightful… guess that’s as good a reason as any to brave the cold. Alas, I had no time outdoors this weekend, which leaves House Sparrows sheltering a giant wreath as my Best Bird of the Weekend. Jealous?
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Keep your eyes to the skies for swallows… you know what they are , right? If you subscribe to the maxim that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, you’ve probably been miserable about eating the dregs of last year’s crop as part of your daily health maintenance routine. But nobody needs to gnaw on mealy fruit anymore now that apple season is sweeping the Northern Hemisphere. My family already boxed a bushel and look forward to much more. How do you like them apples?
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 15, 2021
I unearthed this 2013 Laguna de la Nava, a Spanish Gran Reserva wine bottled by Bodegas Navarro Lopez in Valdepeñas, a Denominación de Origen Protegida region in the province of Ciudad Real, about one hundred miles south of Madrid. Bodegas Navarro Lopez Laguna de la Nava Gran Reserva (2013).
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 15, 2013
To all you hardy naturalists who have already logged Christmas Bird Count hours in service to citizen science, I salute you! Winter has come early and often to Western NY. In the face of endless snow, all I want to do is seek shelter, warmth, and booze. Those of you willing to eschew creature comforts to tally birds across your ice-rimed count circles are my heroes. Share your CBC stories here!
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. Blog security is serious business! But when I do get to go birding with him or any of my other friends and colleagues in the natural history space, I remember what about this hobby I enjoy so much.
10,000 Birds
MAY 5, 2013
How’s May migration treating you so far? We’re early in the month, but many birds are late compared to last year, at least in my part of the world. Then again, migratory birds arrived very early last year. So I frankly have no idea what to expect. Feels slow though… I headed up to Lake Ontario to spy my first Caspian Terns of the year. Luckily, I caught a few and little else apart from a Hermit Thrush , Ruby-crowned Kinglet , and lots of Ring-billed Gulls.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 5, 2013
Believe it or not, a Snowy Owl is in this photo! The first weekend of December is a good time to review your lists: year lists, shopping lists, naughty or nice lists, etc. How do these lists need to change for you to be satisfied with your year? More importantly, what are you going to do about it? Corey will be conducting some pre-CBC scouting throughout Queens this weekend. I’ll be mostly indoors for work events but will keep my eyes to the skies whenever possible. How about you?
10,000 Birds
MAY 10, 2013
Heading out of Ecclesdown Road on the second day of my trip, I had nailed all of my targets save four species ( Caribbean Dove , Yellow-billed Parrot , Jamaican Owl , and Stolid Flycatcher ). I had a reservation to stay at Hardwar Gap for the night, previously thinking that I would need the extra full day to look for Jamaican Blackbird and Crested Quail-Dove, which I decided to honor.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
Can you handle it? It is fall, the time of year when wood-warblers are at their most difficult, and I have curated three images of wood-warblers for you to destroy yourself upon, pulling out your hair as you frantically flip through your field guides. The only clues you get on this quiz are that all three images were taken in Queens in the last two weeks and all three pictures are of wood-warblers. Can you guess all three? As usual, you are to put your answers in the comments.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 10, 2013
Oh to be in Texas admiring the celebrity bird du jour , an incredibly unexpected Amazon Kingfisher ! Amazing encounters occur when amazing birders visit amazing places, but serendipitous sightings increase exponentially when so many amazing birders gather for an amazing birding festival.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 8, 2013
Wow, wouldn’t you love to go camping in Windjana Gorge like Clare Morton did? The second weekend of August is marked, at least in these parts, by hysteria. Birds are gorging themselves for their imminent odysseys, while humans frantically expend themselves in the drive for as much summer fun as possible before Labor Day. This sometimes involves gorging themselves as well. This weekend promises all kinds of fun for me and hopefully all kinds of birds as well.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 29, 2013
With simply a couple of days remaining before we consign this year’s calendars to the compost pile, our 2013 lists (deeds, birds, etc.) are pretty much set. Most people can live with that, content in the knowledge that much of the year was spent in pursuit of worthy goals and satisfied to glide towards year’s end. Some, though, see immense opportunity in the next 48 hours to strive and perhaps succeed in adding to their year lists.
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