10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

The system starts with a small pool bursting with Little Egrets , Pygmy and Great Cormorants , Black-headed Gulls … I am driving by it and, through the opening in the bushes, see a… Pelican! Such a large bird in such a small pool and only the first of many Dalmatian Pelicans I will see that day.

Greece 183

Greece Pelicans Serbia Eagles 183

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2024

There are beautiful beaches, a plethora of amazing food and drinks, a multitude of family fun locations, a world-renowned zoo, and one of the biggest birding festivals in the US. Birders biking around Mission Bay Each year, the San Diego Audubon Society hosts their annual birding festival in the third week of February.

San Diego 200

San Diego Sea Lions Lions Birds 200

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

The other day I was exploring a new area for the first time, birding the national park that I’ve watched only in BBC documentaries, the place famous for the largest Dalmatian Pelican colony in the world – more than 1300 pairs! Checking the birds on the stork’s nest, I found both House and Spanish Sparrows. Have you heard of it?

Greece 252

Greece Pelicans Geese Breeding 252

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2014

When doing some research for a presentation on cavity nesting birds of Northern California, I came upon a reference titled “ Cavity Nesting Birds of North American Forests.” ” My presentation consisted of several photographs of cavity nesting birds as well as videos, some mine, some from the internet.

Falcons 169

Falcons Pelicans Europe California 169

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2014

Our bird guide, Georgos Spiridakis, is driving slowly along this dirt track, checking the mud all the time. The bird is not showing again, so we use the elimination system: the first and the last are way too different, and dealing with the other two, we ID it as a Lesser Spotted Eagle.

Greece 161

Greece Pelicans Breeding Buffalo 161

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2023

Perhaps a little more shock-inducing and paradoxical than concepts of birding at sewage ponds or graveyards, an oil refinery seems to be the antithesis of a desirable place for a birder. From Yellow-hooded Blackbirds to Purple and Common Gallinules , there are almost too many birds to focus on!

Trinidad 261

Trinidad Birds Ducks Fish 261

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2017

In addition to sharks, barracuda, rays, and fishes, we had also spotted Double-crested Cormorants , Brown Pelicans , and Magnificent Frigatebirds. As we pulled to a stop at the sand bar and hopped out into the hip-deep water, I literally couldn’t believe my eyes: a flock of American White Pelicans. Mangrove island near Key West.

Pelicans 100

Pelicans Sharks Florida Groups 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Back in July, my fellow 10,000 Birds contributor Dragan wrote a delightful piece about birding Lake Kerkini in spring. I first visited Kerkini and this bird-rich region of northern Greece 15 years ago, and have been returning regularly ever since. My photograph below is of a captive bird).

Greece 209

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 209

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2011

However, oiled birds would have suffered even more were it not for the relief workers attending to as many as they could. The April 2010 Gulf oil spill was obviously devastating to the region’s wildlife.

Pelicans 150

Pelicans Louisiana 2010 Suffering 150

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

The area is one of the most important in Greece for birds, comprising more than 270 species. The best birding season here is the winter when waterbirds come to overwinter in those lagoons, followed by migratory seasons and, to a lesser extent, breeding season. Previous stage: Birding Lake Kerkini Now, I am done.

Greece 183

Greece Pelicans Birds Otters 183

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

With the Caspian Sea frozen over for the first time in years Russian authorities are scrambling to feed the desperate birds that have no way to get to the fish beneath the ice. Here’s hoping they manage to save the Dalmation Pelicans , the world’s largest pelican.

Pelicans 162

Pelicans Fish Birds 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2012

A pelican is always a good bird to see in New York State. Both American White Pelicans and Brown Pelicans are rare but regular, almost always showing up at least annually, usually somewhere along the coast for Brown Pelicans and either along the coast or on Lake Erie or Lake Ontario for American White Pelicans.

Pelicans 100

Pelicans New York Dogs Birds 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Fortunately, nature assures that, as one suite of birds leaves, another takes its place. Corey enjoyed some good birding on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. But his Best Bird of the Weekend was one he saw with his family on a visit to Jamaica Bay on Saturday evening. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2020 243

2020 Rabbits Jamaica Pelicans 243

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2011

The American White Pelican ( Pelecanus erythrorhynchos ) is a huge bird! Large flocks of these amazing birds are sometimes seen gracefully flying overhead in formation or soaring high on thermals. I did see several American White Pelicans though, including this immature bird (click on photos for full sized images).

Pelicans 165

Pelicans Fish California Condor North America 165

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2024

I would be fascinating to know how many species of birds it was pointed at during its time with me, but it must have been well over 1,000. As a bird-tour leader, the scope was an essential part of my equipment, and I became pretty quick at getting it on to distant birds so that my clients could see them, too.

Poland 197

Poland Estonia India Pelicans 197

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

Though he destroyed more than 1,000 nests worth of chicks and eggs of the American White Pelican nearly obliterating a colony on land he rented, a guilty plea by Minnesota farmer Craig Staloch means that he faces, at most, six months in jail.

Pelicans 192

Pelicans Minnesota Killing Eggs 192

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2020

With hope, this was a memorable one for you, even if the birds weren’t particularly rare. However, many of the bird’s field marks were obscured because it flew far below me as I walked across the bridge I’ll always know as the Tappan Zee. He missed Brown Pelicans , a Brown Booby , and dozens of Great Shearwaters.

2020 236

2020 New York City Whales Whaling 236

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

The Great Backyard Bird Count kicked off yesterday, and will continue throughout the weekend before ending on the 15th. The idea is simple: birders from around the world count birds at least one time for at least fifteen minutes, and submit their data through eBird or the Merlin Bird ID app. A fine start to GBBC!

Florida 251

Florida Birds Pelicans Geese 251

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2015

Brown Pelicans are quite popular in Louisiana. One of the state’s nicknames is “The Pelican State,” the bird is on the state’s flag, the state seal, the state painting (yes, apparently states have official paintings), as well as on one of Louisiana’s bicentennial coins.

Louisiana 160

Louisiana Pelicans Legislature United States 160

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

10,000 Birds is running a series of articles by and about tour guides, tour companies, eco-lodges, and other birding travel organizations. We want to help the birding tourism industry come back strong from the COVID pandemic. 140 birds). Also, find out more in Dragan’s posts here at 10,000 Birds: [link].

Greece 263

Greece Wildlife Boars Otters 263

10,000 Birds

MARCH 28, 2024

Back in 2016 one very unexpected bird appeared in the Mexican highlands: an American Flamingo. Ever since then, the two birds would show up during the winter months in the Metropolitan Park, always together. So both birds are assumed by many to be escapees from a zoo or a private collection somewhere. Flamingos !”

Mexico 191

Mexico Cuba Chile South America 191

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2019

Though he’s seen some decor birds he hasn’t been actively birding very much. As such, his Best Bird of the Weekend is the Brown Pelican , a bird that always amazes Corey in places where they are common. The post Best Bird of the Weekend (Last of May 2019) appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

2019 113

2019 Pelicans Breeders Virginia 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

Not all birds are created equal. These are the kinds of birds even those barely cognizant of nature recognize, appreciate, and aspire to. These are the kinds of birds even those barely cognizant of nature recognize, appreciate, and aspire to. Central Africa has one of those birds.

Uganda 262

Uganda Africa Birds Penguins 262

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 139

2019 Barbados Uganda Costa Rica 139

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2020

But here is the truly tragic part: I was not birding during those years! My hosts had arranged for me to stay in a beautiful private home, high on a ridge overlooking the city, and the forested area surrounding the home attracted some very noisy (and, for me, exciting) birds. The White-throated Magpie-Jay: such a beautiful bird!

Birds 160

Birds 2006 Mexico Morocco 160

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

There should be thousands of birds at this time of the year, Dimitris Michalakis from the Karla Lake management authority told me. In the northern section, the water was deep, interspersed by reed-islets, but the only birds were a few Little Egrets and Black-headed Gulls. This year, we had about 65 dead pelicans. Lesser Kestrel.

Greece 186

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 186

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. Either way, the odds of actually getting a Brown Pelican in Queens are pretty low.

2018 159

2018 2015 Birds 2019 159

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

It is not particularly big but has a reported 430 bird species including migrants, though during my short stay it seems I missed most of the key attractions among them. It goes like this: While fishing, the bird tucks its head down and uses its wings to create a shady area. Pel’s Fishing Owl, where were you?

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Birds Research 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

This is the second post in the Birding crème de la crème series (the first, focused on southern Asia, is here ). The bird-richest region of Africa is its equatorial East: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi (unlike the rest, the last one, Burundi, is politically unstable and not recommendable). Lake Nakuru.

Africa 198

Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 198

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2018

Such seasonal signifiers include but are not limited to incipient blossoms, modest budding, children in shorts, and possibly even some new birds. I dropped in at Montezuma NWR before the errant American White Pelican could pull itself away from the carp-filled canal. Such a tough guy deserves to be Best Bird of the Weekend.

2018 100

2018 Pelicans Birds Experience 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2019

It was the sixth year in a row of the Queens County Bird Club Big Sit, my favorite event of the year. As always, I was the first to the platform and in the light northwest wind and under a full moon I sipped my coffee and willed birds to make some noise so I could start checking off species. and Lincoln’s Sparrow.

Pelicans 130

Pelicans New York Whales Whaling 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

And after visiting these birds regularly for the past ten years, I take their situation very personally. And would those birds still be there, or had they been forced to move on? This is a bird that loves to stay hidden, so it was a great encounter. The post All Is Not Lost first appeared on 10,000 Birds.

Ducks 210

Ducks Pelicans Collecting Species 210

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2019

Ivy and I scored some rare vagrants at Montezuma NWR–which has been awful for shorebirds this summer–best of which was her first American White Pelican chilling in the same score view as a Sandhill Crane. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

2019 121

2019 Costa Rica Pelicans Birds 121

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2019

That’s where Costa Rica is situated of course and is partly why so many birds live here. It’s par for the course in December, Costa Rica, and unfortunately, often coincides with our annual bird counts. But, keep birding because cold fronts also bring in other stuff. It’s also why 60 degrees f. Just kidding!

Costa Rica 244

Costa Rica Birds Owls Bats 244

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2019

Mid-October birding can be as exciting as you–and wind and weather conditions–allow it to be. Corey exhausted himself doing the Sixth Annual Queens County Bird Club Big Sit out at Fort Tilden on the coast of Queens all day on Sunday. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

2019 118

2019 Pelicans Birds Experience 118

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2021

The Guinness toucan is easily the most iconic bird mascot in beer history, but the storied Dublin brewery also boasted an ostrich and a pelican in its colorful, avian advertising menagerie of yesteryear. Good birding and happy drinking! A note of caution about this beer’s alcohol content: at a walloping 8.3

India 260

India Ostriches Porcupines Rabbits 260

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 148

New York City Pelicans Birds New York 148