10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

A first-winter Red-breasted Goose at Cley, North Norfolk As a general rule, geese are birds of subtle, even dull, plumage. All the so-called grey geese – Greylag, Bean, White-front, Lesser White-front, Swan – look very much alike, and it takes experience to identify them by their calls and their shape and size.

Bulgaria 130

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

WinGS volunteers visit gull roost sites, counting six key species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull. In the nearby river valley I did find a reasonable flock of Lapwings, along with a small flock of Greylag and Egyptian Geese, but not a lot else.

Ireland 231

Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 231

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

They migrate north through the Western United States, breeding in pockets all the way up through Canada. No matter how many times I see them, this particular species remains breathtaking. Did I mention they’re huge? They can reach 65 inches in length, with a wingspan of more than 115 inches.

Pelicans 242

Pelicans United States Canada Arizona 242

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2021

By the time I left the state at the end of January to head back south, I had added 26 species to my 2021 list. Sure, I can see Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals and Canada Geese in my own backyard, year-round, but closing my eyes and picturing those species against a snowy backdrop makes me smile. Here’s hoping!

Florida 214

Florida ALA Birds Woodpeckers 214

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

Per usual, the Canada Geese proved to be the most prevalent species – and the loudest. And a lone American White Pelican , its impressive wing span reminding me for the umpteenth time of the hugeness of this species. . A fine start to GBBC! Learn more at: [link].

Florida 259

Florida Birds Pelicans Geese 259

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

Birds 226

Birds Albatross Barn Owls Sparrows 226

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2014

It was the only real highlight at Shinnecock for we two jaded birders, though we did appreciate seeing all three scoters, a whole bunch of Common Eiders , both species of scaup, some Great Cormorants , and a bunch of Red-breasted Mergansers. all three of the Greater White-fronted Geese we spotted with a bunch of Canada Geese.

New York 176

New York Geese Canada New York City 176

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2015

Because of its distance to the mainland, Hawaii is home to over 60 species of endemic birds. Nenes are attractive geese, though they were named for their soft calls rather than their looks. They probably evolved from the Canada Goose, and today sport black faces, white necks, and grayish bodies.

Hawaii 158

Hawaii Feral Cats Mongoose Geese 158

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

My visit on Saturday morning was meant to be a quick stop to scan the ducks, geese, and gulls to see if anything interesting was around. There were also several hundred Canada Geese to pick through and whole bunch more gulls. Digging through the geese and gulls was not as awarding as scoping the ducks had been.

Geese 185

Geese Iceland New York City Ducks 185

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2019

When I go to Baisley, which is located in the neighborhood of South Jamaica, I know that I am, at the least, going to see at least ten species of waterfowl, a variety of gulls, some sparrows and other songbirds, and perhaps a raptor or two. We don’t have enough photos of Canada Geese on this blog.

Ducks 114

Ducks New York City Geese Canada 114

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Visiting the continent after the end of most of the autumn migration meant that the number of bird species I could see in northern France, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria was much reduced. And I did manage to get my first glimpses of some of the species listed in my European bird guides. Only a pair of Mandarin Ducks !

Austria 129

Austria Switzerland Europe Geese 129

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2012

A Cackling Goose is a very small Canada Goose , or, at least, it used to be. In 2004, in a long anticipated decision, the American Ornithologists’ Union decided that the tiniest types of the Canada Goose were actually a completely separate species – the Cackling Goose , Branta hutchinsii. What is a Cackling Goose ?

Geese 162

Geese Horse Farm Canada Farming 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

per cent of individuals of a species at a given time” and a vagrant bird as a bird that shows up outside of this range (p. The accounts cover vagrancy patterns for the family as a whole, reasons for vagrancy, documented examples of vagrancy for specific species and reasons that might account for those incidents.

Birds 263

Birds Compassion Eagles Science 263

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2018

The focus of the trip was ducks and we hit a couple of hotspots in central Queens, Baisley Pond Park and Willow Lake Preserve, and then we took a quick stop at World’s Fair Marina to track down a few more species. Waterfowl is defined here as swans, geese, and ducks. Most winters Snow Geese are a gimme when birding Queens.

Geese 116

Geese New York City Ducks Jamaica 116

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

Despite my best efforts and despite seeing around 200 Canada Geese , I had no luck with the Specklebelly. I saw lots of Canada Geese – about 450 – but no Greater White-fronted Goose. What a marvelous sight my seventh goose (and 313th species) for Queens was! In general, I enjoyed my time out-of-doors.

Puerto Rico 125

Puerto Rico Geese Canada Porpoises 125

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2011

There are three species of waterfowl that birders in most of the eastern United States are going to encounter on almost any birding outing that includes a pond, lake, or other body of water – The Usual Waterfowl. In fact, control programs for both Canada Geese and Mute Swans are often implemented.

Canada 165

Canada Geese United States Abandon 165

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2019

Long and thin, the lake’s shoreline grows thick with grasses and lily pads, a haven for a whole slew of bird species. My new house sits adjacent to one such lake, which probably used to fill up naturally during rainy times but has been artificially impounded for decades now. It’s not my fault, I swear! That would be madness!

Birds 146

Birds Geese Canada Species 146

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2012

I got out of my car and walked up to the parade grounds where large numbers of Canada Geese often forage. And while I was expecting quite a few geese I was surprised by the sheer number present. The entire southeastern quarter of the parade grounds was a carpet of geese! I sighed, set my scope up, and started scanning.

Geese 156

Geese New York City United States Canada 156

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2018

million) of waterfowl, including American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, as well as Canada and Greater White-fronted Goose, and Tundra and Trumpeter Swan. More than a million ducks and half a million geese, including Emperor Goose, also breed in the Yukon Delta.

Alaska 221

Alaska United States Puffins Wildlife 221

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2015

Midsummer birding can become boring if you focus solely on species counts. Canada Geese are never as interesting as when escorting those adorable goslings! The general lack of longitudinal movement among birds limits most areas to the same restricted pool of resident breeders every year.

2015 159

2015 Breeders Geese Canada 159

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2014

As I mentioned before, Freezeout means Snow Geese , and lots of them. But like any aspect of migration, the lots-of-Snow-Geese phenomenon is ephemeral and to some degree unpredictable, occuring earlier one year, later the next, and then gone as the geese head north to make more geese or south to wait out the winter.

Geese 176

Geese Montana Ducks Falcons 176

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2016

As with mammals, the avifauna of the tar pits is heavy on individuals from predatory and scavenging species who were perhaps drawn to the struggles of dying mammoths and ground sloths. Many are what we’d expect to see today: Mallards and Canada Geese. Condors, of course. Golden Eagle and coyote fossils.

California Condor 189

California Condor Coyotes Eagles Turkey 189

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2016

Ducks, swans, and geese may initially appear easy to identify. And, the whole question of subspecies, which in the Northeast tends to focus on the Cackling Goose, but which I’m sure is a topic of fascination with other waterfowl species in all other parts of the world. Or, a Tufted Duck or Cackling Goose.

North America 161

North America Asia Europe America 161

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl covers every residential, migrating, vagrant, exotic, and introduced swan, goose, dabbling and diving duck in North America (Canada and the United States): 62 Species Accounts on four swan species and one vagrant subspecies; 15 goose species; 46 duck species; plus accounts for hybrid geese, ducks and exotics.

Ducks 124

Ducks North America Geese Hunters 124

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

And while there were lots of waterfowl – 271 Green-winged Teal , 887 Ruddy Ducks , 380 Snow Geese , 80 Northern Shovelers , and 64 Canada Geese , to mention just the five most common species – I ended up paying more attention to the few shorebirds that I saw than I did to the many species of duck and goose.

Jamaica 183

Jamaica Geese Ducks Canada 183

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

It was almost a month ago that I wondered how many species of ducks, geese, and swans could be found in my home borough of Queens in a single day this winter if I really put forth the effort. If I could just find all three scoters, an eider, and a couple good geese I could make it to twenty-nine species!

Geese 100

Geese Jamaica Ducks Barn Owls 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2017

Covenham Reservoir is the largest stretch of inland water in Lincolnshire and although it is used for various water sport activities during the year it is also used by many species of birds. Canada Geese. We observed both of these species on both visits on cloudy overcast afternoons in October. Common Buzzard.

Geese 101

Geese Ducks Canada Shelters 101

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Over 200 species of birds can be found on the refuge, depending on the time of year. This cold weather and snow does not seem to have much effect on the huge number of ducks and geese, but the smaller song birds, all seem to wake up much later in the days, and only after it has warmed up a bit.

Fox 134

Fox Washington Geese Sparrows 134

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

To the relief of Mexican birders everywhere, this species was split several years later into two species; the black-and-white eastern race is now Morelet’s Seedeater , and the more colorful western race is now the Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater. What I didn’t know was that this is a very special species.

Birds 173

Birds Mexico California Spain 173

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2011

The email, received on May 7 at 6:15AM, reads verbatim: “RE: NEW YARD BIRD This morning – flying with three of another related species (those were interesting enough in themselves). According to Rich Guthrie, the man with a yard list of 207, a group of four geese lit upon the Hudson River by his house. Thanks for playing.

2011 160

2011 Geese Iceland Canada 160

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2018

I had posted a picture of the Western Wood Pewee last week, but I like this new shot so much, you all get to see a repeat of the species. If the weather holds, we plan an excursion into BC to see what we can find for my Canada list! Little Big Year species– 820. US species -125. eBird postings – 241.

Washington 100

Washington Canada Geese Fish 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2017

WPAs provide critical breeding, resting, and nesting habitat for millions of ducks, geese, and swans, as well as shorebirds and grassland birds. Thus, for birders, WPAs are vitally important for populations of many waterfowl as well as shorebirds, grassland species, and other migratory species.

Factory 118

Factory Ducks North Dakota Nebraska 118

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2017

Nevertheless we set off, buoyed by early sightings of Buffleheads and a Common Goldeneye , both species sporting dramatic black and white plumage. Though I had actually been out birding earlier in the day, I was unprepared for the solid sheet of ice that lay plastered across every inch of the path like extra-slippery cement.

Portland 100

Portland Birds Geese Canada 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

I have gotten to the point where there were very few waterfowl that I need for my years’ list, but I was able to add Canvasbacks , and Cackling Geese. I had missed the Greater White-fronted Geese all the way up the coast, and saw that a single White-fronted had been observed on the refuge. Finley NWR.

Oregon 100

Oregon Geese Woodpeckers Seattle 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2013

The fence surrounding the facility is bordered by a dense mixed forest of pine and deciduous trees giving several sparrow and finch species a good location to hang out and observe the birders. There were House Finches ( Capodacus mexicanus ). a Chipping Sparrow ( Spizella passerina ).

Sacramento 167

Sacramento Sparrows Sanctuary Geese 167

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

The first stop, Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge in central Oregon is without a doubt one of the most important stop overs for migrating birds on the west coats, no matter the species. The first weekend had me visiting my hometown of Lakeview Oregon, and the many different areas that I ran around in as a kid.

Oregon 100

Oregon Wildlife Geese Blackbirds 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2012

My spring has been pretty amazing so far with 146 species spotted since April 1 and Cerulean , Worm-eating , and Yellow-throated Warblers and a host of other species spotted before May even arrived, but the first couple of days in May have been even better. Queens, New York, May 2009 May is the month of migration in North America.

New York City 158

New York City New York 2009 Litter 158