10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2012

Migration hasn’t really kicked in, the breeders aren’t tied to breeding territories any more, and it is hot and sweaty outside. What other birds can you find in summer’s dog days? Sparrows are missing; wood-warblers vamoose. Nothing is quite as much of a downer to a birder than the summer doldrums.

Downers 163

Downers Kangaroos Breeders Canada 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2012

The old runway in particular is excellent shorebird habitat, and the open wet woodlands growing up from, for lack of a better word, fields, elsewhere on the property shelter nesting Warbling Vireos , Orchard and Baltimore Orioles , Yellow Warblers , Common Yellowthroats , Tree Swallows , Song Sparrows , and other species.

New York City 152

New York City New York Birds Homelessness 152

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2016

And, although these days I like to switch it around, sometimes using National Geographic or Stokes or a specialty guide or my Sibley phone app, that creased, dog-eared, red library tape bound book is still the field guide I keep in my car or slip into my suitcase for a trip to anywhere east of the Rockies.

North America 152

North America 2003 Birds America 152

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 16, 2012

Already I had dodged the pack of wild dogs (seriously), spotted a flock of American Pipits , sorted through a huge flock of Snow Geese , and flushed four Eastern Meadowlarks and a Wilson’s Snipe. Then, while walking along a phragmite-lined ditch, a small sparrow flushed, flew a few feet, and dropped back down.

Sparrows 139

Sparrows Dogs Rights New York 139

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

Olive Sea Snake that has had a dog visit it on the beach Olive Sea Snake with obvious bulge Stoke’s Sea Snake Stoke’s Sea Snake with wounds Dubois’ Sea Snake Dubois’ Sea Snake being returned to the sea! She also monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of beach by bicycle and on foot.

Australia 149

Australia 2011 Sharks Deer 149

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

In fact, in New York State, other than a small breeding colony west of Rochester, there are very few records of Eurasian Collared-Dove. When I first spotted the dove it was sitting in a plane tree just north of the dog run in Chelsea Waterfront Park. Try to tell me this bird isn’t gorgeous!

New York 167

New York New York City North America Bahamas 167

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2012

As it turns out, a useful tool for the amateur phenologist is a dog. Dogs LOVE routine, they love walking the same routes and looking at the same vistas and sniffing the same trees day after day at the same time without fail (if you fail, they will let you know.) A pair of Bald Eagles scopes out the Clark Fork for likely snags.

Bald Eagle 156

Bald Eagle Montana Owls Dogs 156

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2011

Breeding behaviour and plumage was very apparent, but John Wise , an ex-pat Brit now resident in Orlando, told me that the birds’ activities had been held up for a couple of weeks during a cold snap that saw frosts in Florida. Mike Mar 5th, 2011 at 1:32 pm Those egrets in breeding plumage are absolutely exquisite!

2011 116

2011 Alligators Florida Deer 116