10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

I viewed them at dusk, through a telescope, from a ridge overlooking the area they were hunting. At the time we were looking, without success, for White-backed Woodpeckers. However, watching bears on tips isn’t really much fun, and I’ve had much more satisfactory sightings from dedicated bear hides, both in Transylvania and Bulgaria.

Fur 187

Fur Otters Bulgaria Estonia 187

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Having mobility issues, I still remember birding from a van along a rather productive dirt road in Costa Rica ( Broad-billed Motmot , Lineated Woodpecker , Cocoa Woodcreeper , etc.), At some later, similar stage ( Turquoise-browed Motmot , Hoffmann’s Woodpecker , Scarlet Macaw , Streak-headed Woodcreeper , etc.),

Bears 141

Bears San Jose Greece Costa Rica 141

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

While photographing the Brown Bears in the Russian Far East, a friend of mine, Jovan “Lucky” Lakatos, was with Michio Hoshino, Japanese-born nature photographer specialized in Alaskan wildlife and experienced in how to behave facing this apex predator. At some stage, a salmon-hunting bear at a shingle beach came too close, mere 9 steps.

Animal 115

Animal Bears Stray Dog Blackbirds 115

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

Assuming that the (North American) Imperial Woodpecker and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker are both extinct, the Great Slaty Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker species alive. One would think that for a species as common in Europe as the Grey-headed Woodpecker , the HBW would spend some effort to update the species entry.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2016

While crossing Gramos Mountain in northern Greece, a Dendrocopos woodpecker flew over the road and landed in a pine tree. I had two possibilities, an uncommon Middle Spotted or scarce White-backed Woodpecker – which would have been a lifer for me. One Grey-headed Woodpecker flies across the road – a promising start.

Greece 254

Greece Woodpeckers Boars Eagles 254

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2014

The birds here may be hard but are worthwhile, highlights for me were Orange-backed Woodpeckers , a Bornean Green Magpie , Crimson-headed Partridges and a tiny Bornean Stubtail. The area also boasts a Rainforest Discovery Centre with several canopy walkways and towers, and a newer rehabilitation centre for bears. Danum Valley.

Birds 184

Birds Bats Elephants Family 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2011

Besides the American bison that the refuge was founded to protect, there are pronghorns, elk, bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, and black bears. This was not a very successful prank, especially since we had just encountered a large cinnamon-colored black bear which was much more interesting, even to a birder.

Rattlesnake 164

Rattlesnake Bald Eagle Mules Mammals 164