10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

We sail into the relative calm of a cliff, the mast takes an upright position, navigation becomes calm and quiet… quiet enough for our bird guide, Andrea Bonetti to pick up a voice of a Western Rock Nuthatch coming from the rock face. We come closer to it, but I cannot find the bird with binoculars. diomedea ).

Greece 246

Greece Malta Croatia Birds 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2012

You see, everyone knows the bats, wolverines, spiders and cats get their turn as well known superheroes, but what about the birds? Well, rest assured there are plenty of those, so enjoy a countdown of the (utterly subjective) top ten superheroes inspired (in some small way) by birds! Heroes, mind, you won’t find the Penguin here.

DC 241

DC Phoenix Birds Falcons 241

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2020

And as the windblown birds settled down for the summer breeding season and the wind subsided, I found any concern for which way it was blowing died down with it. This early weathercock once graced the church of Santi Faustino e Giovita in Brescia, Italy, but now resides at the Museo di Santa Giulia in the same city. But none came.

New York 157

New York Farming Belgium Fowl 157

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2011

Here is just a small handful of some of the wonderful images that have moved me this year: The subtle brown hues in mclaudio’s (Italy) Dotterel ( Charadrius morinellus ) image wonderfully place the bird within a habitat – and imagined landscape – context.

2011 209

2011 Puffins Costa Rica Netherlands 209

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Now that we’re officially into autumn as of yesterday afternoon, there may be a few swallows lingering along the riverways and reservoirs here, and some may be found here and there into October, but by and large, the several species of swallows we see around here are birds of the summer. Good birding and happy drinking!

2016 256

2016 Europe New York Africa 256

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Of course this is self-evident as you can never have enough gulls on a bird blog, but this blog here is in an especially dire need of more gull posts for the simple reason that I have a few nice pictures of gulls that would make for a few nice posts. As you can see by the brown markings, this bird is not an adult. No, not in this post.

Europe 134

Europe Spain Italy Ireland 134

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

From the time he can remember, every camping, hiking, or simple trip outside was focused on finding wildlife with herps, mammals, birds and native fish as his primary interests. When it comes time to for me to plan a vacation I first figure out what herps occur in the area and then what birds and mammals I can also find.

Salamander 142

Salamander Germany Birds Blackbirds 142

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 216

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 216

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2017

My trips abroad were limited to short family vacations to the Cote d’Azur during the first days of January and a week-long vacation to northern Tuscany / Italy in May. You can see my birding activities abroad and within Germany on the maps at the top of this post. 1, my best bird of the year… 10.

2016 102

2016 Germany Italy Netherlands 102

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

After my grim exposing you last month to Europe’s fifty shades of brown, I felt it incumbent upon me to right my wrong by introducing you to Europe’s most attractive bird, the Red-billed Leiothrix. Clearly, some scientists should never have been granted the privilege of assigning common names to bird species.

Italy 186

Italy Europe France Family 186

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2020

For bird books, we mean – reference works and field guides, books of essays and reminiscences, novels, and works on birdsong and other specialties. In any event, there is no better judge of potent potables in the birding world, no better writer about them, than Tristan Lowery, in his charming and unique “Birds and Booze” essays.

2020 218

2020 Birds North America Italy 218