10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 30, 2023
As soon as I looked at it more closely it was quite clear that it wasn’t a scaup of any species, despite its resemblance to a North American Lesser Scaup. I hadn’t considered the possible parentage more than the two probable species involved, but intriguingly a Pochard drake x Tufted duck looks quite different.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 14, 2021
By the time I left the state at the end of January to head back south, I had added 26 species to my 2021 list. Sure, I can see Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals and Canada Geese in my own backyard, year-round, but closing my eyes and picturing those species against a snowy backdrop makes me smile. A Hairy Woodpecker ? But still!
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10,000 Birds
MARCH 30, 2012
Like several of my favorite NWRs, this one was established as a haven for migratory birds, most notably waterfowl, during the bad old days when uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss had put the future of even species we now think of as common in doubt. A second pond held not only more of the same, but some American Coots and Canada Geese.
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.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 14, 2011
She started feeding the ducks and geese that used the open water in the 1980s. Alas, the Swan Lady died and though her husband vows to continue, who will take up the torch of a ton of corn a day when he dies? Do neighbors refer to you as bird species + Lady or Guy? Trumpeter Swans teach the migratory route to their young.
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. Late summer 2023 the lakes and ponds had been empty, presumably because the ducks and geese were moulting. My hosts could confidently tick off the species on their life list.
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 16, 2024
WinGS volunteers visit gull roost sites, counting six key species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull. Alas, there wasn’t this year, but this wasn’t due to a sudden collapse in bird numbers, but the weather.
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