10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2013

Sunshine and surfing, deserts and wildfires, Hollywood and San Diego. Yet, somehow, on 31 May one was discovered on Puddingstone Reservoir, the large man-made lake that is the center of Bonelli Park, a nearly 2,000 acre expanse in San Dimas, just east of Los Angeles. And even if you get there your odds of finding one are small.

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles San Diego Alaska North America 154

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2015

In February of 2013, I wrote a piece outlining my thoughts on which exotic bird species should be added to the American Bird Association (ABA) checklist. In 2014, the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) voted to add this species to the Florida state list. The ABA Checklist Committee quickly followed suit.

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles Miami San Francisco Florida 154

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2012

In addition to their homing tendency, breeding swallows are attracted to old nests. Completed nests during this breeding season cannot be touched without a permit from the U.S. Salmon, UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego Co.; Under suitable conditions, a nest is quite durable and can be used in successive years.

San Diego 165

San Diego illegal California South America 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) Five species of frigatebird ply the planet’s tropical skies and seas. Ringer Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae) Black-and-white gannets breed on the cold, rocky coasts of the northern and southern oceans.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Kooyman (co-author with Jim Mastro) spent decades studying Emperor Penguins and can be considered the world’s foremost expert on the species. Empire Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the largest living penguin species, almost four feet tall (taller when they stretch), and the least likely to be seen on birding or nature trips.

Penguins 151

Penguins Seals Leopards Research 151

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2020

For, in birder lingo, a split occurs when subspecies are determined to be, in fact, entirely separate species. If you happen to have seen both species, your life list can increase without you even leaving the house. Two former species can also be joined into one, the same way. This Bullock’s Oriole migrated from up north.

San Diego 170

San Diego San Francisco Mexico Baltimore 170

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2018

Following passage of the United States Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the California Condor ( Gymnogyps californianus ) was among the first 75 species listed for protection, the so-called “Class of 1967”. With a double-headed eagle on its coat-of-arms, Cologne has a longstanding penchant for ominous-looking raptors.

California Condor 103

California Condor Oregon California Zoos 103

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. The envy goes both ways. “How come they get gulls that aren’t mostly hybrids?

Pelicans 113

Pelicans India Vermont San Diego 113