4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2017

Playing off the popularity of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Petplan’s Tournament of Tails features adoptable pets from 32 shelters across the country vying for the crown of top dog or cat. More importantly, the tournament brings much-needed awareness for … Continue reading → cats dogs people helping animals

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4 The Love Of Animals

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

It’s that time of the year again! Big cats are taking over Nat Geo WILD starting on Monday Feb. 20 at 9/8c. Big Cat Week is an extension of the Big Cats Initiative, which aims to halt the decline of … Continue reading → cats

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2017 Cats 138

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2017

Here’s hoping that 2017 is a much better year than 2016! Birding 2017Thank all that is good and holy in the world that the abomination that was 2016 is finally in the books. I know I will be doing my best to make it so, especially from a birding perspective. In order to keep my nose to the grindstone (eyes to the binoculars?) I am setting some goals for myself here. Will I achieve them? Who knows?

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10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2017

Therefore, this year’s goal is simple: In 2017, I want to enjoy birds as much as possible. Birding 2017 year listYes, here it is, another attempt at keeping a year list. 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.

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4 The Love Of Animals

APRIL 23, 2017

The World Health Organization declared April 7th, 2017 as World Health Day, a day focusing on mental health, but it’s also a year-long campaign which aims to educate, raise awareness and help people suffering from mental illness. Depression, Anxiety, and … Continue reading →

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2017

I saw my first migratory Eastern Phoebe of 2017 this morning, 12 March, at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, thus kicking off spring for myself over a week early. As I have for the last several years, I will now ask the same question of midwesterners and northeasterners that I ask every year: When did you see your first Eastern Phoebe of 2017? 2017 – 12 March.

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10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2017

For the last several years, I have produced a small run of calendars for my fiends and family. The best 12 images of the previous year. As simple as that might sound, over the course of a full year, I will shoot more than 20,000 photos, While that seems like a lot, it works out to about 400 per weekend, if I were to be in the field 50 of 52 weekends of the year. Some of the locations I shoot at, 400 is a quiet day.

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2017 Culling 2016 California 42

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 17, 2017

With only a few weeks left before we turn the page on 2017, birders around the world have been burning their proverbial candles at both ends to observe as many birds as possible. Did you partake in any Christmas Bird Count excitement this weekend? I have to admit that I abstained from the CBC this year, prizing personal comfort over citizen science. Sign me up for a Memorial Day Bird Count any year!

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10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2017

79 checklists were contributed for 624 birds during March and bring the running total for 2017 to 1162. 13 Jan 2017. 20 Jan 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 08 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 15 Jan 2017. 22 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 27 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 08 Mar 2017. 02 Jan 2017.

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4 The Love Of Animals

AUGUST 13, 2017

Like so many of us who share our lives with a beloved dog, we had our dog Teddy microchipped when he became a permanent family member after a short foster period. And although life is fickle, and nothing we do … Continue reading → guest post pet care pet stories

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2017 Dogs Family Pets 160

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2017

Can a family-focused trip—even to one of the world’s most biodiverse countries—deliver enough opportunities for avian observation to satisfy this serious world birder? If you have kids, you’re probably as curious as I was. The short answer, I’m happy to report, is a resounding yes. With enough planning, you can enjoy a family-friendly, bird-rich vacation in the Panama Canal zone. LODGING. Once you’ve chosen a destination, deciding where to stay tops the list of critical decisions.

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10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

It is autumn, the time of year when wood-warblers are allegedly at their most difficult. But that isn’t tough enough for 10,000 Birds readers: no, we have to make things a bit more, shall we say, diabolical? Yes, that’s right, it is time once again for a diabolical identification quiz on 10,000 Birds! 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?

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2017

The year 2016 is done and gone and 2017 beckons us onward, bright and new and shiny, hopefully full of birds. Here’s hoping everyone has a wonderful 2017, full of amazing birds and experiences. As birders we love the turn of the calendar as it allows us to start a new year list and take stock of the previous year’s sightings, twitches, dips, and photos.

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4 The Love Of Animals

AUGUST 29, 2017

Cats, along with dogs, are the most popular pet in the world. And it’s no wonder – these adorable, cuddly creatures are great at winning over our hearts. But even if we think we know them in detail, there are … Continue reading → cats guest post

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10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Don’t panic yet, but do plan for how you’ll spend the rest of 2017 making this birding year one to remember. At last, we flip to the final page of our antiquated paper calendars and are forced to confront the painful but inevitable reality: we only have one more month to pad our year lists! The denouement starts this weekend. I’ve dipped on a few fancy species recently, so I’ll be watching the wires for their potential return.

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10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2017

With April almost over, the real meat of migration fast approaches. At some point, everyone gets hit with a wave of winged travelers zooming towards their breeding or wintering ground. If that time hasn’t come for you yet, get ready. Another weekend of work will keep me off the trail, but luckily Neotropical migrants need a long time to find their way to western NY. Corey will be leading a bird walk at the Queens Botanical Garden for NYC Audubon, and there may still be room for one more.

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10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

Some of us had long weekends and made them count. Some of us had short weekends or none at all and still made them count. No matter how much time you can spare, you MUST respond to the spectacle of migration taking place right now. Though it is still September and not really proper sparrow season yet, Corey still managed to turn up a nice Lincoln’s Sparrow at Kissena Corridor Park on Sunday morning, his first of the fall.

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10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2017

eBird your sightings : Always a worthwhile endeavor but especially for folks like me who want to identify more than 700 species during 2017. The tenth month of the year isn’t one that is commonly associated with birding in Costa Rica but no matter, it should be. Those with binoculars who visit now will still lays eyes on lots of birds.

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4 The Love Of Animals

FEBRUARY 22, 2017

Written by Suzanne Redfearn for Nat Geo WILD and USA Today Article originally appeared in a special edition of USA Today for Nat Geo WILD Did you know that there are very few differences between your house cat and endangered … Continue reading →

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10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

Fall migration may want for some of the kaleidoscope colors adorning spring birds, but this time of year offers some of the most exciting birding you can ask for. If, that is, you get out and enjoy it! Some interesting avifauna has been popping up in the Rochester area, and I aim to track a few birds down this weekend. Corey becomes such a whirlwind of bird watching during migration that you could practically see him anywhere, although your odds are best around Queens. How about you?

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4 The Love Of Animals

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

I was provided a copy of the book Arthur for my review, and the publisher is providing copies for our giveaway. Do you remember the news story not so long ago about a plucky little dog who joined a team … Continue reading → books dogs giveaways

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10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

Anyone lucky enough to be high and dry these days can surely appreciate how many birds are on the move. Keep your bins handy, because you never know what you’ll see out there. I was thrilled this weekend to see a bird I haven’t encountered in nearly a decade; maybe American Pipit is common in your parts, but I had to scour the East Spit of Braddock Bay to luck into one.

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4 The Love Of Animals

JULY 17, 2017

Do you love cats? What about food? Do you also like to color? This book combines all of those wonderful things together for a fun coloring experience! The cats take the cake in their “food cosplay”, such as cat sushi. … Continue reading → cats

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10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

13 Jan 2017. 20 Jan 2017. 30 Apr 2017. 11 Apr 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 01 Jun 2017. 08 Jan 2017. 28 Mar 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 22 Jan 2017. 15 Jan 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 27 Jan 2017. 26 Apr 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 09 Apr 2017. 08 Mar 2017. 02 Jan 2017.

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10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2017

Now that most of the gift giving and bird counting has been discharged, before the revels and resolutions of the final night of the year, I like to sit–somewhere warm, of course–and consider a cheerful verse from Oliver Herford : I heard a bird sing. In the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. “We We are nearer to Spring. Than we were in September,”. I heard a bird sing. In the dark of December.

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2017

Wishing all birders who come to Costa Rica in 2017 the best of luck, hope to meet you while watching an antswarm! Are you on your way to Costa Rica? Planning a trip for later this year? Good choice, the birding is fantastic! If not, I hope the following tips will convince you to come on down to this easy birding paradise: 100s of bird species are closer than you think. Yes, hundreds.

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10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

If you live in the NYC Metro area, you might want to take up the Seatuck Environmental Association 2017 Birding Challenge. September is as thrilling a month for birding as any and better than most. If you’re not fleeing for your life in the face of a natural disaster or picking up the pieces in the wake of one, you should definitely try to scan some birds this weekend! I’m still trying to find my way to something new around here, which will likely require a trip to the coast.

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4 The Love Of Animals

AUGUST 8, 2017

Everyone loves videos with animals being adorable and cute. Recently, the Ad Council has crafted three aww-inducing Public Service Ads (PSAs) featuring puppies, baby goats, and hedgehogs! Yes, hedgehogs (of course we had to share that one). Not only are … Continue reading → cute animals

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4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 3, 2017

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nestle Purina PetCare Company. As a #PurinaPartner I am being compensated for sharing this information. Did you know that May is National Pet Month? That’s right! An entire month to celebrate how much we … Continue reading →

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2017

If your part of the world is dealing with the levels of meteorological turmoil my part is, you’ll remember the wild weather of March 2017 for a long, long time. But even if your local breezes are balmy, let’s hope they’re blowing beautiful birds in. I can’t see myself braving this weekend’s predicted blistering cold just to admire the birds of late winter, so I’ll be watching my feeder.

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2017

13 Jan 2017. 20 Jan 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 08 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 15 Jan 2017. 22 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 27 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 02 Jan 2017. 03 Feb 2017. 04 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 25 Jan 2017. 12 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 04 Feb 2017.

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2017

The first weekend of April can prove treacherous for twitchers looking for species far afield. Without getting into details, I’ll simply suggest that you take improbable bird reports on Saturday with a healthy grain of salt. Sunday should bring us back to business as usual. I’m working and waiting for better weather, so I’ll probably just spend my weekend studying the field guide for the extremely birdy Central American country I’ll be visiting in a few weeks.

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10,000 Birds

MAY 14, 2017

Global Big Day 2017 is in the books, with 15,954 participants submitting 40,698 checklists to eBird accounting for 6,068 species … so far. What a weekend for birders all over the world. I hope you were able to be a part of the festivities. Despite poor conditions, I was able to add a few FOY migrants on Global Big Day, including a snazzy Cape May Warbler (like this one ) at Cobbs Hill Park.

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4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 22, 2017

Pets can sure find themselves in a lot of trouble. Whether it’s eating a pair of socks, chewing up the furniture or leaving unwanted messes on the floor, pet parents definitely have their hands full. Warm weather on its way … Continue reading → cats dogs pet care

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2017

And so begins another New Year, another chance to start afresh. If you are the type to put together a list of resolutions, or goals, then the chance to make them a reality is upon you. I have never been much of a resolutions sort of guy, I just look back at the previous year make a mental note of what I liked, and what I didn’t. Then, I try to you avoid the bad parts. As has been our tradition, my wife and I head out to some secluded desert spot, between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

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2017 Sparrows Battery Pelicans 41

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2017

We birders share common cause with farmers in our obsession with seasons, always wondering what new crop of avifauna is coming in. But any time of year is the right time to pay attention to uncommon avian behavior, even from common birds. For example, I saw all kinds of special species this weekend, but nothing impressed me more than displays of the tyranny of tiny birds. First, I witnessed Ruby-throated Hummingbirds haranguing a Cedar Waxwing in suburban Rochester.

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2017 Jamaica Wildlife Experience 43

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2017

Weatherwise around the world, this last weekend of September delivered a sneak preview of what each of us will likely enjoy or endure over the six months. We’re not fully into winter or summer yet, but the scent is in the air. Most of the birds you see these days, however, won’t be sticking around long, so take advantage while you can! On my nature rambles this weekend, I ran into a couple of White-crowned Sparrows.

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2017 New York City New York Sparrows 42

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Yesterday, a small gang of Common Grackles rolled up to my bird feeder. For the rest of the day, everywhere I looked, grackles flew from tree to tree, strutting arrogantly with baleful eyes and mechanical whistles. Grackles are, of course, always a treat to observe in their stylish Stygian plumage, but the import of their presence won’t be lost on anyone in the temperate zones struggling through an intemperate season. Ready or not, spring will be coming to the Northern Hemisphere!

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10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2017

Thus; As at April 30 th 2017, the collaborative year total stands at 1432 , with 895 species noted this month from 164 shared checklists. 13 Jan 2017. 20 Jan 2017. 30 Apr 2017. 11 Apr 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 08 Jan 2017. 28 Mar 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 05 Jan 2017. 15 Jan 2017. 22 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017. 07 Jan 2017. 28 Jan 2017. 01 Jan 2017.

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YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 31, 2017

Happy New Year! Now that the odometer on year lists has rolled back to zero, you’re probably eagerly looking forward to beginning the bird hunt anew. But take a moment first to appreciate your final sightings of the year gone by. A confluence of injury, illness, and arctic air conspired to keep me indoors for most of the weekend, with little more than Black-capped Chickadees to observe. Corey did not see many birds this weekend but he saw a few good ones.

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10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2017

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, With the kids jingle belling, And everyone telling you be of good cheer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year… That’s right, the Christmas Bird Count season is finally here! Birders in Costa Rica already completed their CBC before tourism takes over the country, but most other nations have yet to commence counting. So whether you’re counting or scouting this weekend, have fun out there!

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2017 Costa Rica Rights Birds 40

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2017

Winter doesn’t officially begin for a few weeks yet, but the birds this far north don’t seem to care about the calendar. We’re seeing all manner of seasonal specialty roll into Rochester. What are you seeing? When I lived in NYC, I couldn’t avoid spotting Hooded Mergansers , even at the local ponds. Now that I’m in the Finger Lakes region, I can’t even chase them down.

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10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Another weekend is here, carrying all sorts of inclement weather, natural disasters, and societal upheaval. At least we have birds! I’m pretty locked up this weekend, which may make bird chasing tough, but a trip down to the Southern Tier always has the potential for surprises. Corey will be scouting for what promises to be an outstanding Queens Christmas Bird Count, assuming the weather cooperates. How about you? Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding?

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