10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2016

After filling our water bottles at the clear mountain spring, the group splits and the majority continue on foot across the high pass to find many signs of bear presence in the area – scratching posts, scat (above), footprints; while the two of us continue by car along the very good final section of macadam prior to the village. Not at all.

Bears 271

Bears Greece Europe Slovenia 271

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2012

It is a group of people who were already interested enough in the flora and fauna of Montana to give up two evenings a week to more study, but most of them are not birders in particular: they are hikers, organic gardeners, environmental studies students. Knowing what a sparrow is is kind of easy. And that frustration was epic.

Montana 162

Montana Bald Eagle Owls Ducks 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

The birds were right next to an old abandoned farm house, and seemed quite happy to have their photo taken, up to a point, but then like the wind, they were gone, out thru the flat desert areas of New Mexico! I counted about 600 of them, along with a few Red-wing Blackbirds and about 50-75 Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

Albuquerque 125

Albuquerque New Mexico Mexico Sparrows 125

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2014

(The phrase is also used in the Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America and The Shorebird Guide by O’Brien, Crossley, and Karlson, so it hasn’t been totally abandoned.). And, while my initial reaction to that buffy-yellow Grasshopper Sparrow’s breast was “too yellow!”,

North America 247

North America Birds Species America 247