10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2022

Some more photos of Australian birds mixed with irrelevant facts and mediocre half-jokes, as a way to pass away the time while being under lockdown in Shanghai (note: it is over now but this post was written during the lockdown). It must be a bit frustrating for a flower to be less colorful than the bird visiting it though.

Australia 186

Australia Birds Feral Cats Kangaroos 186

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2024

Dip (verb): [in birding] to miss seeing a bird you were looking for Many times when we speak about the trips we’ve been on we concentrate on the things we experienced, the ruing of missed opportunities tends to be saved for nighttime conversations after a few drinks perhaps. Which birds? The bright yellow birds!

Guyana 198

Guyana Brazil ALA Eagles 198

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2014

Having found my large Pied Oystercatcher family last week I have spent a lot of time with them this week. I am not sure when they will tell the three young birds to go on their way, so I am making the most of the time I can spend with them now observing them. Pied Oystercatcher family looking for food. Eye to the sky!

Family 157

Family Breeding Australia Groups 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2022

It has been more than 5 years since I last went to Australia, and I was even less of a qualified bird photographer then than I am now. So, the basic idea is to show 15 species of Australian birds in each post and give you the usual trivia about them. I guess it is a bird though. Admittedly, it is mostly grey.

Australia 179

Australia Birds Koalas Parrots 179

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2021

Fortunately, I share this preference with birds, which we found away from the lake, mostly in some semi-desert areas. “ Not the bird’s fault, I guess. Possibly my favorite bird on the whole Qinghai trip was this Mongolian Ground Jay – thanks a lot to Bella from Alpinebirding for finding it.

China 238

China Birds Austria ALA 238

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2023

Similarly, both bird families have a distinct significance for humans. “The Aztecs recognized in the hummingbird all the attributes necessary to be a good warrior and this bird became the main symbol of their principal god… who guided them through a journey to a promised land” ( source ). .

Humane 147

Humane Eggs Family Species 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2020

But here is the truly tragic part: I was not birding during those years! The third weekend of January, I travelled to the coastal city of Acapulco to give a seminar on family finances at a church there. These turkey-sized birds, named for their raucous calls, can muster an impressive level of volume.

Birds 158

Birds 2006 Mexico Morocco 158

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Yesterday morning was simply one of those incredibly eventful birding sessions, about which I may expound upon in parts within the coming weeks. From genuine rarities to undocumented polymorphism – the magic of birding was truly in full swing. A concrete wall halving one of the ponds was a popular rest spot for several birds.

Elephants 263

Elephants Ducks Humane Family 263

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2012

We humans often understand things by exploring their relationships. Ourselves, for instance; just consider how many sweet or gritty stories you’ve seen about Olympic athletes’ family backgrounds over the last few weeks. Before we dive in, just take a moment to admire this incredible bird. And back to finches.

Family 176

Family Guatemala Stray Groups 176

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The poster bird of this area is the near-threatened Black-necked Crane. Not sure how I (or the bird itself) feel about the bird being named after a bird collector, though. A beautiful bird, but a disastrous name, if even some of the accusations against Przevalski of him being a massive racist are true.

China 167

China Mongolia Birds Russia 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2021

Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning “land of many waters” but it could just as easily mean “land of many birds”. Before I delve into some of these avian treasures let me give you a few non-birding reasons to visit this gem of South America. Not a great look for a middle-aged birding dude. Wilderness. Guyana is WILD.

Guyana 277

Guyana Otters South America Colombia 277

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2021

Construction is still ongoing at Nanhui, there are constant rumors that key birding sites will be made inaccessible … you have to take every Nanhui visit as it is your last (yes, another clichee). Still, there were a few birds there this September. Still, there were a few birds there this September. A juvenile male.

Birds 217

Birds LACS France Japan 217

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

This is the last post covering my time birding the Kruger Park in November 2018. A study on the diet of the African Harrier-Hawk starts rather pompously: “Feeding is an indispensable activity in the life of birds. Among some other species of the kingfisher family, this species is a bit of a laughingstock.

South Africa 147

South Africa Niger Birds Mice 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

It is a well-known birding hotspot, though access to some of its parts may be tricky without a local guide. There is quite a bit of construction going on, so in the future, the park may become much more accessible to tourists, and at the same time much less attractive for shy birds (and their birder followers). Birders, less so.

Pandas 196

Pandas Birds Mammals China 196

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2022

According to Wikipedia, the national bird of Australia is the Emu – which I have not seen yet. Duncan – in a 10,000 Birds post – apparently also thinks it would make a good national bird. Duncan – in a 10,000 Birds post – apparently also thinks it would make a good national bird.

Australia 147

Australia Birds Parrots Ostriches 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

The main attraction for birders here are the hornbills – I have written about them before , so this post will be more on the other birds I saw there in 2017. The Blue Whistling Thrush is presumably named for its loud human-like whistling, and possibly for being blue. I have written about the hornbills of this area before.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2022

With the lockdown lasting until the end of May (ironically thus pretty much including the whole spring migration – the divine sense of humor is a rather malign one, I am afraid), June still had the freedom of birding anywhere in Shanghai, not just inside a smallish compound. Accessorizing for birds.

Singapore 147

Singapore Mountain Goats Birds Giraffes 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

When looking for birds in Costa Rica, the Central Valley isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Tongues and patches of green space host birds but most birders leave as soon as they can. Why linger when you can go where the birding is better? I can’t blame them, I would too.

Costa Rica 246

Costa Rica Sparrows Birds Rodents 246

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2022

An avian butcher at work: Red-backed Shrike ( Lanius collurio ) depicted by Dutch bird illustrator J.G. Keulemans (1842 – 1912) in Onze vogels in huis en tuin (“Our Birds in Home and Garden”). Good birding and happy drinking! Castellare di Castellina: Chianti Classico (2019).

2019 208

2019 Butcher Livestock 2006 208

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2021

Both were too small for a human hand and too deep to see what was inside, so he called PMWC and was asked to bring the entire section of trunk to the center. Cutting one tree down displaced two very different wildlife families,” said Michele. Two families were split up and made homeless by the cutting of one tree.

Wildlife 255

Wildlife Philadelphia Wildlife Rehabilitation Woodpeckers 255

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

They may be about bird eggs ( The Most Perfect Thing: The Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg , 2016), or a 17th-century ornithologist ( Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby, 2016), or How Bullfinches learn songs from humans ( The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology.

Dissection 208

Dissection Birds Research Europe 208

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Even when writing my book with all ardent efforts to remain unbiased; the section on Sandpipers & Allies was by far the longest – surpassing mega-families like Thraupidae and Tyrannidae. Typically birds of the coast, it was a bit odd to see several Willets in this location.

Fish 229

Fish Family Eggs Humane 229

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2019

2018 proved to be one of my best birding years ever. In addition to spotting exciting new species in Florida, including the rare Snail Kite, travel across the country brought me into contact with birds in Oregon, California, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alabama, and more. I did not fall into that category.

Bald Eagle 143

Bald Eagle Alabama Kansas Florida 143

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2022

For some reason that I do not quite understand myself – given that I really rather dislike children and am not too positive about the rest of humanity either – I recently put up a little display of bird photos inside my Shanghai compound, which I share (as the only foreigner) with about 1700 Chinese. Some Birds of Shanghai.

Birds 162

Birds Fish Germany China 162

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2021

There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. Bird communication is a complex and evolving science.

North America 278

North America Research Birds Groups 278

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

May is a busy month for birds migrating through Shanghai – and of course, last May was completely missed due to the lockdown. So, I spent a lot of time birding this month, and to keep this post at a manageable length, it mostly only covers the first half of May. The video is notable for the bird basically refusing to move at all.

Birds 130

Birds Raised Cattle Mammals 130

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2021

Of the thirty or so members of the family Icteridae that go by the name “oriole” on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, several species are partial enough to fruit that they even visit feeders that offer it as jelly, as the sugar-preserved form usually reserved for human consumption is known. Good birding and happy drinking!

2017 193

2017 Portugal Europe Africa 193

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

I was looking for a title for this third part of a blog post on the birds of Baihualing, and thought that the made-up term “Trequel” would sound fitting. Somewhat confusingly, its Latin species name is boulboul – a word that stands for nightingale but of course is also the name of a large bird family, the bulbuls.

Horses 188

Horses Family Blackbirds Species 188

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2020

November and early December can be a frustrating time here at Nanhui – on the one hand, there are fewer and fewer birds as migration slows down. On the other hand, it seems there is a better chance of getting some strays and really rare birds, such as the Ryukyu Minivet described in my last post. Autumn also means thrushes.

Stray 230

Stray Asia Industry Family 230

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2016

I asked a group of wildlife rehabilitators: “What are some of the Worst Bird Myths? Bats just love to fly into human hair!” Two: Humans are diurnal, which means they are normally active during the day. Three: Why would anyone , no matter what their species, want to become tangled in human hair? Feel free to vent!”.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 171

Wildlife Rehabilitation Porcupines Raccoons Birds 171

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2015

… since this is a family website, I’m not sure I can finish that sentence. (Is ” Scientists studying Great T**s , of all birds, have shown that the earlier a male awakens , the more likely he is to successfully hook up with the mates of other males. I wonder how this applies to humans, though. Is “OPP” PG-13?)

Research 154

Research Birds Raised Owls 154

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2022

They are very distinct in flight due to their white wings being clearly visible and size wise there is no other bird similar. I always seem to hear some of the smaller shriller sounding birds, which Grant does not. So, whilst we get older and start to struggle to hear the birds they can still hear us!

Suffering 177

Suffering Australia Fish Humane 177

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2013

Few birds in the world are as beloved and admired as the Jays. While the family Corvidae has no shortage of species that combine the self-realized human traits of intelligence and social aptitude, only in the jays is that other desired characteristic, beauty, wielded to such great effect. Because who doesn’t love jays?

Birds 164

Birds Humane Family Species 164

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

It took me a while to wrap my mind around the concept of Birds and People , Mark Cocker and David Tipling’s book that, in 592 pages, explores the intersection of just that—birds and us. Nor have I overlooked “sightings” of birds in movies mouthing other birds’ calls. I’m not sure why.

Birds 204

Birds Egypt Family Eagles 204

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2021

But if there is any justice in this world, there will be room on those lists for Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean, and a Long Way Home , by Roger Morgan-Grenville. It was Bird Number 83 on his life list, and it became, he says, his “metaphor for wilderness and adventure, always free, always out there, always just beyond reach.”.

West Virginia 194

West Virginia Rats Albatross Georgia 194

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2016

One of the most impressive birds in North America is the Golden Eagle. ” The bird is massive. ” The bird is massive. Golden Eagles have a global breeding population of around 300,000 birds, 3% of which spend at least part of the year in Mexico. In fact, the caracara has been called the “Mexican Eagle.”

Albania 101

Albania Mexico Eagles Kazakhstan 101

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

If birders say they love birds ostensibly because they can fly and we cannot, then there must be no more beloved group of birds than the swallows. These aerial acrobats are among the most impressive flyers in the bird world, darting this way and that over open country in pursuit of flying insects. Sailors saw them as good luck.

Jordan 179

Jordan Iowa Birds Africa 179