10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2016

This Bald Eagle, photographed by Corey, was after Blue-winged Teal in Florida, not Atlantic Puffins in Maine. Did you miss your chance to see Angry Birds in movie theaters? There may be strength in numbers, but for birds, there’s also increased speed, according to a recent study that suggests the larger the flock, the faster it goes.

Bald Eagle 101

Bald Eagle Puffins Eagles Pigs 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

I bring this up not to boast (well, not much) but because I think that this approach to wildlife travel is somewhat neglected in birding circles. Read most accounts of how birders see birds outside their patch and one way or another, they’re tourists. Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though.

Uganda 168

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 168

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2016

The icing on the cake has been getting to join this exceptional group of writers, and avian enthusiasts here on 10,000 Birds. The depth of knowledge, and experience shown here, as well as the writing skills leave me in awe most every week, as I scroll thru the weekly entries.

2016 100

2016 Grizzly Bear Puffins Mexico 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2018

At Duncansby Head, just a few miles south of Dunnet Head, I got to see birds nesting, and gathering along the steep cliffs, in numbers that I can not even imagine. Now, dont get me wrong, there have been some nice birds, and locations in between, but these two experiences are just so hard to put out of my mind. Mom and her baby.

Puffins 100

Puffins Wildlife Reserve 2003 Farming 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2019

During the decade, I submitted 1,219 checklists and observed 555 bird species, all in the U.S. I started eBirding about the same time I started birding, and I made an early executive decision (a very good one) that any pre-eBird observations simply did not count. Birding trips to Florida , New Mexico , and Texas are obvious too.

Puerto Rico 175

Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Michigan Washington 175

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2011

“This clumsy, ungraceful bird was displeasing to observe” – Carol F. There is nothing in birding like a pelagic…you never know what to expect. You can end up basking in a rare bird bliss that may linger for weeks, or you basically experience a living hell. Tufted Puffin. Pelagic trips.

Puffins 250

Puffins Albatross Penguins Experience 250

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.

New York City 184

New York City Pelicans Birds New York 184

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2024

A visit to Bass Rock unveils the Bass Rock Lighthouse built in 1902, the remnants of an ancient chapel, and a symphony of squawking birds. The island is teeming with so many birds that their eggs and young chicks were once harvested for food. The steep walls were dotted with nesting birds and downy chicks about ready to fledge.

Puffins 130

Puffins Sanctuary Lamb Research 130

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2011

The different birds alone must have shocked these early explorers with curiosity as they moved through the mountains. They don’t flush often and can be found in groups up to 40-50 birds in the wintry mountain ecosystem. The huffin’ and puffin’ is always worth it in the end, however.

Colorado 139

Colorado North Dakota Montana Owls 139

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

OCTOBER 10, 2017

BIRDING WITHOUT BORDERS: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World. The most impressive photograph in Noah Strycker’s new book is not one of a bird, but of the author. He’s standing next to a pile of several dozen birding guidebooks — the stack is fully as tall as the 5’9” Strycker himself.

Sri Lanka 169

Sri Lanka Birds Cleveland 2014 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

At Sea With the Marine Birds of the Raincoast opens with the unexpected appearance of a Laysan Albatross. Having shown us the bird, the boat, and the water, Fox then introduces herself: “Albatrosses, petrels, fulmars, puffins and gulls live out their lives along these transect lines; my job is to count them all.”.

Fox 100

Fox Albatross Geese Bald Eagle 100