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Alas, the team named for a bird fell short of the crown in Super Bowl XLIX. While many human beings felt anguish and rage at the loss, most avifauna appeared unperturbed. The non-Seahawk birds that caught my eye this weekend were Northern Cardinals , which always look their best burning crimson against a blanket of white snow. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a wonderful American Pipit foraging on the roadside margin at Jones Beach State Park. MORE
Alas, they both kept their heads down until long after we’d left. 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? MORE
Alas, the long slog to spring will take many, many more frigid, blustery weeks. Keep your eyes to the skies for freaky hybrids ! If you live on my side of the globe–north/south axis, of course–you may be as sick as I am of winter weather. At least we have birds… My desire to see boreal specialties pales in comparison to my passion for staying warm and dry. This does not bode well for my birding weekend. MORE
Alas, now that the Arizona Cardinals have fallen to the Carolina Panthers, we face the prospect of a Super Bowl without bird-themed football teams. So, do you prefer rambunctious horses or big cats better? I got a good dose of seaducks this weekend up at the mouth of Irondequoit Bay; the most interesting species amidst the mixed flocks was a lone Bufflehead hobnobbing with Common Goldeneyes. MORE
Alas, Atlanta couldn’t seal the deal in the second half, but Baltimore bullied their way to the Big Game. Those of us perched precariously at the intersection of birds and sports couldn’t help but hope for a Bird Bowl, where both teams competing in Super Bowl XLVII were named for birds. We’re going to celebrate both of them anyway with two editions of I and the Bird ! MORE
I was living in the hope that Richard Crossley would set it right with his brilliant new book, but alas even he decided to not shake the boat or upset the powers that be. Kenn Kaufmann, David Sibley, Pete Dunne, Corey Finger and – it seems the rest of the American birding world have it all wrong. So, it has all been piled on my scrawny shoulders, something that old-world birders have known for ages. This is not a Wood Warbler. MORE
Even the first Common House Martin has been spotted and the flocks of returning Common (Eurasian) Cranes here and there – alas, not by me. While February offers some good birding (wintering waterbirds, gulls), it is a kind of an anticlimax after the intensive and hectic schedule of the January IWC counts – the International Waterbird Census, that is. MORE
But alas, my comedic skills are subpar. This Kestrel may have been carrying bugs, but an X-ray showed they were not of the surveillance type. Image from DHA/Dogan News Agency). . In truly absurd, I am not making this up news, villagers in Turkey recently accused a bird of being an Israeli spy. There’s a joke in here somewhere stemming from the fact that the country’s name is Turkey. Have at it in the comments, if you like.). MORE
Alas, the pickings were slim apart from one freezing raptor counter. You may have experienced one of the weirdest weekends of your life, what with all bars and restaurants closed and people maintaining a healthy distance from even close friends and family. Then again, you may have passed Saturday and Sunday in quite the same way you spend all your weekends: looking at birds and communing with nature. Sometimes the little things really do mean the most. MORE
Alas for the naming of birds that it took place before anyone had the foresight to recognize that the Sharp-shinned Hawk should be called the Mini-Cooper. It would reflect not only a pun hilarious to me personally and birding dads everywhere, but the magnitude of the ID challenge presented by a glimpse of one of these accipiters in swift flight – akin to the Greater and Lesser Scaup or the Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitcher. But such things were not to be. MORE
Alas, the beer is only available on draft in Texas for a limited time, far out of range for me in New York. It was with a mix and horror and skepticism that I first read about the unholy marriage of Peeps and beer recently perpetrated by Fort Worth brewers The Collective Brewing Project and their partners in this crime at Lone Star Taps & Caps. MORE
Alas, I am not among them. The coronavirus has locked us all in, literally, doing something that was totally unthinkable only a few months ago: it has prevented us from birding abroad! And now we are all dreaming about new destinations to explore, once airports are working again and borders re-open. Only this time, you do not feel like inhaling the same air circling through the plane on a ten hour flight. MORE
The cows and their entourage of Cattle Egrets sloshed through the pastures, each time they moved we lurched forward hoping to see a disturbed Grey-breasted Crake hop into view – but alas, no such luck even though we were hearing the little skulkers consistently. MORE
But alas, my garden Wilsons have not been seen here on the 4th of April. 10,000 Birds is having trouble with our website platform. If this post turns up on Wednesday, April 23, it will mean I was successful in uploading text. However, the platform did not allow me to include photos. Since I consider myself a better writer than photographer, I can live with that. When you are an American expatriate who lives, and birds, in Mexico, it is a topsy-turvy world. MORE
But, alas, I’d have colored practically the whole letter. As we enter the second century of protecting, preserving, and respecting our wild spaces, certainly no one would actually consider undoing, reversing, and exploiting our national parks, forests, and monuments. Right? And yet, it has begun. Minnesota’s Superior National Forest is now on the radar for underground mineral mining. MORE
But alas, we' re too important and special to "manage," and every human pregnancy is treated as a sacred, blessed event, while we kill the kittens inside pregnant feral cats every day without batting an eyelash, and in fact we're relieved when we can catch one who's pregnant, as that's x number of cats who don't have to come into this world. MORE
Alas, we’re still mired in shorebird season, so I’l sally forth once more this weekend in search of the Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones passing through the Great Lakes. Here in the Empire State, August’s arrival triggers some predictable reactions: “Aw, summer is almost over.” ” “Aw, school will be starting any day now.” ” “Yee-haw, fall migration is starting soon!” MORE
Alas, no. Before we get started I’d like to congratulate the Whiskey Jack on becoming the National Bird of Canada ! The Gray Jay (once also, and perhaps again, known as the Canada Jay) inspired this feature, so I owe it a deep debt of gratitude. Now on with the show… I always sort of assumed that the Crissal Thrasher was named for a Mr. Crissal, a long-dead ornithologist, perhaps a buddy or a rival of Mr. Bendire or Mr. LeConte. MORE
And, alas, heat is one thing Mexico’s Pacific coast has in excess. My wife hates heat. Which explains why this birder, who lives only four hours from that coast, had only twice searched there for the region’s tropical and coastal species — both times on ministry trips I made without my wife. But this past week, my wife travelled to the U.S. to visit her elderly father. And I didn’t. I stayed here to keep things going at the church we pastor. MORE
But alas, the weather does me no favors on this day. I have been fortunate to bird Florida many times, and over the years I’ve seen most of the specialty birds that people travel from all over to see. I’ve walked among Wood Storks , looked at Limpkins , scrutinized dozens of Snail Kites , even managed to come across a White-crowned Pigeon or two. MORE
Alas, there is no eagle to be seen either. May 2009. After a wakeup call at highly uncivilized 3.45 am, at the crack of dawn I am sitting in a car by the Suslik (European ground squirrel) pasture. It is still cold. No Susliks are to be seen – they are waiting for the sun. Actually, I am not waiting for them, but for the Eastern Imperial Eagle to come here to hunt Susliks – an eagle from one of the last two remaining nests in Serbia. MORE
Many of them are heavenly islands, alas, with 100 or less bird species. What are the best countries for a passionate birder to move to? And why? I discovered this map a while ago, hidden somewhere at the not so easy to navigate BirdLife International’s website, and I have used it as my computer wallpaper ever since. Usually, I interchange some birdy wallpapers several times per month, but this one has stayed for several months already. MORE
Choosing among the hawks, eagles, and owls at the raptor residence (alas no rehab for these irreparably injured birds of prey) and the active late winter species in the park seemed impossible, until an impressive Pileated Woodpecker put on a powerful display of excavatory activity. Change is in the air, isn’t it? All around the world, satisfaction subsides as an inevitable restlessness sets in on a cellular level. MORE
Alas, these gentle rains may not always speed spring migrants on their way to breeding grounds far from the equator. April showers most assuredly bring May flowers in the more temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere. Any luck this weekend? The ridiculous cold afflicting the northeastern U.S. seems to have chilled the rush of migrants around here. MORE
Alas, I had no time outdoors this weekend, which leaves House Sparrows sheltering a giant wreath as my Best Bird of the Weekend. 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. MORE
Alas, the New York coastline is nowhere near as picturesque as the Pacific coast as our photo above by Duncan shows. As daylight dwindles in the Northern Hemisphere, birds proliferate and then progress out of the frame. October, as Dylan Thomas perceived it, was awash with avian activity: My birthday began with the water-. Birds and the birds of the winged trees flying my name. Above the farms and the white horses. And I rose. In rainy autumn. MORE
Alas, it's not the best monthly average. This blog had 2,383 visitors (visits, actually) during January. That's a record. November (which has only 30 days) had an average of 77.5 visitors per day. December had an average of 74.0 visitors per day. January had an average of 76.8 visitors per day. Hey, at least we're consistent! Here is a chart showing readership (visitorship?) since the blog's inception (click to enlarge): Thanks for visiting! Y'all come back now, y'hear MORE
Alas, we mostly get females; the males winter along the coast. I was born in Minnesota. Had my life taken a different turn, and had I remained in that state, I would be intimately acquainted with exactly one hummingbird: the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. But my family moved to northern California when I was four years old, in 1962, effectively quadrupling my hummer list with the addition of the Anna’s , Rufous , and Allen’s Hummingbirds. MORE
Alas, my hoped-for Tundra Swan did not materialize despite the proximity of Swan River National Wildlife Refuge. Migrants, alas, were not yet much in evidence aside from the Canada Geese (mild climate my foot.) One of the things I like best is squeezing a little birding in on non-birding trips. MORE
Alas, there were very few comments, and most of those that were submitted were anonymous, so I disabled it. I created this blog five years ago today. There have been 112,684 visits, which is an average of 22,536.8 per year and 61.7 per day. Here , for old time's sake, is my first post. Thanks for visiting. If you're looking for something in particular, please use the search function at the top left of the blog. MORE
With traits allegedly unique to humans running out, philosophers and scientists claimed that only humans have minds complex enough to allow a sense of self-consciousness or self-identity, but, alas, chimpanzees and other animals demonstrated significant degrees of self-consciousness too. Steve Best's verbal presentation of his ideas sometimes irks me. It's over-the-top, for me, and I often resent the time I must spend working through the ranting. MORE
Alas, the only thing either of us found worth making a call about was the white cowbird, which I refound in one of the huge flocks of cowbirds and starlings that have been roaming around Fort Tilden. I was sorting through a large mixed flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings at Fort Tilden on Friday morning when Isaac Grant, the intrepid Staten Island birder, showed up and asked if I had seen the white one. MORE
But, alas, the Novel Coronavirus did not respect my plans. I should have been on my way to Istanbul by the time this post came out. That trip was to take my wife and I to Turkey, Jordan, and southern Spain, with stopovers near Paris. And while it was to be a work (ministry) trip, I had still managed to schedule it right during the migratory peak along these two major corridors. I was soooo excited about getting to know the Middle East, as well as some of its exotic species. MORE
Rumor has it the falls are fantastic for gulls, but alas only in winter! 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. After all, this is National Moth Week 2013! MORE
Alas, this bird doesn’t like rain! Are you the sort of birder who takes comfort in the thought that you might find new species within driving distance of your home? Or are you the kind of completist who is driven to distraction by the knowledge of unseen species in your general vicinity? I definitely fall into the former category, willing to cache new birds away like an Acorn Woodpecker stores oak nuts. MORE
Alas, the winds blew nothing exceptional my way. Every week, the winds carry the unexpected hither and yon. Were you hither? Were you yon? If so, we’d love to hear what you found there. In fact, my weekend avifauna was so prosaic that a lone House Finch stood out as the most interesting sighting. MORE
Alas, I didn’t locate any but found enjoyment in a prolonged standoff between mobbing Red-eyed Vireos and a Blue Jay who refused to take the hint. I hate to obsess about weather, but June temperatures in New York have taken us all on a roller coaster ride with sweltering highs and frigid lows within days of each other. How am I supposed to enjoy a pre-summer weekend dressed in all these layers? MORE
We took my father-in-law’s new boat out to a barrier island south of Chincoteague NWR… alas, I had so little faith in our first voyage that I left my camera home for safety. Have you noticed that, at certain times of the year, many of us share similar weekend birding highlights? It stands to reason that we all tend to look in the same direction or dig around parallel places during raptor migration or winter waterfowl season. MORE
With my hands still numbed by the cold, I really could’ve used some help in this, but alas, no corkscrew nuthatches visited my feeders that day. Like many in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, I’ve been holed up at home lately, thanks to a big winter storm last week – and now – the polar vortex. Last week, we had over a foot of snow in Albany, New York, with some of the surrounding areas blanketed by up to two feet. MORE
Alas, we’re also intimately acquainted with darker emotions; the lust in our hearts alone (for lifers and optics, naturally) exacts a heavy emotional toll. All of us who identify ourselves as birders are thrillingly familiar with the sense of discovery, accomplishment, and even adventure that goes hand in glove with the personal quest to observe and understand avifauna. MORE
But alas, the supply has dwindled. As many of you know, 2009 was chock full of creature-related drama for me. From the feral cats of Project Treadstone to Charles' back surgery to problems with Violet's Vetsulin (insulin for dogs), we had more than our share of issues. If I told you what I spent last year doing work-wise, you probably wouldn't believe me and you'd definitely suggest I write a book about it. At least Emily the kitty, though not at all skinny, had an uneventful year. MORE
But alas. I've been a bit preoccupied with a couple of stranger-than-fiction situations that recently caused me to tweet "Sometimes I wish there were a god so I'd have someone to blame." One situation was that Charles, who will turn six on June 3, has been lame for nearly six months. And after vet upon vet, and drug upon drug (and also some acupuncture and chiropractic), we had to take him to Orlando (3 hours north) for an MRI. MORE
Alas, they turned out to be Ring-billed Gulls , but as I turned back to the car another flock of white caught my eye. The sun was setting fast as my mom and I left Council Grove, Kansas, after a delicious steak dinner and a three hour expedition across the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Cattle fields surrounded the small town, the cows forming dark silhouettes against the rapidly graying skies. MORE
Alas, I won’t be anywhere near penguins this weekend, so I’ll have to make do with whatever uncommon shorebirds trickle through Lake Ontario. If you’re struggling with horrendous summer heat, a trip to Antarctica might sound good to you. On the other hand, if you’re dealing with the depths of winter’s chill, a trip to Antarctica might sound good. MORE
ALA Related Topics 10,000 Birds
JUNE 14, 2020
Alas, I didn’t locate any but found enjoyment in a prolonged standoff between mobbing Red-eyed Vireos and a Blue Jay who refused to take the hint. I hate to obsess about weather, but June temperatures in New York have taken us all on a roller coaster ride with sweltering highs and frigid lows within days of each other. How am I supposed to enjoy a pre-summer weekend dressed in all these layers?
10,000 Birds
MARCH 22, 2020
Alas, the pickings were slim apart from one freezing raptor counter. You may have experienced one of the weirdest weekends of your life, what with all bars and restaurants closed and people maintaining a healthy distance from even close friends and family. Then again, you may have passed Saturday and Sunday in quite the same way you spend all your weekends: looking at birds and communing with nature. Sometimes the little things really do mean the most.
Animal Person
MAY 8, 2009
But alas. I've been a bit preoccupied with a couple of stranger-than-fiction situations that recently caused me to tweet "Sometimes I wish there were a god so I'd have someone to blame." One situation was that Charles, who will turn six on June 3, has been lame for nearly six months. And after vet upon vet, and drug upon drug (and also some acupuncture and chiropractic), we had to take him to Orlando (3 hours north) for an MRI.
Animal Person
APRIL 24, 2009
But alas, we' re too important and special to "manage," and every human pregnancy is treated as a sacred, blessed event, while we kill the kittens inside pregnant feral cats every day without batting an eyelash, and in fact we're relieved when we can catch one who's pregnant, as that's x number of cats who don't have to come into this world.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 9, 2019
Alas, I won’t be anywhere near penguins this weekend, so I’ll have to make do with whatever uncommon shorebirds trickle through Lake Ontario. If you’re struggling with horrendous summer heat, a trip to Antarctica might sound good to you. On the other hand, if you’re dealing with the depths of winter’s chill, a trip to Antarctica might sound good.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 26, 2020
Alas, these gentle rains may not always speed spring migrants on their way to breeding grounds far from the equator. April showers most assuredly bring May flowers in the more temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere. Any luck this weekend? The ridiculous cold afflicting the northeastern U.S. seems to have chilled the rush of migrants around here.
Animal Person
JUNE 1, 2009
With traits allegedly unique to humans running out, philosophers and scientists claimed that only humans have minds complex enough to allow a sense of self-consciousness or self-identity, but, alas, chimpanzees and other animals demonstrated significant degrees of self-consciousness too. Steve Best's verbal presentation of his ideas sometimes irks me. It's over-the-top, for me, and I often resent the time I must spend working through the ranting.
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 1, 2015
Alas, the team named for a bird fell short of the crown in Super Bowl XLIX. While many human beings felt anguish and rage at the loss, most avifauna appeared unperturbed. The non-Seahawk birds that caught my eye this weekend were Northern Cardinals , which always look their best burning crimson against a blanket of white snow. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a wonderful American Pipit foraging on the roadside margin at Jones Beach State Park.
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 5, 2015
Alas, the long slog to spring will take many, many more frigid, blustery weeks. Keep your eyes to the skies for freaky hybrids ! If you live on my side of the globe–north/south axis, of course–you may be as sick as I am of winter weather. At least we have birds… My desire to see boreal specialties pales in comparison to my passion for staying warm and dry. This does not bode well for my birding weekend.
Animal Ethics
FEBRUARY 1, 2007
Alas, it's not the best monthly average. This blog had 2,383 visitors (visits, actually) during January. That's a record. November (which has only 30 days) had an average of 77.5 visitors per day. December had an average of 74.0 visitors per day. January had an average of 76.8 visitors per day. Hey, at least we're consistent! Here is a chart showing readership (visitorship?) since the blog's inception (click to enlarge): Thanks for visiting! Y'all come back now, y'hear
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 8, 2013
Alas, I had no time outdoors this weekend, which leaves House Sparrows sheltering a giant wreath as my Best Bird of the Weekend. 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.
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 7, 2019
Alas, this bird doesn’t like rain! Are you the sort of birder who takes comfort in the thought that you might find new species within driving distance of your home? Or are you the kind of completist who is driven to distraction by the knowledge of unseen species in your general vicinity? I definitely fall into the former category, willing to cache new birds away like an Acorn Woodpecker stores oak nuts.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 5, 2020
The cows and their entourage of Cattle Egrets sloshed through the pastures, each time they moved we lurched forward hoping to see a disturbed Grey-breasted Crake hop into view – but alas, no such luck even though we were hearing the little skulkers consistently.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 22, 2020
But alas, my garden Wilsons have not been seen here on the 4th of April. 10,000 Birds is having trouble with our website platform. If this post turns up on Wednesday, April 23, it will mean I was successful in uploading text. However, the platform did not allow me to include photos. Since I consider myself a better writer than photographer, I can live with that. When you are an American expatriate who lives, and birds, in Mexico, it is a topsy-turvy world.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 3, 2018
Alas, we’re still mired in shorebird season, so I’l sally forth once more this weekend in search of the Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones passing through the Great Lakes. Here in the Empire State, August’s arrival triggers some predictable reactions: “Aw, summer is almost over.” ” “Aw, school will be starting any day now.” ” “Yee-haw, fall migration is starting soon!”
10,000 Birds
APRIL 21, 2013
Alas, they both kept their heads down until long after we’d left. 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?
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 2, 2018
Alas for the naming of birds that it took place before anyone had the foresight to recognize that the Sharp-shinned Hawk should be called the Mini-Cooper. It would reflect not only a pun hilarious to me personally and birding dads everywhere, but the magnitude of the ID challenge presented by a glimpse of one of these accipiters in swift flight – akin to the Greater and Lesser Scaup or the Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitcher. But such things were not to be.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 4, 2020
But, alas, the Novel Coronavirus did not respect my plans. I should have been on my way to Istanbul by the time this post came out. That trip was to take my wife and I to Turkey, Jordan, and southern Spain, with stopovers near Paris. And while it was to be a work (ministry) trip, I had still managed to schedule it right during the migratory peak along these two major corridors. I was soooo excited about getting to know the Middle East, as well as some of its exotic species.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 15, 2015
Alas, the winds blew nothing exceptional my way. Every week, the winds carry the unexpected hither and yon. Were you hither? Were you yon? If so, we’d love to hear what you found there. In fact, my weekend avifauna was so prosaic that a lone House Finch stood out as the most interesting sighting.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 24, 2014
Alas, the only thing either of us found worth making a call about was the white cowbird, which I refound in one of the huge flocks of cowbirds and starlings that have been roaming around Fort Tilden. I was sorting through a large mixed flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings at Fort Tilden on Friday morning when Isaac Grant, the intrepid Staten Island birder, showed up and asked if I had seen the white one.
Animal Ethics
NOVEMBER 28, 2008
Alas, there were very few comments, and most of those that were submitted were anonymous, so I disabled it. I created this blog five years ago today. There have been 112,684 visits, which is an average of 22,536.8 per year and 61.7 per day. Here , for old time's sake, is my first post. Thanks for visiting. If you're looking for something in particular, please use the search function at the top left of the blog.
10,000 Birds
JULY 19, 2013
Rumor has it the falls are fantastic for gulls, but alas only in winter! 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. After all, this is National Moth Week 2013!
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 3, 2013
Alas, the New York coastline is nowhere near as picturesque as the Pacific coast as our photo above by Duncan shows. As daylight dwindles in the Northern Hemisphere, birds proliferate and then progress out of the frame. October, as Dylan Thomas perceived it, was awash with avian activity: My birthday began with the water-. Birds and the birds of the winged trees flying my name. Above the farms and the white horses. And I rose. In rainy autumn.
10,000 Birds
MAY 21, 2020
Alas, I am not among them. The coronavirus has locked us all in, literally, doing something that was totally unthinkable only a few months ago: it has prevented us from birding abroad! And now we are all dreaming about new destinations to explore, once airports are working again and borders re-open. Only this time, you do not feel like inhaling the same air circling through the plane on a ten hour flight.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 24, 2016
Alas, now that the Arizona Cardinals have fallen to the Carolina Panthers, we face the prospect of a Super Bowl without bird-themed football teams. So, do you prefer rambunctious horses or big cats better? I got a good dose of seaducks this weekend up at the mouth of Irondequoit Bay; the most interesting species amidst the mixed flocks was a lone Bufflehead hobnobbing with Common Goldeneyes.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Alas, they turned out to be Ring-billed Gulls , but as I turned back to the car another flock of white caught my eye. The sun was setting fast as my mom and I left Council Grove, Kansas, after a delicious steak dinner and a three hour expedition across the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Cattle fields surrounded the small town, the cows forming dark silhouettes against the rapidly graying skies.
10,000 Birds
JULY 21, 2018
But, alas, I’d have colored practically the whole letter. As we enter the second century of protecting, preserving, and respecting our wild spaces, certainly no one would actually consider undoing, reversing, and exploiting our national parks, forests, and monuments. Right? And yet, it has begun. Minnesota’s Superior National Forest is now on the radar for underground mineral mining.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 11, 2012
Choosing among the hawks, eagles, and owls at the raptor residence (alas no rehab for these irreparably injured birds of prey) and the active late winter species in the park seemed impossible, until an impressive Pileated Woodpecker put on a powerful display of excavatory activity. Change is in the air, isn’t it? All around the world, satisfaction subsides as an inevitable restlessness sets in on a cellular level.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 18, 2016
Alas, no. Before we get started I’d like to congratulate the Whiskey Jack on becoming the National Bird of Canada ! The Gray Jay (once also, and perhaps again, known as the Canada Jay) inspired this feature, so I owe it a deep debt of gratitude. Now on with the show… I always sort of assumed that the Crissal Thrasher was named for a Mr. Crissal, a long-dead ornithologist, perhaps a buddy or a rival of Mr. Bendire or Mr. LeConte.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 7, 2013
We took my father-in-law’s new boat out to a barrier island south of Chincoteague NWR… alas, I had so little faith in our first voyage that I left my camera home for safety. Have you noticed that, at certain times of the year, many of us share similar weekend birding highlights? It stands to reason that we all tend to look in the same direction or dig around parallel places during raptor migration or winter waterfowl season.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
Alas, we mostly get females; the males winter along the coast. I was born in Minnesota. Had my life taken a different turn, and had I remained in that state, I would be intimately acquainted with exactly one hummingbird: the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. But my family moved to northern California when I was four years old, in 1962, effectively quadrupling my hummer list with the addition of the Anna’s , Rufous , and Allen’s Hummingbirds.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 21, 2019
And, alas, heat is one thing Mexico’s Pacific coast has in excess. My wife hates heat. Which explains why this birder, who lives only four hours from that coast, had only twice searched there for the region’s tropical and coastal species — both times on ministry trips I made without my wife. But this past week, my wife travelled to the U.S. to visit her elderly father. And I didn’t. I stayed here to keep things going at the church we pastor.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 19, 2015
Even the first Common House Martin has been spotted and the flocks of returning Common (Eurasian) Cranes here and there – alas, not by me. While February offers some good birding (wintering waterbirds, gulls), it is a kind of an anticlimax after the intensive and hectic schedule of the January IWC counts – the International Waterbird Census, that is.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 2, 2013
But alas, my comedic skills are subpar. This Kestrel may have been carrying bugs, but an X-ray showed they were not of the surveillance type. Image from DHA/Dogan News Agency). . In truly absurd, I am not making this up news, villagers in Turkey recently accused a bird of being an Israeli spy. There’s a joke in here somewhere stemming from the fact that the country’s name is Turkey. Have at it in the comments, if you like.).
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 1, 2019
With my hands still numbed by the cold, I really could’ve used some help in this, but alas, no corkscrew nuthatches visited my feeders that day. Like many in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, I’ve been holed up at home lately, thanks to a big winter storm last week – and now – the polar vortex. Last week, we had over a foot of snow in Albany, New York, with some of the surrounding areas blanketed by up to two feet.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 21, 2013
Alas, Atlanta couldn’t seal the deal in the second half, but Baltimore bullied their way to the Big Game. Those of us perched precariously at the intersection of birds and sports couldn’t help but hope for a Bird Bowl, where both teams competing in Super Bowl XLVII were named for birds. We’re going to celebrate both of them anyway with two editions of I and the Bird !
10,000 Birds
APRIL 26, 2011
I was living in the hope that Richard Crossley would set it right with his brilliant new book, but alas even he decided to not shake the boat or upset the powers that be. Kenn Kaufmann, David Sibley, Pete Dunne, Corey Finger and – it seems the rest of the American birding world have it all wrong. So, it has all been piled on my scrawny shoulders, something that old-world birders have known for ages. This is not a Wood Warbler.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 10, 2016
But alas, the weather does me no favors on this day. I have been fortunate to bird Florida many times, and over the years I’ve seen most of the specialty birds that people travel from all over to see. I’ve walked among Wood Storks , looked at Limpkins , scrutinized dozens of Snail Kites , even managed to come across a White-crowned Pigeon or two.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 22, 2011
Alas, my hoped-for Tundra Swan did not materialize despite the proximity of Swan River National Wildlife Refuge. Migrants, alas, were not yet much in evidence aside from the Canada Geese (mild climate my foot.) One of the things I like best is squeezing a little birding in on non-birding trips.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
Alas, we’re also intimately acquainted with darker emotions; the lust in our hearts alone (for lifers and optics, naturally) exacts a heavy emotional toll. All of us who identify ourselves as birders are thrillingly familiar with the sense of discovery, accomplishment, and even adventure that goes hand in glove with the personal quest to observe and understand avifauna.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 30, 2018
Alas, the beer is only available on draft in Texas for a limited time, far out of range for me in New York. It was with a mix and horror and skepticism that I first read about the unholy marriage of Peeps and beer recently perpetrated by Fort Worth brewers The Collective Brewing Project and their partners in this crime at Lone Star Taps & Caps.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 16, 2017
Alas, there is no eagle to be seen either. May 2009. After a wakeup call at highly uncivilized 3.45 am, at the crack of dawn I am sitting in a car by the Suslik (European ground squirrel) pasture. It is still cold. No Susliks are to be seen – they are waiting for the sun. Actually, I am not waiting for them, but for the Eastern Imperial Eagle to come here to hunt Susliks – an eagle from one of the last two remaining nests in Serbia.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 20, 2015
Many of them are heavenly islands, alas, with 100 or less bird species. What are the best countries for a passionate birder to move to? And why? I discovered this map a while ago, hidden somewhere at the not so easy to navigate BirdLife International’s website, and I have used it as my computer wallpaper ever since. Usually, I interchange some birdy wallpapers several times per month, but this one has stayed for several months already.
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