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. Here is one of our pick-a-boo games. There was a pretty good number of warblers around, including this nice male Wilson’s Warbler. This Western Wood Pewee was going back and forth with a mouth full of bugs as well.

New Zealand 110

New Zealand Seattle Qatar South Africa 110

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2013

After several game drives, once again we are at the front gate of the Gir National Park in the state of Gujarat. Underneath an arched branch, one familiar bird, a Common Blackbird female… but after a recent split in 2005 by Rasmussen and Anderton, it was elevated to a full species – Indian Blackbird ( Turdus simillimus ).

Lions 218

Lions India Mammals Boars 218

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2012

Of course, once I got to Flushing Meadow Park, it was just like Saturday evening ; I couldn’t resist taking some shots of the now-ubiquitous Red-winged Blackbirds singing from the phragmites. And though I enjoyed the passerine symphony the other highlights of the morning were not perching birds.

Chickens 162

Chickens Birds Blackbirds 2010 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2012

Way, way back, during our inuagural game of Gone Birding , my friend Molly developed a theory of birds. Most of them were pretty good in the Owl-Duck-Pigeon range, but they got bogged down when trying to make the leap from a study skin to a particular page of the field guide for, say, a blackbird or a sparrow.

Montana 160

Montana Bald Eagle Owls Ducks 160

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2012

The Pigeon has spawned an empire of books, DVDs, plush toys, games, and musical theater. I have decided that the bird is an Alpine Chough, a red-billed blackbird that breeds in the Swiss Alps. Put the Pigeon books in the category of totally anthropomorphic baby bird books, but books that are a whole lot of fun to read aloud.

Birds 205

Birds Owls Switzerland Lions 205

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2017

Desi was game and that convinced Daisy. A couple of Red-winged Blackbirds , some Common Ravens , a flyover Pileated Woodpecker. After all, exposing a child to nature is important in their development, right? You can see an action shot at the top of the post.). Other than the beaver there wasn’t much to see.

New York 101

New York Owls Beavers Puerto Rico 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 31, 2015

Most will be familiar with a game that matches the face value of playing cards and prompts a loud “snap” to win a hand. Eurasian Blackbird – Turdus merula. Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus. Common Wood-Pigeon – Columba palumbus. Crested Barbet – Trachyphonus vaillantii.

2015 157

2015 Ghana Sanctuary Senegal 157

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2020

A Pinnated Bittern gets escorted to another hiding place by a squadron of Yellow-hooded Blackbirds. Whatever was in flight within their airspace was fair game. Well, apart from the fact that there was no resplendent sunrise with a full spectrum of heavenly color. It was a gray morning but the field was abuzz with activity.

Trinidad 173

Trinidad South America Blackbirds Industry 173

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2018

Of course, there were plenty of big game around, and so I will post a few of those shots at the end of this posting. In talking to the local guides, and Rangers, they all agreed that they had not been seeing too many species around in the last couple of weeks. The surprise addition to that list was a pair of Pectoral Sandpipers.

Wyoming 104

Wyoming Wolves Grizzly Bear Mountain Goats 104

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2011

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree The partridge, a member of the pheasant family, has been a traditional game bird in England for centuries. ” Thus, the gift on the fourth day could be none other than the Common Blackbird ( Turdus merula ), ubiquitous in the UK.

Turtles 279

Turtles 2004 United Kingdom Geese 279

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2011

Unfortunately, flood conditions had washed out many of the edges and reed beds where I would have hoped to see Gadwalls and Goldeneyes , Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Wilson’s Phalaropes. I did spot a handful of Blue-winged Teal , and on a fencepost a single Wilson’s Snipe – my second and final lifer of the day.

Rattlesnake 163

Rattlesnake Bald Eagle Mules Mammals 163