10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2024

In April, when I recently visited, there are huge flocks of Snow Geese , with the occasional smaller groups of Canada Goose , Cacking Goose , and Greater White-Fronted Goose. Plus, they offer excellent birding. The post Birding Southeastern Washington (McNary NWR) first appeared on 10,000 Birds.

Washington 228

Washington Oregon Birds Wildlife 228

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2024

As my parents live in Bonn in Germany, I have been birding a few times in some spots surrounding the city when visiting them over the last few years, including the Siegaue (riverine and grassy habitats) and the Siebengebirge (mainly forest). Very rarely, Barnacle Geese are also seen feeding on the lawn, probably on passage.

Geese 130

Geese Birds Germany Woodpeckers 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2020

He has been an avid lover of the natural world since he was a kid, with a strong love for paleontology when he was younger, but he only took up birding in his last year of high school and hasn’t looked back since. This is Luis’s first guest post on 10,000 Birds but hopefully not his last! And something different I got!

Canada 173

Canada Cuba Miami Florida 173

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

We were at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, of course, which is not only home to Falcated Duck, but many other birds. There are hordes of fowl here (fowl of the water) in winter, with geese having the most prominent presence. A handful of “blue” Snow Geese can be expected as well. These birds look are abominations.

Geese 208

Geese Fowl Ducks Mississippi 208

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

On BirdTrack, the British equivalent of e-Bird, the list of birds provided does allow for Tufted Duck x Ferruginous Duck to be recorded, but not Tufted Duck x Pochard. However, there had been reports of a Scaup mixed in with the flock, which at first glance I thought this bird might be. My hunch was Tufted Duck x Pochard.

Geese 202

Geese Ducks Falcons Latvia 202

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

A first-winter Red-breasted Goose at Cley, North Norfolk As a general rule, geese are birds of subtle, even dull, plumage. All the so-called grey geese – Greylag, Bean, White-front, Lesser White-front, Swan – look very much alike, and it takes experience to identify them by their calls and their shape and size.

Bulgaria 130

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia 130

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2012

They are upping the bag limit to try to keep Canada Geese in check.

Geese 157

Geese Canada 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2021

Like so many, the majority of my birding since the Covid-19 pandemic began has centered on my own backyard and local walking excursions. But as we kicked off 2021, I found myself far from my current home in North Florida, surrounded by a plethora of Maine birds! Birding from a Maine beach. A Red-breasted Nuthatch perhaps?

Florida 214

Florida ALA Birds Woodpeckers 214

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

The contest: Canada’s national bird. Five candidates made the final cut: Common Loon , Snowy Owl , Gray Jay , Black-capped Chickadee , and of course, Canada Goose , like the specimen above photographed by Daniel D’Auria and posted on Wikimedia Commons. 21st in the December issue of Canadian Geographic.

Canada 155

Canada United States Owls Birds 155

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Counting the Birds I was in my teens when I undertook my first bird-survey: it was field work for the British Trust for Ornithology’s The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. The breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland. Published in 1976, The Atlas was, I believe, the very first work of its kind.

Ireland 231

Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 231

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

Birds 226

Birds Albatross Barn Owls Sparrows 226

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

The Great Backyard Bird Count kicked off yesterday, and will continue throughout the weekend before ending on the 15th. The idea is simple: birders from around the world count birds at least one time for at least fifteen minutes, and submit their data through eBird or the Merlin Bird ID app. The highlights? A fine start to GBBC!

Florida 259

Florida Birds Pelicans Geese 259

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2012

Also of interest is how Mute Swans are employed to deter Canada Geese. Which would you rather: slovenly geese or homicidal swans? That’s one of the valuable takeaways from this tragic tale out of Chicago of a man drowned by the very swans he cared for. Hat tip to Meredith!)

Geese 145

Geese Chicago Canada Breeding 145

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2014

On the same day that I journeyed out to eastern Long Island to enjoy birding Shinnecock Inlet in the fog I also explored the fields of Riverhead, where large flocks of geese congregate and where a Yellow-headed Blackbird had been reported recently amid a large flock of icterids at a Buffalo farm. ” What a bird!

Canada 199

Canada Killing Buffalo Geese 199

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

Thank you, goddess of birding luck and text group people).* My inner self felt stuck in an area between disbelief and total joy and the voices near me were echoing this state of mind: “Oh My God,” “I never thought I would see this bird,” “Look at that bill!” “How did that bird get here?”

Birds 263

Birds Compassion Eagles Science 263

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Daily walks with my kid in the baby jogger helped me build up endurance and lulled him to sleep, so one sunny afternoon I brought along my binoculars for my first experience birding with a baby. And yet, birds flock to the abundant food sources here. Canada Geese honked in the distance, while Turkey Vultures swirled overhead.

Birds 185

Birds Florida Geese Turkey 185

10,000 Birds

JUNE 30, 2011

Nackawic, New Brunswick, Canada will cull up to 250 Canada Geese that are leaving too many droppings on the waterfront. This story broke just in time for Canada Day too… a.

Culling 157

Culling Canada Geese 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Most of the world’s domestic geese can be traced back thousands of years to the wild Greylag Goose ( Anser anser ) although domestic geese were also bred from Swan Goose ( A. Feral geese run the gamut from pure white to almost entirely gray or brown. cygnoides ) ancestors. We certainly see enough of them, don’t we?

Geese 145

Geese 2011 Deer New York 145

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

They migrate north through the Western United States, breeding in pockets all the way up through Canada. Compare that to the water body’s other regulars – Canada Geese – that reach “only” 43 inches with a wingspan of nearly 67 inches. Did I mention they’re huge?

Pelicans 242

Pelicans United States Canada Arizona 242

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

New York City’s premiere wildlife refuge proved to be no refuge for Canada Geese on Monday morning as federal agents rounded up 711 geese – including goslings – and packed them up for a trip to upstate New York where they will be gassed and their meat will be provided to food banks.

Geese 141

Geese New York City Jamaica Slaughter 141

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2014

… because my husband and I have done some migrating of our own, from Chicago to Philadelphia, over the past few weeks, and bringing 10,000 Birds readers the freshest and best bird news sadly had to take a back seat to packing, driving, unpacking, and furiously scouring Craigslist for Ikea furniture.

New York Times 206

New York Times New York Oakland Geese 206

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2019

If your entire birding year depended on the commitment you put forth this past weekend, how excited or appalled would you be? My commitment cannot be questioned after making FOUR separate trips to comb through hundreds of Canada Geese until I finally teased out some smaller Cackling Geese. How about you?

2019 114

2019 Geese Sparrows Birds 114

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2014

Fortunately for me, Seth Ausubel, my frequent birding buddy, and I had decided to spend the day out in Suffolk County on the east end of Long Island looking for birds. And what a day’s birding we had! all three of the Greater White-fronted Geese we spotted with a bunch of Canada Geese.

New York 176

New York Geese Canada New York City 176

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2015

Ah Hawaii, land of beautiful beaches, surfing, warm weather, and unique birds. Because of its distance to the mainland, Hawaii is home to over 60 species of endemic birds. Few are as unique (or rare) as the Nene , or Hawaiian Goose , Hawaii’s state bird. Unlike other geese, Nenes prefer walking to swimming.

Hawaii 158

Hawaii Feral Cats Mongoose Geese 158

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2019

Long and thin, the lake’s shoreline grows thick with grasses and lily pads, a haven for a whole slew of bird species. I knew a house near water would bring new birding opportunities, but I never thought I would be lucky enough to see so many birds on a daily basis. It’s not my fault, I swear!

Birds 146

Birds Geese Canada Species 146

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2016

While the birding in the park around the pits was somewhat limited — an Audubon’s Warbler , a Northern Junco , a Black Phoebe — the birding inside was nothing short of spectacular. California Condors , La Brea Condors , and the Merriam’s Giant Condor — a magnificent bird even in death.

California Condor 189

California Condor Coyotes Eagles Turkey 189

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2018

ANILCA lands are not just vast, they are critical for an extraordinary variety of birds. Many locations have been designated Important Birds Areas (IBAs) and/or have been recognized by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Many of these breeding birds disperse throughout North America, utilizing all four major flyways.

Alaska 221

Alaska United States Puffins Wildlife 221

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Of course it also means that there is only one week left of birding to top up your year list and I am not really expecting to add anything new to my year list over the next week unless the tropical low that is buffeting the north-west of Western Australia throws something our way. It is quintessentially a Christmas bird! Common Snipe.

2016 155

2016 Geese Birds Ducks 155

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Both Mike and I were eminently pleased that Trump’s wall has not yet been built and we hope that the wall, if it is ever built, will not be tall enough to keep vagrant birds from getting into the United States. Wouldn’t our birding be less fun if Hendrickson Park held only Canada Geese ? How about you?

2016 155

2016 United States Geese Birds 155

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

It was apparently all the way back in 2012, when I was first getting back into birding after a 30 year hiatus, that I took a sad little picture, with my sad little camera, of a cute little bird that seemed to not show up anywhere at all in my field guide. My birding buddies from the forum/chat include quite a few more biologists.

Birds 173

Birds Mexico California Spain 173

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2015

Midsummer birding can become boring if you focus solely on species counts. The general lack of longitudinal movement among birds limits most areas to the same restricted pool of resident breeders every year. Canada Geese are never as interesting as when escorting those adorable goslings! How about you?

2015 159

2015 Breeders Geese Canada 159

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

Oh to be in Texas admiring the celebrity bird du jour , an incredibly unexpected Amazon Kingfisher ! Amazing encounters occur when amazing birders visit amazing places, but serendipitous sightings increase exponentially when so many amazing birders gather for an amazing birding festival. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2013 170

2013 Geese Texas Birds 170

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2012

On Sunday, the same day that I enjoyed a bunch of winter birds in Sullivan County and Ulster County, I also had a chance encounter with a diminutive goose. But it wasn’t so easy as driving along, pulling over, spotting the bird, and driving on my merry way. How did I pick the one smaller goose out of the flock of bigger geese?

Geese 162

Geese Horse Farm Canada Farming 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

My visit on Saturday morning was meant to be a quick stop to scan the ducks, geese, and gulls to see if anything interesting was around. It was my first ever at Baisley Pond Park and a bird that I had long expected to find there amid the hordes of Ring-billed Gulls and Herring Gulls. Common Mergansers are classy birds.

Geese 185

Geese Iceland New York City Ducks 185

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

I got my owl fix last weekend but spent the bulk of the week chasing a rare pair of Greater White-fronted Geese around Monroe County. Fortunately, I finally tracked them down yesterday, hiding out amidst teeming masses of Canada Geese. No, the American Coot is not a bird that would normally make it as Best Bird of the Weekend.

2016 100

2016 Geese Owls Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2019

There are few places in Queens that I like birding in winter more than Baisley Pond Park. Baisley Pond Park is the place to find Ring-necked Ducks and Redheads in New York City, it usually hosts the largest flock of wintering American Coots , and the Canada Goose and Ring-billed Gull flocks sometimes hide a rarity among them.

Ducks 114

Ducks New York City Geese Canada 114

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2016

These are the days when birds of one season overlap with those of another. I couldn’t quite turn a runt among Canada Geese at Genessee Valley Park into a Cackling , so my best bird had to be a flyover Sharp-shinned Hawk. What was your best bird of the weekend? Erratic weather patterns signal flux.

2016 101

2016 New York Geese Canada 101