10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2012

Warbling Vireos are found breeding in open deciduous woods, often riparian, across Mexico, the United States, and southern Canada. Their fondness for open woods means that they often adapt well to breeding in parks and it was Van Saun Park in New Jersey’s Bergen County that I found the individual shown in this blog post.

New Jersey 197

New Jersey United States Philadelphia Canada 197

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2012

Last week a mystery bird from New Jersey rightly caused a fair bit of confusion among birders of the Garden State and beyond. There’s a little hint of white in the malar and throat too, which would seem to be a problem for the species Black- chinned Sparrow. New Jersey mystery sparrow.

New Jersey 233

New Jersey North Carolina Sparrows Connecticut 233

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

Of course, I jest a bit in the above paragraph because as a sometime New Jersey birder I have birded the Delaware Bay and seen sights such as the memorable image below, in which thousands of Red Knots, Dunlins, and Short-billed Dowitchers fly up as if connected telepathically.

Delaware 183

Delaware New Jersey Research Eggs 183

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2019

I like observing them, reading about them, grappling with species and subspecies identification, and even—on a good day—talking about sparrow taxonomy. Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America covers 61 species of the New World sparrow family Passerellidae that breed in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.

North America 157

North America Sparrows America United States 157

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

I was on New Jersey Audubon’s Grand North Dakota birding tour this past July, driving along dirt roads through the prairies of western North Dakota. I wanted to see prairie birds and I wanted to experience a new state. I love sparrows, so seeing a feather-worn Vesper Sparrow this past July filled my heart with joy.

North Dakota 147

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

The Refuge is now home to nearly 200 species of birds, over 50 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, and a wide variety of insects, fish and plants. The Louisiana black bear’s threatened status warrants protection under sections 7 and 9 of the Endangered Species Act.

Fish 145

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 145

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

New York City apartments don’t allow feeders to be hung from fire escapes (though I know certain birders that skirt that rule), and it wasn’t until I had already been birding for four-and-a-half years that I obtained a small yard in central New Jersey in which I could place a feeder or two or three.

Birds 182

Birds New York City Squirrels New York 182