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 134

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 134

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2011

UNLESS that is you get yourself down to the internationally-renowned Tambopata Research Centre in southern Peru where literally hundreds of macaws (and other parrots) congregate around a 50 meter high clay bank. That’s right – birds eating clay.

Peru 254

Peru Parrots 2011 Research Center 254

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

So right now I’m feeling pretty good about Eurasian Collared-doves. We remember starlings not skylarks, House Sparrows not Eurasian Tree Sparrows , Cattle Egrets not… well, whatever we’ve forgotten because it didn’t do as well as the Cattle Egrets. So, tentatively, welcome spring and new life.

Montana 132

Montana 2011 New York Bahamas 132

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2022

In Europe, most of them winter south of the Sahara but an increasing share winters north of it – which sounds like an interesting research topic for people who, ahem, find such topics interesting. It is rumored that one of the researchers later became a software developer. No need to remind us all the time.

Cattle 147

Cattle Portugal Buffalo Breeding 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume. This volume is no exception.

North America 177

North America America Birds Family 177

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

One gate had Glossy Ibis, Pied Heron, White-faced Heron, Little Pied Cormorant and Cattle Egrets all roosting together. Closer to the research centre we discovered a flock of over 150 Brolga walking through one of the recently harvested crops. Crocodiles may inhabit the irrigation channels and swimming is not advised!

Birds 145

Birds Collecting Seals Cattle 145

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

If beef cattle who could not feel pain were developed, then it would be permissible to eat them. KBJ: Martin seems to think that people who abstain from meat on the ground that meat-eating causes pain would not eat “beef cattle” even if they could not feel pain. Scientific research and expertise are needed here. KBJ: Ditto.

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Meat Killing 40

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2023

Like the Eastern Crowned Warbler (which eBird mysteriously calls a “boldly marked songbird” despite its similarity to about 50 other warbler species) … … and the Arctic Warbler (or maybe some other warbler looking very similar). Daniel Gustafsson and coauthors looked at chewing lice of the Grey-headed Lapwing.

Birds 130

Birds China Taiwan Raised 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

This year the big prize must go to Tom who has pushed himself, right to the wire to acheive a magnificent score for a self-funded, wife-organised, wife-sponsored Little Big Year , accounting for 57% of the total. Hopland Research and Extension Center (restricted access). Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis. 01 Jan 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

They noted 598 species as a team, bringing the year total to 2118 and pushing the life list to 3555. Watch out for Tom during October to see this anomaly put right. Cattle Tyrant – Machetornis rixosa. Hopland Research and Extension Center (restricted access). Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis. 29 Sep 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2023

The Fairy Pitta is listed as Vulnerable, with the HBW that the species is “rare; global population probably no more than a few thousand individuals” While the sexes are alike, my guess is that the Fairy Pitta in the photo is a male given its early arrival date in Shanghai.

Birds 130

Birds China Research Tenant 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2022

Interestingly for me, the research paper calls throwing out the eggs infanticide, which makes me feel a bit queasy as this might potentially be on the wrong side of the Roe vs. Wade (or “Right vs. Wrong”, as The Onion calls it) debate. Swinhoe’s White-eye was just promoted to the rank of a full species in 2018.

Birds 147

Birds China Eggs Breeding 147