10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2023

While the P-a-P Wildfowl Trust’s main thrust is the breeding and release of five duck species, the habitat encourages a number of native wetland birds to inhabit and proliferate the area. Due to the plethora of bird species around, invariably we were to experience something breathtaking.

Trinidad 258

Trinidad Birds Ducks Fish 258

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

With more than 312 so far recorded bird species, Lake Kerkini National Park offers great birding year-round. In spring, a huge heronry of 10 species (including Spoonbill , Glossy Ibis , Squacco , Purple , and Night Heron , Pygmy Cormorant , etc.) and up to 9000 pairs forms in the north of the lake.

Greece 262

Greece Wildlife Boars Otters 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

The area is one of the most important in Greece for birds, comprising more than 270 species. Finally, of the at least 20 species of mammals present here, the otter, the jackal, and the wildcat certainly deserve a mention. And we were here in the very last days of June, just after that “to a lesser extent” good season.

Greece 177

Greece Pelicans Birds Otters 177

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

SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

We felt in high spirits after a gorgeous afternoon in the grassland, tallying up over 20 species of birds, including three lifers for me. However, there was no mistaking them: we had happened across a large flock of American White Pelicans ! Add another species to the daily list! Ring-billed Gulls in the fading evening light.

Kansas 114

Kansas Pelicans ALA Cows 114

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2020

Perhaps one of my reasons for going to the lake was that it guarantees more species in one day than any of my other sites. But I am also always eager to get a better handle on the migration dates for our wintering species, and April is a great month for that. How on earth do they breed so quickly up north?)

Mexico 162

Mexico Breeding Ducks North America 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

Of course Africa could not to be left out of the pink weekend so I have researched all African species whose official or alternative names include the word “pink”. Pink-backed Pelican. Its a pelican that is restricted to freshwaters whereas Great White also enjoys the marine zones. There are certainly some stunners involved.

Africa 204

Africa Somalia Pelicans Mozambique 204

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

Geographic patterns of species richness for birds (1,558 species) in East Africa at 0.25° resolution (blue indicates low species richness, while brown indicates high species richness). At the time of writing, Uganda has 16 hotspots with 400+ so far eBirded species, of which one has almost 600 species.

Africa 193

Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 193

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

In early August this year, I saw 77 species here (69 on the lake, plus 8 more in the surrounding areas) but barely more than a thousand individuals. In my homeland, some 800 km / 500 mi further north, these ducks are common on migration but very rare in the breeding season and I realized that these are my first young birds – ever.

Greece 181

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 181

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Other species of interest include the southernmost breeding population of Greylag Goose in Europe, Goosander (at bigger and deeper Megali Prespa), Hazel Grouse (at Mt. The local bird list is impressive at 273 species and my September daily averages were around 50 bird species.

Greece 176

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 176

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2019

I like seeing as many species as possible on my life list, year list, state list, patch list, any kind of list. But even in summer I can usually count on 60+ non-endemic species per visit, and in winter, a decent effort can usually result in 80 or more species. I confess: I am a lister.

Ducks 115

Ducks Blackbirds United States Pelicans 115

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

My Dark-eyed Juncos are trilling in preparation to retreat to quieter breeding grounds, the Black-Capped Chickadees sing their two notes, and the Song Sparrows absolutely will not shut up. Snow Geese overgrazing their breeding grounds, displacing other Arctic-breeding species and setting themselves up for a fall.

Geese 177

Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 177

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. Great White Pelican is not just the name of a non-existent glam-rock band but also of a bird species. Pel’s Fishing Owl, where were you?

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Birds Research 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

The book is divided into three parts: “Introduction,” “Avifaunal Overview,” and “Species Accounts.” The authors’ detailed delineation of problems with the accuracy of NYC breeding bird surveys or with the limits of historical writings may test a reader’s patience. Most birders will go straight to the “Species Accounts.”

New York City 147

New York City New York Birds Breeding 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is. E.g., a few weeks ago I guided a British couple around Belgrade, visited about four major sites and found more than 60 species. Black Stork – spring/summer.

Serbia 173

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 173

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. Ringer Anhingas and darters , cormorants and shags , frigatebirds , gannets and boobies , pelicans , and the tropicbirds all share a characteristic found in no other living bird: Their feet are totipalmate.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2016

The exposed mudflat provided ample foraging opportunities for birds, and Brown Pelicans , Willets , and White Ibises dotted the shallow edges, keeping a safe distance from the teenagers. Rookery Bay, FL. As we watched, a slightly different silhouette soared in from the blue sky above, landing gracefully near a Red Mangrove tree.

Florida 140

Florida Mexico Protection Pelicans 140

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2013

It was made a National Park in the 1980s and is a major breeding and nesting area for over 30,000 seabirds. The frigates are by far the most numerous and evident of the island’s nesting species. A male Magnificent Frigatebird in full breeding regalia. A Brown Booby, one of three booby species to be found on the island.

Whales 259

Whales Whaling Sharks Marine Life 259

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

Spoonbills and ibises are stocky, colorful wading birds with distinctive bills: downcurved and pointed in the case of ibises, flat and paddle shaped in the spoonbills (above is my shot of Roseate Spoonbills ( Platalea ajaja ) near a breeding colony in Louisiana). A cryptic species? Interestingly, Ramirez et al.

Louisiana 193

Louisiana Mississippi America Pelicans 193

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

” The higher waterbird clade is a wonderfully diverse group consisting of loons, penguins, tubenoses, storks, Suliformes , herons and ibises, pelicans , the Shoebill , and the Hamerkop. And species-level taxonomy of the tubenoses remains a great frontier for study and discovery.

Albatross 178

Albatross Penguins Groups New Zealand 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. This is another wetland species that nests in sometimes huge colonies atop trees bordering rivers and lakes.

Africa 235

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 235

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2017

Taking my usual route along Okaloosa Island’s Beasley Park, I noted Laughing Gulls , Brown Pelicans , a Snowy Plover or two, and the usual packs of Sanderlings. In Florida, the Least Tern is a state-designated threatened species; the interior populations are federally endangered. For me, that moment came last week.

South America 102

South America United States Protection Pelicans 102

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2012

Matheson Hammock County Park is a special place to many who grew up in the Miami area, filled with the nostalgia of taking one’s first swim in the ocean, seeing their first Brown Pelicans , or dip netting through the seagrass beds to find Pygmy Seahorses (the most coveted and prized catch).

Miami 161

Miami Florida Birds Pelicans 161

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

But, I did take many photos, and used the book, in spurts during the trip and more closely afterward, to identify three seabird species, two expected (Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters) and one a surprise. It does not include near-shore, coastal species, like Brown Pelican, Elegant Tern, and Harbor Seal.

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Whales Whaling Porpoises 162

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Part of its attraction lies in it being a monotypic bird in the family Hypocoliidae – there are no other bird species in its genus and family. The other part of its attractiveness may be coming from the fact that it breeds in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan – countries seldom visited by foreign birders. Castor oil plant.

India 213

India Iran Pakistan Afghanistan 213

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

We saw sparrows–a total of 14 species–and we saw many other great prairie birds, and we often saw them perched on posts. I don’t know much about prairies, but I have discovered that there is more to them than just grass, and that they are home to hundreds of butterfly and bee species and thousands of moth species.

North Dakota 135

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 135

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

Of course, reading field guides breeds jealousy. It’s easy for West Coast birders to covet the variety of wood-warblers back east, while eastern birders may lament the dearth of hummingbird species on their side of the continent. Pelican Brewing Company: Hazy Rock India Pale Ale. The envy goes both ways. Cheers again, Jason!

Pelicans 113

Pelicans India Vermont San Diego 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

Common Nightingales were singing, a squadron of Dalmatian Pelicans was in the air and everything was exactly where it should be, including myself. At mid-day, we took a boat tour of the heronries and the pelican islands with Nikos. Dalmatian Pelican © Dusanka Stokovic-Simic. Belles, rising steeply two kilometres (1.2

Greece 190

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 190

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2013

The ride from Prisoner’s Harbor, where we had spent our day, to Scorpion Anchorage, was uneventful, though Desi did fall asleep and I did enjoy pretty good views of breeding-plumaged Pigeon Guillemots. This picture actually has three species of shearwater in it - Pink-footed , Sooty , and Black-vented.

Whales 150

Whales Whaling Dolphins California 150

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

I didn’t really have time to stop, but as I was passing by, I saw hundreds of American White Pelicans fly up and thought I’d better take a drive through and see what else was there. I spotted a Eurasian Wigeon amongst the American Wigeon right out of the gate, but that wasn’t the best sighting of the day. Get yours today!

Wildlife 155

Wildlife 2011 Sacramento Jordan 155

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

Nick finds a bird-shaped protrusion at the top of the rock – Black-eared Wheatear , not exactly a species I expect to observe from a boat deck. This shearwater is a Mediterranean endemic, breeding from Sardinia and Corsica to the Adriatic and the Aegean. The Sun already sets and I haven’t seen a new species in a while.

Greece 228

Greece Malta Croatia Birds 228

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Wood Stork and White Pelican. But some species remain elusive when they shouldn’t be. Even a big trip to Canada, though it turned up many other delightful species ( Boreal Owl , anyone?) One by one, birds that I’d thought of as pictures on a page became real. Little Auk and Red-throated Loon.

Pythons 180

Pythons Litter Montana 2006 180

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2011

Undisturbed through thousands of generations by man or land predators, the birds accumulated piles of poop several meters thick and sat atop them with a proprietorial pride in huge colonies, breeding, feeding and creating even more guano. Now where have I heard that before?

Bolivia 185

Bolivia Chile America Spain 185

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

The park is home to not one, not two, but large three colonies of breeding seabirds: the Brown Noddy , Magnificent Frigatebird , and Sooty Tern. No, that was not a typo, the Sooty Terns fly non-stop for an average of five years before they return to the Dry Tortugas to breed. Lots and lots of birds.

Birds 175

Birds Florida Groups Breeding 175

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

ALWAYS assume there is some other bird species in there that you have not found yet. Here is a flock of endangered species. You may be happy to have a flock of chickadees visit your backyard, but it is difficult to ignore hundreds of American White Pelicans streaming by. Certain flocks of birds really grab your attention.

North Dakota 161

North Dakota LACS Oakland Falcons 161

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 143

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 143

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2013

Seeing 525 species was nice, as was the fact that I birded in four countries, nine of the fifty states in the United States, and fifty-one counties. I want to reach 500 birds in the ABA, get my Queens list to 295, see a total of at least 500 species, and get my World Life List to 1,100. But how did I see so many species this year?

2012 143

2012 Czech Republic Hedgehogs Hungary 143