10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

What do you think makes for a good bird hide? I have asked myself that same question many times over the last six months, until last week, when I was involved in an opening ceremony of five new bird hides at the Palic Lake, by the town of Subotica in the very north of Serbia, along the border with Hungary (all photos are from that area).

Serbia 242

Serbia Birds Spain Hungary 242

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2020

Just under a fortnight ago, I saw a report on the local bird alert of a sighting of a group of approximately 20 Nacunda Nighthawks at a wetland not more than 20 minutes from where I live. Striated Heron in breeding plumage – extra plumes and blue lores. Such is birding, such is life.

Livestock 211

Livestock Ducks ALA illegal 211

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2014

While there are some two dozen birding spots in Belgrade, Serbia, that stand out, in this guideblog I will focus on the river Danube and its floodplain, inside the Important Bird Area “Confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers”. The next winter bird spot lies some 4.5 In March and November, Common Cranes are a possibility.

Serbia 232

Serbia Birds Ducks Eagles 232

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2019

In mid-December, I was birding along the Beljarica levee (Beh-LYAH-ritza), my local patch north of Belgrade, when something other than birds attracted my attention: three wild boars , appearing all black because they had just swam through the swamp to reach the bottom of the levee. I barely started when some sulphur (a.k.a.

Serbia 244

Serbia Otters Boars Eagles 244

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2014

The day before we headed south to Perth to circumnavigate Herdsman Lake and see the amazing bird-life there we did a short drive out of town at home in Broome. The road north was closed beyond a certain distance, but the road south remained open and always offers excellent birding opportunities when this happens.

Barn Owls 162

Barn Owls Seals Birds Cattle 162

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2011

Bald Eagle image is by Francois Portmann and is used with permission You know, I’ve been thinking about this whole dustup over hunting cranes in Tennessee and now Kentucky. I think it’s time to hunt Sandhill Cranes. We’ve always hunted Bald Eagles. There was a lot of hunting for Bald Eagles—it is traditionally a game species.

Bald Eagle 255

Bald Eagle Eagles Hunting Kentucky 255

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2016

This is Jason’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds: Birders were rightly alarmed by the armed occupation of the Malheur NWR in Oregon. One of the nation’s premier birding locations had been overrun by an armed militia and the occupation unexpectedly endured for weeks. Individually, many NWRs protect crucial bird habitat.

Wildlife 189

Wildlife Grizzly Bear Puerto Rico United States 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

John from A DC Birding Blog , and Patrick from The Hawk Owl’s Nest at Jamaica Bay at 8 AM Saturday morning for some birding. The Red-winged Blackbirds that were busy staking claims to breeding territory by singing from bushes, trees, and marsh plants were not groggy at all.

New York 163

New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 163

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2014

While many people were saying, “OMG COOL” others were thinking “that’s too Big Brother-ish for me” and a few said, “Oh hey, wait, what about birds?” And if you do a bit more searching you can all sorts of people who don’t know anything about birds checking them out and getting too close.

Bald Eagle 194

Bald Eagle Mississippi Eagles Ducks 194

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

My Dark-eyed Juncos are trilling in preparation to retreat to quieter breeding grounds, the Black-Capped Chickadees sing their two notes, and the Song Sparrows absolutely will not shut up. Snow Geese overgrazing their breeding grounds, displacing other Arctic-breeding species and setting themselves up for a fall. The result?

Geese 179

Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 179

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

Marshes are the habitats with the greatest species richness in moderate zones, also significant as breeding, wintering and migratory stopover sites for birds; it therefore comes as no surprise that this one is among the 10,000 Important Bird Areas of the World (one per each bird species?). Saxicola rubetra.

Greece 189

Greece Serbia Hunters Cows 189

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

The danger of reviewing a field guide to the birds of an exotic country you’ve never been to is that you become obsessed with visiting that country, no matter how far away and how expensive it may be. I’m already looking up birding tours of Borneo and pricing airfares. Borneo, the authors say, is under-birded.

Brunei 174

Brunei Birds Asia China 174

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2020

While entering our double kayak I asked Andrew Hester, a local bird expert, if bilharzia is present in the shallows of the Ngotwane Dam, further down the river. nubicoides ) using them as a high viewpoint to hunt dragonflies. Bird Species (common English names after Ber van Perlo’s Birds of Southern Africa): Reed Cormorant 1.

Botswana 186

Botswana Africa 2001 Fish 186

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

2014 has been a good year for us at 10,000 Birds. We’ve traveled to lots of places, seen lots of great birds, and met lots of great birders. So, as we’ve done for the last several years we thought we would share our Best Birds of the Year with you. Below are our Best Birds of the Year. What was yours?

2014 187

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 187

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2012

As special as any bird that is abundant… just not abundant in your neck of the woods. It takes a special trip to see these special birds, and as such, the pointy-winged migrants are particularly cool to me. It takes a special trip to see these special birds, and as such, the pointy-winged migrants are particularly cool to me.

Gophers 172

Gophers Argentina Oregon California 172

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2013

The USA’s only truly indigenous parrot was wiped out by a combination of factors, although direct persecution through hunting seems to have been the major contributor. Dozens of other introduced bird species, largely escapees from pet owners, now call Miami home.

Miami 133

Miami Parrots Research Birds 133

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

under the 1969 Endangered Species Conservation Act and later transferred to the 1973 Endangered Species Act; then protected with other birds of prey under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act through agreement with Mexico, but not Canada, in 1972 1. BBC Nature has a really cool video of the Peregrine hunting a pigeon in a stoop.

Falcons 134

Falcons Wildlife Sacramento Endangered Species 134

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2021

It is also a great place for the birder for the fish have brought the birds and the island has supplied places to nest. No-one visiting the island can ignore the birds. Every daylight hour, every where you look there is a bird flying through your view. Other birds? They are everywhere. Brown or Common Noddy.

Sea Turtles 248

Sea Turtles Birds Marine Life Fish 248

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

If there is one thing that Kiwis care about, it’s birds. No, wait, not birds. One thing visitors love to see in New Zealand is Kiwi, the national (sort of) bird, and they also enjoy seeing some of the other birds the place has to offer. Kiwis care about rugby. A good place to see the enigmatic Kokako.

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Birds 157

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Having come back to the blog in whatever form and persistency, the overarching subject of language in birding seemed to be a suitable and deserving theme since bird names were part of my original beat. How have birds infiltrated our everyday language, even of non-birders? No birds required.

Germany 180

Germany Birds Hunters Owls 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2024

With the first three months of the year now gone, it’s time for a review of my birding efforts so far this year. Nor have I chased particular birds, either: almost all the birds I have seen have been encountered during a normal day’s birding, not a targeted twitch for a particular species.

Spain 130

Spain Eagles North America Ducks 130

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

However, I have to put it in perspective by explaining that during the year I hardly ventured out of East Anglia, and almost every bird was seen in Suffolk or Norfolk – I live on the county boundary. I’m not a twitcher, either, so I rarely, if ever, go in search of a bird, or birds, that someone else has reported.

Estonia 224

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 224

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2020

They looked out their windows and across their patios and up from their apartment terraces and saw–birds. This is a delightful book, large (8-1/2 by 11 inches), filled with Sibley’s distinctive artwork and an organized potpourri of research-based stories about the science behind bird’s lives.

2020 264

2020 Birds Groups North America 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Sandhill Crane Hunt in Kentucky?! Sandhill Crane Hunt in Kentucky?! Tomorrow, MARCH 15, 2011, is the deadline for public comment on a proposal to hunt sandhill cranes in Kentucky. Martin, U.S.

2011 245

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 245

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2022

This whole area floods during the wet season and water remains throughout the year most years and attracts a lot of bird-life. It is worth having your windows open as you drive slowly in and check all of the many boab trees for bird-life. Ducks at Munkajarra Wetland. Ducks at Munkajarra Wetland. Purple Swamphens.

Geese 196

Geese Ducks Breeding 2015 196

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

The proprietor of our ecolodge guides my small group of birders up a steep slope where we see, just at the point where a scope view deteriorates into pixels, a huge bird—a Chaco Eagle, also known as a Crowned Eagle—on a huge nest. The post The Falcon Thief: A Book Review appeared first on 10,000 Birds. 2019), and now this book.

Falcons 208

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 208

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

birds that we are lucky to have with us today, species that seem to have beat the odds and have been migrating on the long and bumpy road to recovery. Kirtland’s Warbler is a classic niche species; they breed in only very specific conditions, which occur in only a very specific area. this species breeds. Here are some U.S.

Albatross 203

Albatross Endangered Species Geese Alaska 203

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Instead of going on about zip lines and other modern, adventure tourism attractions, the birding crowd talks about taking photos of Resplendent Quetzals , seeing dozens of hummingbird species, and the seemingly odd absence of raptors in Costa Rica but nope, we don’t really talk about extinction. Must be a joke, right?

Costa Rica 217

Costa Rica Species Panama Birds 217

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species. Some of them were always uncommon in the region, others are highly localised, some are hard to notice among thousands of similar birds, but others were abundant recently and one of them still is, despite the decrease in numbers.

Serbia 201

Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria 201

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2011

The haunting call of the West Indian Whistling Duck has long been a sound synonymous with the ever-shrinking wetlands of the Caribbean. But, as with so many other species, these birds have been left to do their own whistle blowing. West Indian Whistling Ducks are the largest of the eight different whistling duck species.

Antigua and Barbuda 220

Antigua and Barbuda Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Jamaica 220

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2012

I want to know – just roughly – how many birds I have seen in my life. Not how many bird species , but how many bird individuals. The critical aspect is this: I will only find out how many birds I have counted and written down. The rest would be uncounted and not put down in the notebook.

Germany 180

Germany Birds Ducks Woodpeckers 180

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

As 2013 draws to a close we here at 10,000 Birds thought that it would be a great idea if we, like we did in 2010 , 2011 , and 2012 , shared our Best Birds of the Year. We also want to know what YOUR Best Bird of the Year was. Now on to the Best Birds of the Year for those who write on 10,000 Birds! Sound good?

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

Another 170 are in captivity, many of them breeding stock for reintroduction efforts. What could motivate gunmen (I cannot call them hunters) in two states to deliberately kill North America’s tallest and most critically endangered bird? More states will doubtless join the queue of those proposing hunts. It flies on.

2011 242

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 242

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

On my recent short family vacation to Miami, I was granted a single day to get out and really bird like a madman. We immediately headed to an undisclosed location where Carlos had breeding Mangrove Cuckoos staked out. Let me get out of the car before making me look at birds! Come on, Carlos! What is it with this guy?

Florida 117

Florida Miami Birds Owls 117

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2012

No matter, the warm fire and comforts of home are nice, as is the winter birding here. On the way I managed to sneak in a manic day of birding in and around the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. So much birding was squeezed into this day that I have had to break it up into two posts! If you have two days there are even more options.

Thailand 153

Thailand New Zealand Terrapins Asia 153

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2012

It is no secret that the large civic parks found in most large cities are great places to go birding, and it Centennial Park in Sydney is no exception. I popped in for a visit two days after Christmas in order to walk off some of the excesses of the last three days, and get a few good bird while I tried to salvage my health.

New Zealand 171

New Zealand Ducks Australia Japan 171

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2022

Hot summer days, often reaching 40C/104F, time to open another beer and dream of birding some cooler place, a place where deep shade of tall trees controls the heat… Perhaps the world’s second largest rainforest? The Congo is one of the deepest rivers in the world with depths sometimes exceeding 220 meters (720 feet).

Central African Republic 287

Central African Republic Congo Gabon Gorillas 287