10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2023

I mean that in a good way: By automatically showing one’s new year list each January 1st, and comparing it to one’s last several year lists, they always make me want to hit the ground running with as many species in my first week as I can manage. For example, of the 9 duck species we saw, 7 are winter-only.

Blackbirds 147

Blackbirds 2020 Ducks Mexico 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Then, at 6 PM, as the sun disappeared completely over the horizon, the ducks on the pond started massing on the west end of the pond, with many small flocks from all over the pond flying in to the west end until it was basically covered with ducks. Dominic Gendron Mar 14th, 2011 at 8:43 pm Wow thats a lot of ducks!

Ducks 174

Ducks 2011 Jamaica New York 174

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Photographing the ducks flying overhead was a pretty quixotic enterprise. Even so, I could tell (just barely) that these were Mexican Ducks. Ruddy Ducks don’t care about a little rain. Great clouds of Blackbirds and Cowbirds , with a high percentage of Yellow-headed Blackbirds ? It got wetter.

Blackbirds 235

Blackbirds Shelters Ducks Mexico 235

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

And I decided to search it for the forest species: Eurasian Sparrowhawk , Syrian Woodpecker (okay, not truly a forest sp.), And I decided to search it for the forest species: Eurasian Sparrowhawk , Syrian Woodpecker (okay, not truly a forest sp.), And at the beginning of February, my list is still ridiculously low at 55 species.

Otters 263

Otters Croatia Eagles Protection 263

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

There’s Lynford Water, a scenic tree-fringed former gravel working that today is popular with Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Ducks and wild swimmers (yes, they even swim in December). Lynford also boasts an arboretum, with 200 different species of trees. The exception was a single (Eurasian) Nuthatch.

Barn Owls 226

Barn Owls Rats Japan Owls 226

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2020

Scores of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks circled overhead, these vocal ducks are often hunted illegally here so it was refreshing to see so many. Two species of icterids populated the area, the presence of either was a direct indicator of the degree of water present. We had no idea if the nighthawks would hunker down or flee.

Livestock 227

Livestock Ducks ALA illegal 227

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2024

In my younger days I was very keen on what is generally known as Big Day Birding, or trying to see as many species of birds as possible in one day. Called The Big Bird Race , it tells the story of how my team, representing Country Life magazine , recorded 155 species in 24 hours in East Anglia (Suffolk and Norfolk).

Birds 130

Birds Kenya Barn Owls Owls 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2021

9 beats submitted 140 checklists from 7 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, Serbia, Australia, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago) during October to account for 585 species. 2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 3 Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. 11 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa.

Woodpeckers 248

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds Ducks 248

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2021

Yet, 79 checklists were submitted by 8 beats, accounting for 366 species in 5 countries. Yet, 79 checklists were submitted by 8 beats, accounting for 366 species in 5 countries. Yet, 79 checklists were submitted by 8 beats, accounting for 366 species in 5 countries.

Sparrows 254

Sparrows Woodpeckers Ducks Blackbirds 254

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2022

8 of them sent 153 lists, noting 645 species of bird across 7 countries (Mexico, UK, USA, Serbia, Australia, Costa Rica, Colombia). It has not resulted in extraordinary numbers of sightings personally, but the beats have been busy on their respective patches and have sent me their lists to collate. The year list finishes at 1628.

Sparrows 245

Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots Owls 245

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2021

Between them, they found 389 species in 5 countries. June saw 8 beats get their birding boots on and share 90 checklists for your pleasure. The year list remains low, at 1425 but the life list was bolstered this month by Donna’s Antillean Nighthawk and has reached 4069.

Woodpeckers 255

Woodpeckers Sparrows Ducks Niger 255

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2021

My birding list for November totals 15 species. Thank goodness that the rest of the beats have been busily birding,that’s what they like to do… 9 of them submitted 114 checklists via eBird and amassed 525 species from 7 (China, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica, UK, Serbia and USA) countries during November.

Sparrows 218

Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots Costa Rica 218

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2020

At time of writing (usually a couple of days early to avoid the deadline panic), UK is fielding 63 species. 1 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 8 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. 14 American Black Duck – Anas rubripes. 17 Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula.

2020 162

2020 Costa Rica Blackbirds Sparrows 162

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2015

The Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) is not that common in California except along the coast, so I was pretty excited to discover several pair and a few non-paired individuals of the species at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on the day I had reserved photo blind #2. Click on photos for full sized images. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0_Yi28mT0o.

Sacramento 152

Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 152

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2021

9 beats submitted 172 checklists from 7 countries (UK, USA, Costa Rica, Australia, Serbia, China and Trinidad and Tobago) for 640 species. The list for the year has reached 1276 and the life list has been stretched to 4066 with red ticks from China, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago, thanks to Kai, Claire and Grant and Faraaz respectively.

Woodpeckers 156

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds Ducks 156

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2020

The 83 checklists submitted during July contained 459 species. Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. Eastern Spot-billed Duck – Anas zonorhyncha. American Black Duck – Anas rubripes. American Black Duck – Anas rubripes.

2020 157

2020 Sparrows Blackbirds Woodpeckers 157

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

They birded 7 countries during August and recorded 542 species. The year list remains sluggish at 1489 , but the life list received a boost from the eBird taxonomy reshuffle and now includes 4076 species. Stay vigilant and safe. 10 of the beats have submitted 124 checklists which are collated below for your perusal.

Woodpeckers 213

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds California 213

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2021

The fields near the Tiaozini mudflats look very much like a lunar landscape, but this does not seem to keep a number of species from breeding there, sometimes directly on dirt roads. The fourth species apparently breeding on these fields is Grey-headed Lapwing. Much better than some fiddly spoon-billed sandpipers. Not this one.

Birds 230

Birds Uganda Breeding Rats 230

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

149 checklists were submitted, accounting for 465 species. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha). American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) (Anas platyrhynchos x rubripes). Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) (Anas platyrhynchos x rubripes).

2020 154

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 154

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

The beats are famed for their inclusion on the nice side of the ledger and this month 9 of them shared 163 lists from 7 countries (Australia, Costa Rica, USA, UK, Serbia, China and Trinidad and Tobago) and accounted for 735 bird species. Mike doubled up with “smushed”, a new addition to the adjective list.

Sparrows 197

Sparrows Woodpeckers Ducks Parrots 197

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2020

These include Little Corellas , Red Wattlebirds , Little Wattlebirds , Common Mynas , Common Blackbirds , Galahs , Australian Magpies , Superb Fairy-wrens , Grey Fantails , Crimson Rosellas and Red-browed Finch. There have been good numbers of Australian Wood Ducks near the dam recently. Black-shouldered Lapwings. Australasian Grebe.

Buffalo 166

Buffalo Fish Koalas Cattle 166

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2020

Between them they shared 63 checklists, spanning 5 countries and noted 231 species of birds. American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca). Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula). Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Mute Swan (Cygnus olor).

2020 156

2020 Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds 156

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2015

Then we looked for some common species. By far the most popular bird we saw was the Red-winged Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird is easy to understand and easy to remember. Reddish-brownish-yellowish Whistling Duck or Reddish-brownish-yellowish Babbler would be silly names for a bird.

Blackbirds 162

Blackbirds Owls Sparrows Ducks 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 21, 2013

That’s all well and good if I want to be the world’s premier duck-watcher (and why not? Ducks are great!) Worst off were the Red-winged Blackbirds. It seems odd for a species so associated with ponds and sloughs that they are almost honorary water-birds, but actual exposure water made them notably ragged.

Blackbirds 169

Blackbirds Ponies Branding Ducks 169

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

So, to cut things short, there is sickness all around me, and I have thus decided to have my February post whistle to that tune as well and give an update to the mysterious die-off amongst our Eurasian Blackbirds that occurred around my home turf in Heidelberg last summer – blogged about here.

Germany 161

Germany Blackbirds 2006 Denmark 161

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2021

9 beats from 8 countries (Australia, USA, UK, Serbia, Costa Rica, China, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico), shared 138 checklists for 703 species. The year list to date is 1015 species and 7 have been added to the life list ( 4059 ) from Costa Rica, China and Trinidad and Tobago. 10 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa.

Woodpeckers 193

Woodpeckers Sparrows Ducks Parrots 193

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2021

The year list ends on a provisional 1803 species from 1608 checklists submitted by 12 beats from 16 countries. Most species-prolific was Patrick in Costa Rica, followed by Paul from Mexico. December’s beats found 609 birds after submitting 116 checklists from 8 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Serbia and Australia).

2020 237

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots 237

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2014

Our first stop at the World’s Fair Marina was all I’d hoped for – lots of ducks and a not-too-energetic stroll over level ground to see them. Despite low numbers of some species, it gradually became apparent that this year was going to be special. Birding Christmas Bird Count ducks Queens'

Chinchillas 165

Chinchillas Ducks Lifestyle Sparrows 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2014

The final tally for this thirty year old count circle was 123 species. There has been a high count of 130 species in the past with an average species count of 115 and lows of 95 species on two occasions. There were also new high counts of the following species: Green-winged Teal 412 birds with a previous high of 237.

California 167

California Blackbirds Turkey Birds 167

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2015

It is also interesting to watch the changes in the bird-life as the weather changes and each day can offer different species as they pass through. When we first came to Melbourne I would only see a pair of Common Blackbirds on a visit and as the weather got colder more and more Common Blackbirds arrived from the higher altitudes.

Blackbirds 162

Blackbirds Ducks Birds Rights 162

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2020

Some species I know I will see and other species I don’t observe on every walk. Masked Lapwings are often seen close to Foster and also Common Blackbirds , Common Mynas , Common Starlings , Red Wattlebirds , Straw-necked Ibis , Spotted Doves , Galahs and Little Corellas. Fish Creek train station building. Eastern Whipbird.

Fish 136

Fish Koalas Ducks Litter 136

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2020

If we had been at home and we had all day to bird we would have expected to reach over one hundred bird species on the first day of the year. I started my own list during that walk and I was familiar with the walk and had envisioned which bird species I may see. Latham’s Snipe wanders off feeding.

Fish 139

Fish Australia Ducks Japan 139

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2021

Our brave beats have been putting themselves at risk for your vicarious listing pleasure and 10 of them submitted 151 checklists for 692 species, 2 of which made it onto the life list. Please be careful, Corvid is still out there. Marsh Grassbird and Rufous-faced Warbler come to you all the way from China and bring the life list to 4061.

Sparrows 160

Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds Ducks 160

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2020

They noted 719 species between them. 2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 3 Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. 9 Muscovy Duck – Cairina moschata. 10 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. 20 Mexican Duck – Anas diazi. 21 American Black Duck – Anas rubripes.

2020 294

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds 294

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2017

Their birding checklist includes hundreds of birds, fifty-four of which are designated as a local nesters, including four species of grebe, three species of teal, Swainson’s Hawk, Greater Sandhill Crane, American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, and five species of Owl (including Burrowing Owl).

Wildlife 100

Wildlife Chipmunks Sparrows Blackbirds 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2018

Out near the tidal flats that make up a good portion of this refuge, there were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds. In the winter this place is alive with thousand of ducks and geese. Today, I saw a handful of Mallards , two Common Mergansers, and a Wood Duck Family. USA species – 111. Australia species – 242.

New Zealand 117

New Zealand Seattle Qatar South Africa 117

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

“Birding Over Time” compares the number of species recorded over a month with that month from previous years. Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. Mexican Duck – Anas diazi. Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. Eastern Spot-billed Duck – Anas zonorhyncha. Management ?)

2020 151

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds 151