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. 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.

2016 101

2016 ALA Arizona Horses 101

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. Woodpeckers FTW!

2012 163

2012 ALA Woodpeckers Birds 163

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

Sri Lanka 256

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 256

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2022

In the English translation, the story is titled “Little Fable”: “Alas,” said the mouse, “the whole world is growing smaller every day. Anyway, the story is not quite how I remembered it, to be honest, but fitting enough to describe the almost claustrophobic birding experience in ever-shrinking Nanhui.

Raccoons 203

Raccoons Birds Oregon China 203

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. Many Nearctic species and families reach their southern terminus in the Northern Central American Highlands, such as Common Raven , Red Crossbill , Steller’s Jay , and even Brown Creeper. We were off to a great start.

Honduras 206

Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Arizona 206

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2014

During this time, the fish trapped in the shrinking pools of water attract hordes of herons, egrets, storks, and other wetland species. Raptors such as Savanna Hawk , Snail Kite , and Black-collared Hawk and up to five species of kingfisher also join the bonanza in one of the world’s great birding spectacles. I must mention one thing.

Brazil 165

Brazil Birds Blackbirds Paraguay 165

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2014

Lovely Cotinga is the flagship species at Pico Bonito, where it is perhaps easier to see than anywhere else within its range. More than 400 species have been recorded at the lodge to date. Central American Pygmy-Owl is another key species at the lodge. However, for me, there were birds to be seen. Photo by James Adams.

Honduras 162

Honduras Monkeys Birds America 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2024

Alas, those sightings will be for another time as the weather had thrown a spanner in the works: half a meter of snow had closed off our intended destination. My hosts could confidently tick off the species on their life list. We got at least three sub-species but the highlight was a Wilson’s Snipe we flushed.

Denver 140

Denver Colorado Ducks Mules 140

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2021

My first experience birding was as a teenager back in the 70s, when birding meant a pair of binoculars, a couple of bird feeders, and a smallish field guide (book). I start visiting a nearby canyon to see what other species might be around. I start visiting a nearby canyon to see what other species might be around.

Kansas 184

Kansas Wounded ALA Squirrels 184

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2022

My first experiments involved rooting cuttings of several of Michoacán’s dozens of Salvia species. But starting a mini-forest around the edges of our church’s one-acre lot would require more than cuttings, and local reforestation nurseries only offer a few conifer species. Yellow-winged Cacique.

Mexico 217

Mexico Collecting ALA Sparrows 217

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

My best bird of the year is based on the sighting rather than the species. Hornbills are spectacular under any circumstances, but when a pair lands in a bush beside you at eye-level and begin mutual preening , it makes for a spectacular experience. Only trouble is, which of the seven species I saw this year do I pick?

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2012

In fact, experience proved that the process is actually way more cumbersome and time-consuming than it should be. Then the fun really started… The eBird interface came back saying that a whopping 251 species needed clarification. The agony of eBird is the tremendous barrier to entry to switch over from another format.

Arizona 173

Arizona Belize Adoptable ALA 173

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2013

Alas, I only heard this super cool caprimulgid, but did get buzzed by a swift Malaysian Eared Nightjar. Anyone considering a visit to Panti Forest should be enticed by the five different species that might be seen there. All in all, a memorable Malaysian experience. So, our first target was only a partial hit.

Malaysia 170

Malaysia Singapore Monkeys Birds 170

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2017

While we could chase a number of local, rare residents, looking for super tough species like Pheasant Cuckoo and Tawny-faced Quail is more akin to searching and lurking in appropriate habitat and just hoping to get lucky. In Costa Rica, we don’t get many chances to chase birds. It was big, built for speed, and on the move.

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica San Jose Falcons Nicaragua 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2017

The food was better than decent, which exceeds our experience of Panamanian cuisine at most other locations. In fact, we saw two species of monkey, our only sloths, lots of coatis, and my rarest ever mammal sighting—a Jaguarundi —right on site. Despite the golf course, this place host all manner of birds and mammals. Summit Ponds.

Panama 100

Panama 2017 Monkeys Family 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 25, 2019

There was plenty of passion and humility to go around, and it was a great experience. Alas, my 150-600 mm lens was declared dead the day before, so my 300 mm photos are not up to the level of the outing.). This being our winter season, the most interesting species for most of us were the northerly and migratory ones.

2019 142

2019 Birds Blackbirds Sparrows 142