10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

Not only have we completed Birding Tourism February , but we’ve also collectively made it through what is usually one of the least exciting birding months of the calendar year. This is not to say that fantastic birds cannot be found in February, but rather that we’re mostly picking through the remainders of the last season.

New York City 239

New York City Charlotte New York Jamaica 239

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2015

That place is the fabled home of shorebirds, both common and rare, the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Saturday saw me squelching through the mud at the north end of the pond and Sunday had me leading a field trip for the Queens County Bird Club from the south end of the pond. Gull-billed Terns are classy birds.

Jamaica 162

Jamaica New York City Wildlife New York 162

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

It is extremely unusual that we birders can still walk the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in November. I saw two other species of shorebird during my walk up and down the east side of the East Pond. What I lacked in species diversity I made up for with good looks. … Trips Jamaica Bay November shorebirds'

Jamaica 176

Jamaica Geese Ducks Canada 176

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2023

This post is not a twitch, but it is much more fun to read if you first dwell upon the sentiments from the last picture of Corey’s post from East Pond, Jamaica Bay, 2015 It would be a bold birder that calls a Common Ringed Plover , Charadrius hiaticula where Semi-palmated Plover , C. semipalmatus is also an option.

Iceland 203

Iceland Stray Breeders Canada 203

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2020

Another month, another movement of the world’s birds from one point to the next. Corey enjoyed a morning walk on Saturday with three friends at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where they spotted over fifty species between mosquitoes and biting flies. It was easily Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend. How about you?

2020 161

2020 Pennsylvania Jamaica Birds 161

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2017

And it is even less frequent in New York City where we only have one species of hummingbird, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird , and they don’t nest very often. How many species can you identify singing in the background? Make sure to swing by 10,000 Birds for updates! She sits tight in this video.

Jamaica 100

Jamaica Wildlife New York City New York 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2024

The chapter titles of Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds represent both ends of the spectrum: “A World Full of Poisons,” “Malaria,” “Forest Intruders,” “Lead Shock,” “Shot.” Conservation. It’s not easy. This is the most intense, tragic section.

California Condor 169

California Condor Falcons California Birds 169

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2019

This last year of the twenty-teens was a monumental birding year for me. I saw 863 species of birds, bringing my life list to 1,820. I birded Uganda, which was my first time on the continent of Africa. Such travel brings a lot of birds and the 863 species I saw this year is the most species I have ever seen.

2019 137

2019 Barbados Uganda Costa Rica 137

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

I am shocked to be writing this post already, and doubly shocked that I’ve seen six new species for Queens since I guessed what my next five Queens birds would be just eight months ago, back in March. It’s been a good year for birding in Queens! Fortunately, there are birds to help. I’ll make it three!

New York City 150

New York City Birds New York Blackbirds 150

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

Birders follow different patterns of bird migration and their local activities and travel accordingly. It illustrates the bird richness per country. It divides countries into categories, where the next category has 200 more species. Shown as a list, it looks like this: Less than 200 bird species: Antarctica; oceanic islands.

Equatorial Guinea 188

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 188

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2018

Many were specifically established for migratory birds and are strategically positioned along one of the four major North American migration flyways. Others were established to protect specific bird species or subspecies. As a result, there are excellent birding hotspots in the system. Some just seem to be rarity magnets.

Wildlife 214

Wildlife Las Vegas Texas Minnesota 214

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2020

Having finally found a Black Vulture for my Queens list , an important tick both because it was long overdue and because it was the tenth bird since my last set of predictions, it is time, once again, to look at what might be coming to my Queens list. Black Vulture – The bird that has been reported the most in Queens that I have never seen.

2018 157

2018 2015 Birds 2019 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2021

It’s always fun to go back and look at one’s earliest birding records and sometimes all it takes is the appearance of a bird on a bottle of wine or can of beer to prompt some nostalgic recollections. So, as I cracked open a can of Parula Pilsner this week, I decided to have a look back at my own history with this species.

Jamaica 162

Jamaica New York Boston Peru 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2019

Even the birding is decent. Corey only birded for a bit on Saturday afternoon and didn’t see much that was terribly exciting. Of what he did see, a pair of Bald Eagles at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was the highlight, a species that didn’t used to be around in June in Queens at all. How about you?

2019 114

2019 Bald Eagle Jamaica Eagles 114

10,000 Birds

JULY 1, 2020

One of the reasons Mexico is such a great birding area is that, while it shares all sorts of bird groups with the United States and Canada, it also is home to some of the northernmost representatives of neotropical and genera that do not (or just barely) reach that far north, such as Woodcreepers, Tityras, and Trogons. Species seen?

South America 262

South America Mexico America United States 262

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2015

He yelled a relatively unintelligible explanation as he ran to the car, abandoning his family, and sped to Jamaica Bay where he parked and ran out to the breach of the West Pond where he relied upon the kindness of other birders, who let him use their scopes while he got his breath back. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2015 162

2015 Jamaica Canada Abandon 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2015

Corey had quite a few species to choose from this weekend but decided that his Best Bird of the Weekend was the simple Tree Swallow. In particular, he picked one of the many that has already staked out a claim to a nest box at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. What was your best bird of the weekend? Spring is here!

2015 179

2015 Jamaica New York Birds 179

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

Anyone lucky enough to be high and dry these days can surely appreciate how many birds are on the move. I was thrilled this weekend to see a bird I haven’t encountered in nearly a decade; maybe American Pipit is common in your parts, but I had to scour the East Spit of Braddock Bay to luck into one. How about you?

2017 124

2017 Jamaica Birds Experience 124

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?

New York City 100

New York City 2018 Jamaica New York 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2017

But any time of year is the right time to pay attention to uncommon avian behavior, even from common birds. For example, I saw all kinds of special species this weekend, but nothing impressed me more than displays of the tyranny of tiny birds. What was your best bird of the weekend? What was your best bird of the weekend?

2017 113

2017 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

With migration about to kick into gear all over the world, birders might want to think about what species to keep eyes out for week by week. I’m still too focused on summer to worry about the birds of fall. Corey, on the other hand, will probably be doting over dowitchers at Jamaica Bay. How about you?

2015 154

2015 North America Jamaica Birds 154

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 30, 2015

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend could have been any of a multitude of species spotted on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. How about you?

2015 145

2015 Baltimore Jamaica New York 145

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2017

I know I neglected to ask you where you were birding this weekend, but don’t ever think that means I don’t want to know. Any good bird sighting deserves to be shared and enjoyed. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed.

2017 100

2017 Neglecting Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Parking lots in Miami-Dade county offer a mostly standard assortment of birds compared to the rest of the United States. However, my favorite parking lot bird by far is the Gray Kingbird , a tyrant flycatcher with a feisty disposition and lots of character. They are my preferred birding symbol of spring and summer in southern Florida.

Dominican Republic 205

Dominican Republic Miami Puerto Rico Florida 205

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2013

I’m wondering if Best Bird of the Weekend is too restrictive a way to consider the avians we encounter from Friday to Sunday. Of course we should seek reasons to celebrate every bird species we share our weekends with, but is the species that delights us most always the most memorable? Birding best bird weekend'

2013 168

2013 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 168

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2013

The natural attractions of midsummer seem more subtle than those enjoyed during the frantic peregrinations of the world’s migratory species. The best birds of my weekend, believe it or not, were American Robins mobbing a crow. What was your best bird of the weekend? How refined are your tastes in nature? How about you?

2013 153

2013 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 153

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2016

All my favorite birders were out at festivals, doing Big Days, or just racking up scores of awesome birds in the field. Even though I only had an hour before work, I racked up just about all the warblers I wanted; any weekend I see a Blackburnian Warbler , I know which species is my favorite. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2016 100

2016 Jamaica New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2013

With the foresight to get my taxes taken care of early, I was free to enjoy the cold spring weather and lingering winter species around here. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a total surprise. He was walking along a trail at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge when he saw a flash of yellow up ahead. How about you?

2013 187

2013 United States Jamaica Birds 187

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2016

This weekend, millions of people, young and old alike, were driven to explore the most unlikely corners of the world in a relentless, unquenchable thirst to track down species they hadn’t ticked before. And some of the rest of us went birding! But whether you’re questing for Pokémon or birds, at least you got outside.

2016 100

2016 Michigan Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 15 March 2009 It was at about 1:30 AM on Saturday morning that I startled awake and found myself sitting in an empty subway car in an unfamiliar location. John from A DC Birding Blog , and Patrick from The Hawk Owl’s Nest at Jamaica Bay at 8 AM Saturday morning for some birding.

New York 162

New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2021

My readers are already familiar with Beljarica Backwaters, as described in half a dozen posts here at 10,000 Birds. It all started well three decades ago, when I intensively birded the Danube Backwaters by kayak. The post Beljarica Backwaters: Some good news announced (but not yet official) appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

Serbia 272

Serbia Deer Protection Boars 272

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2014

Sunday morning was a perfect morning to get out on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. We saw a total of fifteen species of shorebirds but four stole the show – the peeps! It apparently derives from the typical call notes of the species which, broadly speaking, can sound like “peep.”

Jamaica 178

Jamaica Rights Species Wildlife 178

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Over three hundred species of birds have crossed my field of view in Queens in that time including thirty-eight thirty-nine species of shorebird. Year after year birds would be reported only for me to miss them. Then, as we were about to continue on, Seth said, “There’s your bird!” Two Buffies!

Jamaica 192

Jamaica 2008 Killing Wildlife 192

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2016

However, more impressive than shorebirds for me were the seven species of tern that (hehe) turned up, especially the cackling flocks of Black Skimmers that wheeled right overhead. Corey got out to Jamaica Bay this weekend and while he didn’t find any rarities he was pleased to see a variety of juvenile shorebirds. How about you?

2016 100

2016 Virginia Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2012

An iPhone 4S is an amazing tool for birders, as Sharon Stiteler has already let readers of 10,000 Birds know. Still pictures are fine but using the video function not only allows you to capture the bird or birds in motion but also their songs. How many species do you hear singing? What species? It was awesome.

Chicago 157

Chicago Jamaica Birds Wildlife 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2012

My weekend was devoted to a seemingly endless celebration of my son’s 8th birthday, which meant that my best bird was bound to be a backyard species. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed.

2012 171

2012 Jamaica New York Birds 171

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