10,000 Birds

MAY 21, 2019

I am originally from California, so it is easy for me to deal with a geography defined by a low coastal mountain range, a central valley, and a much higher inland range (in California, the Sierra Nevada). But for the past 25 years, I have lived in Mexico’s state of Michoacán.

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Mexico Birds Nevada Sparrows 114

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2014

Hecho en Mexico. What better way to start the year than with a visit to Mexico? Many gringos make their way to Baja California Sur every year, although the majority are probably heading to Cabo San Lucas to party and test the human limit of tequila endurance. A male Belding’s Yellowthroat.

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California San Jose Birds Mexico 212

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2020

I do not have a life list for those birds I saw in my youth, 45 years ago, in California. But the Kentish Plover was sheltering its young under its body, and the Little Ringed Plover was incubating an egg — right in the middle of downtown Madrid! Mexico has a good number of greenish or rusty Woodpeckers. I live in Mexico!

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Austria Spain 2019 Birds 143

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2019

Paul Lewis moved from California to Mexico 36 years ago. He lived first in Mexicali, and now in the historic city of Morelia–about halfway between Guadalajara and Mexico City–where he and his wife pastor a small church. Sorry, this photo is actually from the next state over (Lake Zempoala, Mexico state).

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San Francisco Mexico Turkey California 116

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2017

This large reserve has its namesake mountain range running right down the middle of it, and virtually no roads. The Golden Eagle is not only the National Bird of Mexico, but considered very threatened. These were my first Golden Eagles here in Mexico. And then the somewhat uncommon California Gnatcatcher.

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Eagles Mexico California Woodpeckers 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Birding trips to Florida , New Mexico , and Texas are obvious too. For me, there was the Limpkin in Loxahatchee NWR in Florida, the Atlantic Puffin at Petit Manan NWR in Maine, the Falcated Duck at Colusa NWR in California. Predictably, the states I have lived in (California and Oregon) have the most species, as does nearby Washington.

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Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Michigan Washington 143

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2015

Mexico is the best country in the world for jays. The state of Nayarit on the central Pacific coast of Mexico holds one of the highest diversities with a total of seven species represented, including the endemic San Blas Jay , Purplish-backed Jay and the very localized Tufted Jay. Tufted Jay habitat in Mexico’s Sierra Madre.

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Mexico Ecuador Peru Science 161

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2017

Spring is in the air, and all around the Baja desert I am seeing a plethora of species, all looking for love, in what appears to the right places. The Grey-silky Flycatcher Ptilogonys cincerus , the is nearly an endemic of central Mexico, but for a few vagrants who vacation down in Guatemala.

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Costa Rica Panama Nevada Guatemala 104

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2017

This little town of about 100 is located right next to what is considered the largest coral reef in all of Mexico [link] which is very well protected with in the boundaries of a Federal Marine Reserve. Here in the Mexico desert, a light breeze and 100 degree F° temps will have to do.

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Mexico California Protection Birds 150

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2022

Less momentous, though just as exciting for me, were my outings during a brief trip to northern California. Perhaps it was right. Careful readers of my recent posts, and surely there must be at least one or two, will note that I have had some pretty exciting outings of late. Which explains the name.

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Sparrows California Woodpeckers Species 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2019

One of the great things about living in southern Arizona is our proximity to Mexico. Spotting any hummingbird nest, short of the one right outside your kitchen window is always a challenge, and so therefore a real treat. To get to see one of such a rare bird just makes it that much sweeter. Here is the male Scotts Oriole.

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Arizona Sparrows Mexico California 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2016

The country of Mexico as a whole, is host to 27 different species of doves, with the California Baja Sure home to six. While the White-winged Dove is a resident of the southern half of the US and all of Mexico, in the past few years it has been expanding it territory north towards Canada.

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San Jose North America Mexico America 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2017

Although some of the most popular Pacific pelagic trips depart from Monterey Bay in California, there are also regular trips out of Half Moon Bay, California; Newport, Oregon; and Westport, Washington. Channel Islands NP , also in California, supports most of the other 50%. The target birds tend to be similar.

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Albatross Hawaii Alaska Puerto Rico 137

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

But my family moved to northern California when I was four years old, in 1962, effectively quadrupling my hummer list with the addition of the Anna’s , Rufous , and Allen’s Hummingbirds. And so would the situation have remained, except that I moved to Morelia, Mexico in 1994. (I

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Minnesota ALA Mexico California 124

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2016

When you travel north of La Paz, Mexico, staying on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja, you will encounter the phosphate mines of San Juan De La Costa. The topography looks like it is right out of an early John Wayne movie. The first 35 miles of this trip are all on a very nice, two lane paved highway.

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Zebras Birds Sparrows Mexico 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2017

They stay here in Mexico despite the heat, and raise their families. California Quail are quite common here in the desert, but they are still absolutely beautiful, and fun to photograph. This male hoped right up on the side of my hide. It hurts for food right in the crashing surf, where no other birds really go.

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Seattle Mexico 2017 Falcons 106

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Jonathan Vargas is a young biologist, whose current work centers on monitoring the Snowy Plover populations in northern Baja California. Birding on Lake Cuitzeo is a real challenge right now, because what little water has gathered in the center of the lake is surrounded by extensive mud flats. So trusting. Even trusting in flight!

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Ducks 2020 Eggs California 247

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2016

This beautiful story is Tom’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds : My wife and I sailed our sailboat down from cold, rainy Seattle to warm, sunny La Paz, Mexico several years ago. If this boat headed north, for the 1000 mile trip to southern California, these two little hummingbirds had no chance of survival.

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San Diego Seattle Eggs California 164

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

The 9 th of February, This afternoon finds us in Bakersfield California, this time working on Plan C, as the trip took way longer crossing the mountains that I had figured. Mourning and Eurasian Collared Doves, House Finches and a couple of California Scrub Jays turned out to the bulk of what I could find. Might be a theme here!

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Woodpeckers Oregon California Geese 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2016

My first experience with this bird was near the fishing village of San Evaristo, on the Sea of Cortez, 50 miles north of La Paz, Mexico. In just the right light, they seem to glow. As of a few months ago, there was a sighting of a meransi across the US/Mexico border and up into the San Diego area. whirring, chirring….just

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San Diego Seattle Mexico Oregon 103

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2017

In the 45 minutes we were on the property, we identified 19 species, two of which are endemics, and located my first ever nesting pair of Phainopeplas right there on the property. Nearly a dozen California Quail wandered about the property. California Quail. California Scrub Jay. Xanthus’s Hummingbird. Phainopepla.

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California Pelicans Turkey Eggs 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 30, 2019

such as California Condors and Passenger Pigeons. His parents moved where opportunity beckoned, taking him from San Angelo, Texas, to Columbus, New Mexico, then to Dallas, and finally on to California. Author Sherrida Woodley thinks deeply about dearly departed birds. It was there where the first glimpse of his future began.

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Falcons California Condor Alaska Texas 171

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

Note: By the time this gets posted, Hurricane Newton will have passed right thru La Paz, packing 100+ MPH winds. There was a juvenile Gray Thrasher in the bushes right nest to the open air dining area. I am posting this on Monday night, as I do not expect to have power or internet service by this time tomorrow. Sunday was my birthday.

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California Rights Groups Family 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2014

The Barn Swallow at right was rescued by Rebecca Dmytryk of Wildlife Emergency Services in Moss Landing, California, and transferred to Native Songbird Care and Conservation in Sebastopol. What a coincidence,” says Mikal Deese of On A WIng and A Prayer in New Mexico. “I He died five months later, before I could let him go.”.

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Mice Rodents Rescue 279

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2021

The National Audubon Society Birds of North America covers all species seen in mainland United States, Canada and Baja California. The rest of Mexico is not included, nor is Hawaii (which isn’t in North America, after all, but has been accepted as part of the American Birding Association area). GUIDE COVERAGE.

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North America America Birds California Condor 278

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2012

Their spring migration brings the majority of them through Northern California in April when these photos of the male Rufous Hummingbird were taken. They appear again in my yard in August, on their way back to Mexico where most of them spend their winters. Click on photos for full sized images.

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Mexico California Groups Breeding 177

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2024

Being a westerner — raised in California, and now living in western Mexico — I was perhaps most excited about the migratory birds that breed in eastern North America. And the Baltimore Oriole is an iconic eastern bird, which winters along Mexico’s east coast, but never in the west. Then, around 4:00 p.m.,

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Mexico Birds Raccoons Baltimore 185

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

My new “home” here on the Mexican Baja, or Baja California Sur, as it is officially known, has provided so many new birds to my Life List. So much so that I walk right by them, even when in the peak of their brightest seasonal plumage? A few are somewhat common to this area, as well as farther north up into the US.

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Costa Rica Suffering California Species 136

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Boobies ( Sula leucogaster ), Islas Coronado, Baja California © David J. A pair of Brown Boobies ( Sula leucogaster ) tends a chick on Middle Rock, Islas Coronado, Baja California © David J. Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. And, the birds are awesome.

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2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2012

This post is old news to those who pay attention to what I say on Facebook but I am still pleased as punch to point out that I have finally reached the 500-bird milestone in the American Birding Association area (basically North America north of Mexico). How did I finally reach this lofty peak? Binoculars up into the dark and wet and YES!

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San Marino Los Angeles Birds Laws 104

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2017

We encountered a vicious storm, that convinced us the take a break, find some shelter, and head into Eureka, California. Go find some cool water and plop right down in and chill out! We had been at sea for 5 days and 5 nights, over 100 miles off shore, sailing non-stop from the USA-Canada border to San Francisco.

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San Francisco Shelters Canada California 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

August arrived and I was releasing birds knowing they’d need time to adapt prior to making that long flight across the Gulf of Mexico, headed to South America. But lets see … I’d say one of my most memorable releases is that of a Purple Martin , a species of special concern in California. So gorgeous!

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Ohio Tulsa West Virginia 214

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2019

The section on shooting birds in snow, for example, covers how to expose for snow (to the right), the consequences of different shutter speeds (fast shutter speed to show individual snowflakes or slow shutter speed to show streaks?), Each illustration (and, there are many) is captioned with equipment used and camera settings.

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Birds Ethics 2019 Experience 186

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 20, 2011

The eastern Yucatan and the corresponding regions (with respect to sea and air temperature) of western Mexico and Central America are very different in their geological configuration and other features. When climate changes, causing habitats to move, birds can get up and fly away to a new habitat, so really, they’ll be fine.

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Penguins Birds Cooking Fish 193

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2022

He lamented that he had barely been able to travel during the year — only one trip from New York to California, poor boy — and then went on to give an impressive list of vagrants and first-of-state birds. But it wasn’t until 2021 that I figured out where they are most common: right around our church! In my garden!

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Mexico Birds Virginia Barn Owls 209

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2021

Many thrushes live or winter in Mexico, but their taxonomy is mostly quite simple. Eight of our large thrushes (the American Robin , western Mexico’s own Rufous-backed Robin , and eastern Mexico’s ubiquitous Clay-colored Thrush , among others) belong to the genus Turdus. Why are Aztec Thrushes so hard to see?

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Mexico North America 2017 America 263

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 9, 2016

If you look carefully below, you can see the Blue-winged Teal , exiting stage right, just out of sight of my camera lens. There have been several flights like this that flew over La Paz on Sunday. Out on the tidal flats, the new migrants gather in nice numbers.

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Sparrows Species Rights Birds 131