10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

If you followed Dorian’s adventures on his Big Year blog, Biking for Birds , you are familiar with many of these stories, but not the major one, the internal journey that was going on inside Dorian’s mind as he pedaled and birded: his history and multi-year struggle with alcoholism and related addictions.

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Birds Los Angeles Massachusetts New York City 234

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2019

Did you spend it birding? Corey had a lot of birds to choose from for his Best Bird of the Weekend after spending most of Saturday birding on Long Island and Sunday morning leading his New York City Audubon bird walk at Queens Botanical Garden. What was your best bird of the weekend?

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2019 New York City New York Birds 135

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2019

A hot weekend doesn’t necessarily make for hot birding, but things may be warming up on that front. One truth you learn in the birding business is that birds are always moving in one direction or another. Corey enjoyed a weekend upstate in his hometown, beating the heat that baked New York City.

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2019 New York City Virginia New York 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 20, 2019

If the timing of Global Big Day means anything, this weekend saw massive birding excitement all over the world. Obviously, your experience may have diverged from the norm. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed.

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2019 New York City New York Birds 116

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2014

Imagine for a moment that you are a bird. Almost every year there are a few birds that stick around at Bryant Park long after they are gone from the rest of the New York City area. And, for the record, when I say the birds were close I mean they were really close. This year there are at least three.

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New York City New York Birds Sparrows 231

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

Enjoying these locations over time allows us to experience our beloved birding sites in all their multifaceted glory, even when those facets aren’t exactly glorious. The birding mecca on my mind is Chincoteague NWR, renowned far and wide for avian profusion (and wild ponies!) What was your best bird of the weekend?

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2018 Ponies New York City Tennessee 124

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2018

Without any real birding or outdoor activity during what was a gorgeous New York weekend, I still observed plenty of birds. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. Did your weekend feature any fall migrants?

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2018 New York City New York Birds 124

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2017

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was an easy one to choose. He thinks spring starts with his first migratory Eastern Phoebe of the year so for Corey spring started yesterday, though that might be hard to reconcile with blizzard predicted in New York City tonight and into tomorrow! How about you?

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New York City 2017 North America New York 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

Whiskey Month at Birds and Booze: After going on hiatus last year, Birds and Booze’s Whiskey Month at 10,000 Birds is back and setting its sights on whiskeys all month long this February. Illustration of a Short-eared Owl from The Birds of Great Britain (1873) by English ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881).

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Owls New York New York City Cuba 230

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2019

Fortunately, I was able to spot one extremely quiet and still bird… I think it was frozen! Corey enjoyed leading a New York City Audubon bird walk at Forest Park on Saturday morning and visiting Breezy Point on Sunday. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

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2019 New York City New York Birds 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Last week here at 10,000 Birds we did a theme week called “ Extinction Week.” His topic was the report recently issued by the Audubon Society where the organization claimed 314 species of birds in the United States and Canada are threatened by climate change. We only have one planet and about 10,000 species of bird.

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New York City New York United States Canada 233

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2017

Most of the birds you see these days, however, won’t be sticking around long, so take advantage while you can! Anytime I see these dapper birds, they are automatically my best birds of the weekend (even if they turn up midweek.) Sadly, the bird did not reappear for the folks on the walk. How about you?

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New York City 2017 New York Birds 143

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2018

Between work and rain, I saw nothing but mundane birds this weekend, and not even in good light. Corey, on the other hand, had a wonderful weekend of fall birding whether it was doing a survey at Edgemere Landfill in the rain and wind on Saturday morning or leading a New York City Audubon field trip at the Queens Botanical Garden on Sunday.

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2018 New York City New York Birds 114

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

The fact that this hour falls in the middle of the night means that most people sleep right through it, but I wonder what would happen if you observes a nocturnal bird like an owl during the hour that gets reset. I found myself in a beautiful part of New York that was so remote that birds apparently couldn’t find it.

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2018 New York City New York Jamaica 114

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2015

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a Common Redpoll at the feeders in Forest Park on Saturday morning. The first day of spring on Friday brought a snowstorm to New York City, hopefully winter’s last gasp, but the snow drove the redpoll to the feeders, the first of the year to show up at Forest Park this year.

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New York City 2015 United States New York 191

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2018

I enjoyed a very birdy weekend with all sorts of expected New York and Pennsylvania fall faves and one rare Wilson’s Phalarope to pad my year list. But his Best Bird of the Weekend was the brightest male Cape May Warbler he had ever seen in fall, one that was not at all a “confusing fall warbler.”

2018 114

2018 New York City New York Pennsylvania 114

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2015

At least that means winter birds are on their way. Corey had a huge number of birds to choose from this weekend as northwest winds were continuous through New York City all weekend long. After all, the two birds doubled his total number of Grasshopper Sparrow sightings in his home borough! How about you?

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New York City 2015 New York Sparrows 150

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2018

This crazy climate change must be wreaking havoc on birds. Well, maybe I was confused at the appearance of this unexpected bird, but it was definitely noisy. Corey spent all weekend searching across Queens for birds to add to his year list. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

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New York City 2018 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2013

Even the solo birders out there have to appreciate that birding together is often better than birding alone. Corey and I don’t get out in the field together much, since we’ve determined that the ongoing security of 10,000 Birds requires the two of us to live in separate cities. Birding best bird weekend'

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New York City 2013 New York Nashville 174

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2014

Assuming that your over-worked eyes are as blurry as mine at the moment, we should get right down to business and talk birds… The best of the many warblers I uncovered at Cobbs Hill this weekend was an entirely improbable Kentucky Warbler. What was your best bird of the weekend? Birding best bird weekend'

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New York City 2014 Kentucky New York 204

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2015

, humidity so thick you can practically swim through the air, and the sweet stench of urine in the New York City subway all combine to make life miserable. To beat the heat I birded the coast on Sunday morning and was rewarded with expected birds of shore and sea. What was your best bird of the weekend?

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New York City 2015 United States New York 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 1, 2018

The compelling contrarian positions put forth during Come@Me Week undoubtedly had many of you questioning your core beliefs about birds, birding, conservation, and even basic biology. Corey did not see much that was too exciting in what little birding he did during a scorcher of a weekend in New York City.

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New York City 2018 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2018

Corey had a wonderful weekend of birding, hitting a variety of spots across Queens on Saturday and then leading a New York City Audubon field trip looking for ducks in central Queens on Sunday. It was his first in Queens in two years and easily his Best Bird of the Weekend. What was your best bird of the weekend?

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2018 New York City New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2014

His song, “C hanges in latitude, changes in birding attitude” really rings true when you’re on the road. Most people don’t expect birding wisdom from Buffet, but he is, after all, the Chief Parrothead! The grosbeak gets the edge for my best bird since I have a thing for blue birds. How about you?

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New York City 2014 Breeders Virginia 170

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2018

The question isn’t whether you went birding this weekend, because everyone who wasn’t part of the Royal Wedding was out chasing birds. Not only did I bag the beautiful bird I expected, but I also encountered a tasty species I never expect there until I see it every year: Olive-sided Flycatcher. How about you?

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New York City 2018 Jamaica New York 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Certain seasons demand as much birding time as a person can spare, and sometimes even more than that. But be sure to set aside a minute or two during even the height of migration to share news of your sightings. Birding is one of those activities much improved by the stories told by its enthusiasts. How about you?

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New York City 2017 Philadelphia New York 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2019

It’s never too late or too early to buy a children’s book about birds. It’s been a few years since my last roundup of children’s bird books, and children’s book writers, illustrators and publishers continue to produce picture books that feature avian protagonists. First, the board books.

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New York City Pelicans Birds New York 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2016

After some weekends, we reflect on better views of birds we see all the time. Other times, however, find us smiling after seeing birds we haven’t seen in months. I didn’t wander far from home this weekend, but luckily a ton of new birds came to me. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

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New York City 2016 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

With birds on the wing all over the world, I imagine everyone who tried saw something interesting. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was difficult to choose. This weekend was great one for migration in the New York City region and a host of birds made their way in front of his binoculars. How about you?

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New York City 2013 Fox New York 164

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2016

The dog days of summer are upon us though here at 10,000 Birds we call them bird days. This despite the heat and humidity sometimes making it seem that there are no birds to see. Both Mike and I saw birds more or less far from our homes this weekend. How about you?

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New York City 2016 Michigan New York 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016

Corey tried his best to find storm-tossed or at least storm-effected birds on Sunday morning but Tropical Storm Hermine paused far to New York City’s south and east so he saw nothing great on his seawatch from Jacob Riis Park in Queens. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

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New York City 2016 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

At the end of 2022, let us celebrate the local field guide, a sub-genre that many of us feared would die, the victim of technology, development, and globalization, but which still shines bright, fewer in number but brilliant in quality, thanks to birders and birding organizations that believe in knowing your patch and your state.

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Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 218

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2012

.” But is it ever too hot or too cold to get out and look at some birds? My Best Bird(s) of the Weekend were a trio of cranes, presumably Sandhills , crossing high above the interstate as I drove out of Michigan. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was his second Purple Martin ever in Queens. How about you?

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New York City 2012 Michigan New York 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2016

Weird birds seem to pop up in many parts of the world with an unpredictability that is somewhat predictable. No judgment either way, but don’t forget that birding is supposed to be fun! Case in point: Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was the one he headed out west to meet me for, the first New York record of Garganey !

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New York City 2016 New York United States 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

Happy Second Day of the New Year, 10,000 Birds friends! I came late to bird feeding. Jim Carpenter is the founder of Wild Birds Unlimited, the popular bird feeder and seed franchise. There is a lot of information out there about feeding birds—web pages, pamphlets from bird feed retail stores and Audubon centers.

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Birds New York City Squirrels New York 185

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2013

I saw a few birds as well, the best of which was a spritely American Redstart. Corey had an absurd array of avians to choose from as his Best Bird of the Weekend considering that between Friday and Sunday he saw 148 species in his journeys around Queens, the Bronx, and Sullivan, Ulster, and Orange Counties. Birding best bird weekend'

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New York City 2013 New York Birds 159

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2012

In fact, I’m about ready to drop from exhaustion because of the 14th annual Chicken Inferno; here’s why… Details about the event will come later in the week, but for now I’ll tag Eastern Meadowlark as my Best Bird of the Weekend. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

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New York City 2012 Chickens New York 172