10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2014

The idea of Lost Animals was conceived after the publication of Extinct Birds (2001), a 400-page, four-pound book on 75 extinct species. Lost Birds looks at photographic representations of 28 species, 21 of which are birds. Some document one of the last views of the species, others are of the last representative of the species.

Animal 270

Animal Mammals Hawaii Dolphins 270

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2016

Perhaps the best experience of the two days I spend offshore was not a bird, but a mammal. As it was when a small pod of Gervais’ Beaked Whales, small whales that look like bulked up Bottlenosed Dolphins tolerated our approach and allowed us to have a surreal experience with this mysterious marine mammal.

Whales 100

Whales Whaling North Carolina Mammals 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

So close to the pole only a handful of bird species can survive, and even so, death toll is very high, hence their populations must be huge (millions). There are 11 species of birds that breed in the Ross Sea region. Finally – the Seabirds. As a consequence, the Ross Sea has one of the highest concentrations of seabirds in the world.

Russia 182

Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 182

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though. In the Bahamas I swam in a pod of feeding dolphins. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull. And come the new year I’ll be telling you all about my experiences this time around.

Uganda 162

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2015

The country has a healthy list of pelagic species. Not a bird that one would normally visit Costa Rica to see, we nevertheless were very anxious to lay eyes on this Humboldt Current species. “Costa Rica borders two oceans. There are no pelagic trips” That ironic pseudo-haiku almost sums up pelagic birding in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 157

Costa Rica Birds Dolphins Rescue 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

This may be the most awesome pelagic you’ll ever experience… For me it was the publication in 1984 of Peter Harrison’s ground-breaking identification guide to ‘ Seabirds ’ that opened up the off-shore world of pelagic birding right on Cape Town’s door step.

Albatross 190

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 190

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

It has also found its way to Japan where it is considered to be an invasive species. Now and then individual catfish of various species hunt nearer the surface and larger catfish such as the American Channel Cat will take a duck or other water bird. My own experience at catching catfish (big ones!) Catfish in the range of 1.0

Fish 212

Fish Birds Whales Whaling 212

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2021

No, Madagascar is the most famous for an endemic group of mammals: lemurs, sifakas, indri, aye-aye – in total, 112 endemic species and subspecies of lemurs alone! Still, there should be no problem with larger species that allow for longer observation time (e.g. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.

Madagascar 255

Madagascar Mammals Lemurs Seychelles 255

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Grief, friendship, gratitude, wonder, and other things we animals experience. People have reported dolphins struggling to save a dead calf by pushing its body to the surface of the water. Waterfall Dances: Do animals have spiritual experiences? by Marc Bekoff. Animal Rescues: Feeling Compassion for Those in Need.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2020

Despite depicting 540 species/56 families, it is a lightweight book of 173 pages, easy to pack and carry. Mammals of South Asia follows the latest taxonomy, describes all the species recorded within the region and provides a range map for each species. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.

Asia 182

Asia Mammals Sri Lanka Bhutan 182

4 The Love Of Animals

DECEMBER 14, 2012

A 3 ½ foot-long, 35-pound dolphin was born at Discovery Cove ® on Friday, November 30 at 10:22 a.m. This dolphin calf is the first born at Discovery Cove that was conceived through the use of “sperm-sexing” research, which involves separating sperm carrying a female-producing X chromosome from sperm carrying a male-producing Y chromosome.

Dolphins 100

Dolphins San Diego Research Center Research 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Being on a boat surrounded by the endless blue of the ocean is a wonderful experience, especially when the waves aren’t too high, the sun isn’t too bright, and the birds are showing. Nonetheless, I added a species to my state list and two to my year list so there was that… … I like pelagic birding.

Whales 174

Whales Whaling New York Dolphins 174

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

It is acceptable to point out other sea creatures–dolphins or whales or dragonflies–but the main goal is the observation and identification of the birds. The King Eider photograph, which is the “marquee” photo for that species account, is by Hugh Harrop). It is a challenging activity. No rails or gallinules.

Ducks 241

Ducks Groups Species North America 241

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

One might first ask, “Why does higher intelligence mean that one species is more valuable than other species?” Second, there are other species besides human beings that have high intelligence, e.g., chimpanzees and dolphins. What should our moral attitude be toward eating members of these species? If not, why not?

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Meat Killing 40