10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2011

It is a fascinating book that teaches while it entertains, that offers research-informed arguments for bird protection and conservation in the guise of vibrant design. And so, I learn from this page that each bird’s scientific name is unique, a combination of its genus and species names. We are a BirdLife Species Champion!)

Albatross 211

Albatross Birds Campaign Protection 211

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

Yes, the same Kaikoura I keep banging on about that is a great place to see albatrosses. Leaving from the harbour on boats were tours to swim with one of New Zealand’s most endangered mammal species, the Hector’s Dolphin. The routine for swimming with Hector’s Dolphins is slightly different to other species, however.

Dolphins 159

Dolphins New Zealand Sharks Albatross 159

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

It was a Benguela Nino year, and pelagic seabirds were in super-abundance in the south eastern Atlantic, with the total of species by variety and number exceeding all expectations for the birders on the inaugural trip as we pitched and wallowed about in the rolling swells on our way out to the trawling grounds.

Albatross 193

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 193

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

In particular the South Island destination of Kaikoura is world-renowned for the flocks of albatrosses and giant petrels floating right off the pelagic boat, and the ease of the trip makes it a must-visit for any visiting birder. The final large petrel species is another gadfly petrel, albeit a much larger one than the Cook’s Petrel.

New Zealand 176

New Zealand Albatross 2011 Cooking 176

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2014

So, on seeing my lifer Bassian Thrush in Sydney, I was glad to have a) finally seen that species and b) finally glad to tick that arbitrary odometer up to a meaningless milestone. We seem to live in an age of splitting, only last week it was announced that another 460 odd species have been split. An armchair split, no less.

Tonga 179

Tonga Fiji Samoa Vanuatu 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

In Hawaii I stood on a beach as albatrosses fledged and Tiger Sharks prowled for the less successful ones. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull. This Laysan Albatross died from ingested plastic. In the Bahamas I swam in a pod of feeding dolphins.

Uganda 163

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 163

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2017

Some of you have been counting on federal funding or habitat protection that now looks shaky; some of you have mates who never made it back from migration; some of you just can’t catch enough fish. They leave comments on your videos and give you cute names like Ozzie the Osprey and Wisdom the Albatross. But I thought you guys would!

Bald Eagle 101

Bald Eagle Belize Iowa Eggs 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2013

The 1,500 km route included a great diversity of habitat types, elevations along the west and east facing slopes of the Andes, jaw dropping landscapes, contrasting microclimates, cultural diversity and a potential list of well over 1,000 species. The competition turned tight and every species counted. Photo: Peru Birding Rally.

Peru 258

Peru Birds South Africa United Kingdom 258

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Sadly the great gannet colonies during the July to October period to protect the birds, but if you head up to Boundary Stream you’ll find a good mix of lowland and mountain forest where active management is keeping forest birds going. If you do decide to give your liver a rest then rest assured there are birds to be seen here.

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Birds 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

There are are presently thought to be five species of kiwi with a possible sixth extinct species, all of which have suffered varying degrees of range contraction since the arrival of humans. They are commonest where they are intensively protected and managed, but these places are often remote and hard to visit.

New Zealand 152

New Zealand 2011 Deer New York 152

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

to the ongoing conservation of breeding Lesser Flamingos at Kimberley’s Kamfers Dam to the Albatross Task Force, which works with fishermen to find solutions to seabird bycatch (birds caught in fishermen’s nets). We observed far fewer Lesser Flamingos, a near-threatened species. And then there were the Flamingos.

South Africa 255

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 255

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The descriptions of the territory’s birds, seals, whales, introduced mammals, invertebrates, and plants are written within the framework of the conversationist, so it is more than a field guide, it is a record of endangered wildlife and the efforts being made to protect it.

Georgia 175

Georgia Penguins Wildlife Whales 175

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

At Sea With the Marine Birds of the Raincoast opens with the unexpected appearance of a Laysan Albatross. We are all suckers for an albatross, at least in the United States. The author, conservation biologist Caroline Fox, is observing the albatross’s shadow to the side of the boat. Do I need to say anything more?

Fox 100

Fox Albatross Geese Bald Eagle 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2013

The reserve protects a stand of mahogany swamp that attracts large numbers of nectar feeding birds when they flower in the winter. Silver-eyes , the common species of white-eye, were common as well, and a Grey Fantail was swooping around in typical style. A White-cheeked Honeyeater; a species I had never seen away from coastal heath!

Albatross 152

Albatross Rats Belize New Zealand 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 28, 2018

Our next stop, Havelock was one I had been looking forward to, as it has a huge estuary, with a large number of species that could be found here. I added the Australasian Shoveler finally, along with 22 other species that have already made the list. Despite that, things did pan out pretty well on the tidal flats formed by the estuary.

New Zealand 100

New Zealand Opossums Charlotte South Africa 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2012

Plenty of parks and forests have been protected even as the city grew. On the subject of parrots, I have seen no less than ten species of parrot in the suburbs of Sydney, from the massive Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo to the beautiful Crimson Rosella. Antipodean Albatross ( Diomedea antipodensis gibsoni ) off the continental shelf.

Australia 166

Australia Albatross Birds Pelicans 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

Like Kapiti the island is an offshore refuge for many species extinct on the mainland, with a lot of the work being done by the voluntary Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi. One species I really hoped to find on the trip was the Kokako. Saddleback ( Philesturnus carunculatus ) on the beach. The proposal from U.S.

New Zealand 150

New Zealand 2011 Deer Cats 150

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2021

Colombia is one of those countries that Dragan’s dreams are made of: it has 1,965 bird species – more than any other country in the world. Among them are 94 endemics and 101 near-endemics, four introduced species and only 42 vagrants. No matter how big your avian-related library is, this would be a terrific addition to it.

Birds 246

Birds Colombia Collecting Bald Eagle 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Eighteen-hour trips are the rule and only about four or five hours are spent in the prime area to see the species most birders are hoping to see. But what I have long wanted to do is get out on a boat in California, the fabled land of albatrosses, murrelets, and auklets. Black-footed Albatross (LIFER!!!!!!) This one did too.

Whales 116

Whales Whaling Albatross Dolphins 116