10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

That will be the opening day of the 18th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Florida. Who knows what great birds 2015 will bring? Like this past January, I will be leading field trips and spending the rest of my time birding. So, basically, I’ll be birding all the time.

2015 193

2015 Wildlife Florida Birds 193

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2017

A few years back, I birded northern Greece with a couple from Namibia. Nicolaas, who can see them back home any day commented that they are the most numerous wading birds in the world (the “most numerous” equaling “the least interesting”). Here comes the angry bird. All photos (6) by Vladimir Milovanovic.

Birds 117

Birds Namibia Greece Feral 117

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2011

During the filming of this production, I got to experience “dirt hawking&#. One of the primary reasons that these hawks make such excellent falconry birds is because they are one of only two raptor species (the other is the Galapagos Hawk ) that hunt cooperatively. League Against Cruel Sports. Survival of the fittest.

League Against Cruel Sports 269

League Against Cruel Sports Rabbits Falcons Hunting 269

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

They are inheritantly unfair because the birds and the birding within any given area – say the ABA region – will be different from year to year because biological systems are variable and thus unpredictable. The first strongly variable aspect that influences the occurrence of birds is the weather.

Feral 190

Feral Species Asia Rights 190

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2017

While wandering around my home borough on Sunday morning doing some post-snowstorm birding I made my way to Oakland Lake in northeastern Queens with the hope of finding Rusty Blackbirds to add to my year list. A Cooper’s Hawk devouring a Feral Pigeon ! Binoculars to eyes and wow!

Oakland 102

Oakland Blackbirds Feral Experience 102

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

And Flamingos and Hornbills and a Secretarybird and birds with names like Hamerkop and Thick-knee and Eremomela (which I know is a scientific term, but which, when pronounced correctly, reminds me of a Yiddish term of endearment my grandmother used). And so, I went on the American Birding Association Safari to South Africa.

South Africa 251

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 251

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

I new him because we enlisted his Dryfus Lion and one of his tigers to carry out experiments with bones (this is something archaeologists do). I find it astonishing that people argue of whether feral cats are bad for birds in North America. How many wild birds are eaten by either feral Cats or “outdoor Cats?”

Feral Cats 252

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 252

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2013

The general public is out and about, birds and animals are raising their young, and human/wildlife interaction is at its peak. A robot that feeds baby birds so I can take a nap,” wrote Jodi in Massachusetts. “A I wish for a federal law prohibiting domestic and feral cats from roaming free outdoors. Summer is high season.

Wildlife 240

Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Oklahoma New York 240

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

There were three profound questions my birding group discussed while we birded Trinidad and Tobago, back in December 2012: (1) How many Bananaquits could fit on a banana? (2) 3) What was the best guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago? The bird guide question was a conundrum.

Trinidad 188

Trinidad Birds South America Research 188

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

My initial reaction was, “Really, dude, of all the birds that you’re allowed to have in Wisconsin, you choose the bird that is going to make birders who don’t understand falconry angry?” They’re not known to be the easiest birds to work with , especially when the temperatures are high. Go home now!”

Wisconsin 234

Wisconsin Falcons Owls Hunting 234

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2016

Our guides were researchers from Callisto, patient and always smiling Yannis Tsanakis (above) and Maria Petridou with her infectious laugh and stories of her Sun Bear and Jaguar research experiences. Feral Pigeon – Columba livia dom. Also, trekking poles proved useful. The cuisine was magnificent, especially lamb.

Bears 266

Bears Greece Europe Slovenia 266

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

You may notice a few non-commital “sp” entries and/or a few domestic/feral/hybrid forms. These are included as part of the summary and are maintained in the list, despite objections by some purists, to give the full, rich experience as enjoyed by your lucky, lucky beats. Graylag Goose (Anser anser). Brant (Branta bernicla).

2020 151

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 151

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Some time after the Spanish encounter with the Turkey, birds were brought back to Europe where they were raised and became an important source of food and fancy feathers. The one case that could have been an actual Turkey was a bird spotted in Honduras, where they may or may not have been, by our friend Christopher Columbus.

Turkey 197

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 197

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

If you had your choice of one bird family to pursue, to seek out and observe and photograph and kvell over, which one would you choose? A passion for one bird family is also very useful. It provides goals and a definite direction for your birding travels and thoughts; sometimes it even becomes the basis of a book!

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Ecuador Bolivia 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2023

My book of choice for this time of year is Jerry Liguori’s Hawks At A Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors, a brilliant tutorial on how to recognize raptors by shape and flight style, distilling years of experience and expertise into 216 pages. This was remedied in 2012, when I reviewed the second edition. And video resources.

2011 100

2011 North America 2005 Eagles 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

A bit of background: Pink Pigeons are medium-sized, pink/gray/ brown birds found on the island of Mauritius, Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. Mauritius may sound familiar, it was also the home of one of our most famous extinct birds—the Dodo. Don’t these birds care about propagating their species?

Mauritius 101

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 101

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2016

Years ago, I became a wildlife volunteer and advocate because of a cat who caught a bird. Back then, I didn’t know enough about birds, but I knew a lot about cats. I surprised her and she dropped the bird before vaporizing again. They simply helped me with my bird. That was my first trip to California Wildlife Center.

Cats 204

Cats Stray Cat Stray Wildlife Rehabilitation 204

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2012

It seems that my article last week on the dangers posed by birds struck a chord with the readers, many of whom posted their own stories of terror at the hand of this avian menace. One commenter actually said their were rooting for the birds, and, well, no offence but I’m not sure I want to go birding with you. Dum dum DUM!

New Zealand 146

New Zealand Birds Australia Kangaroos 146

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2013

Most people have heard of Lake Eyre , which is well-known for the variety of bird life on years that it floods. It appeared that Lake Bindegolly National Park could also offer us the same birding opportunities if there was water present. We carried ample water and spent 4 hours walking and birding. Feral pigs. miles long.

Feral 145

Feral Pelicans Ducks Pigs 145

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Sure, they’re beautiful and powerful, a reminder of the feral freedom of the skies. And, there are the non-field guide hawk books, the narratives that read like love songs to raptors and the huge coffee table books, gifts from non-birding friends. I confess, I don’t always love hawks. Which guide worked best for you?

Eagles 181

Eagles 2011 North America Utah 181

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2017

There’s not always any rhyme or reason to the appearances birds make on beer labels, which makes finding the unexpected ones almost as exciting – for me, at least – as any birding tick. Good birding and happy drinking! And its challenges aren’t nearly as vexing as accipiter identification, I promise.

Penguins 100

Penguins Cooking Belgium New York 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

Of all the dangerous sports birders risk their necks in in the pursuit of birds, birding while driving is perhaps the most common threat to the life of a birder of all. So, inspired by a similar article on road birding in Thailand, I present road birding in New Zealand.

New Zealand 172

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 172