10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

Even people with no other interest in wildlife, who couldn’t tell a sparrow from an ostrich (or even a dolphin from a fish) love dolphins. Dolphins are basically just smart sharks that breath air. Now don’t get me wrong, I like dolphins. And dolphins can do bad things.

Dolphins 157

Dolphins Sharks New Zealand Albatross 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

The two main chapters cover Marine Mammals (Orca; Whales; Dolphins and Porpoises; Sea Lions, Fur Seals, and Elephant Seal; Rarer Marine Mammals) and Seabirds (Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Fulmar, Strom-Petrels, Phalaropes, Alcids, Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, South Polar Skua, Jaegers, Gulls and Terns, Rarer Seabirds).

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Whales Whaling Porpoises 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

This may be the most awesome pelagic you’ll ever experience… For me it was the publication in 1984 of Peter Harrison’s ground-breaking identification guide to ‘ Seabirds ’ that opened up the off-shore world of pelagic birding right on Cape Town’s door step.

Albatross 189

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 189

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though. In Hawaii I stood on a beach as albatrosses fledged and Tiger Sharks prowled for the less successful ones. In the Bahamas I swam in a pod of feeding dolphins. This Laysan Albatross died from ingested plastic. I still have that marker.

Uganda 162

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

It is acceptable to point out other sea creatures–dolphins or whales or dragonflies–but the main goal is the observation and identification of the birds. Extreme rarities, such as Yellow-nosed Albatross are excluded. It is a challenging activity. No rails or gallinules. There are Eiders, King and Common.

Ducks 240

Ducks Groups Species North America 240