10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2017

When I was a kid I loved books like My Side of the Mountain , Island of the Blue Dolphins , and Julie of the Wolves. It’s all about finding the highway and getting out, even as Karma shows increasing survival skills and Stark masters the art of the hunt.

Falcons 118

Falcons Wolves Dolphins Montana 118

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2014

The Yangtze River Dolphin (the mammals described here are no less fascinating than the birds), iconic in Chinese culture, had its habitat was destroyed by a combination of human-introduced factors, including the blocking of the dolphins’ echolocation systems by large ships negotiating the river.

Animal 265

Animal Mammals Hawaii Dolphins 265

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2011

Out at sea the most common prey items are flying fish, although other prey are taken particularly when pushed to the surface by hunting tuna and dolphins. Most of the birds involved in the attacks are adults females, with immatures and juveniles also hunting in this way – adult males never hunt terns.

Albatross 162

Albatross Birds Hawaii Philippines 162

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

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. So, the modal catfish is a fish that hunts from below, can take large prey, and occasionally eats a bird. As noted, the fish-like mammals do this as well. Cucherousset, J.,

Fish 200

Fish Birds Whales Whaling 200

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2013

What put this once small fishing town on the map was not birds but mammals, specifically whales and dolphins. Sperm Whales feed deep, diving to the bottom of the trench, hunting for a while, then rising again to catch a breath. I always seem to see Kaikoura at dawn. The trick to finding Sperm Whales lies in their biology, we learned.

Whales 198

Whales Whaling Albatross New Zealand 198

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

The Dolphin Mall to be precise, where ponds in front of the mall are the best spot around to see Gray-headed Swamphens , yet another introduced species that has proliferated to the point where they are countable in Florida. How convenient! Darned bankers… Our next stop was also designed to annoy me.

Florida 116

Florida Miami Birds Owls 116