10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2019

In an unhurried half-day of birding, we racked up over 90 species, including killers like Denham’s Bustard , Northern Carmine-throated Bee-eater , and Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow. The raptors exceeded expectations in both quantity and quality, with lots of vultures, eagles, and a magnificent Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle.

Uganda 177

Uganda Senegal Africa Game 177

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2021

2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 3 Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. 11 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. 19 Mexican Duck – Anas diazi. 20 American Black Duck – Anas rubripes. 23 Ring-necked Duck – Aythya collaris. 11 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa.

Woodpeckers 225

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds Ducks 225

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha). American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) (Anas platyrhynchos x rubripes). Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) (Anas platyrhynchos x rubripes). Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris). Accipiter sp.

2020 151

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 151

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2021

As such, a parallel post will appear here simultaneously with the year list. As such, a parallel post will appear here simultaneously with the year list.

2020 212

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots 212

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2022

A few Eurasian Tree Sparrows land by my car as I am scanning for Purple and Squacco Herons , Pygmy Cormorants and Black-necked Grebes in their brilliant breeding plumage. An immature White-tailed Eagle. The same eagle? Driving with open windows (to hear the birds) becomes unbearable and I am heading out of this fish farm.

Breeders 199

Breeders Mules Farming Fish 199

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2021

2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 3 Muscovy Duck – Cairina moschata. 15 Stripe-headed Sparrow – Peucaea ruficauda. 16 Olive Sparrow – Arremonops rufivirgatus. 33 Brewer’s Sparrow – Spizella breweri. 65 Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow – Melozone kieneri.

Woodpeckers 194

Woodpeckers Sparrows Parrots Blackbirds 194

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2019

Ducks (domesticated). Supposedly, all of these were recorded in the Seven Kingdoms, albeit most likely only in the books (of which I read only the first): Chickens (domesticated). Falcons – Gyrfalcon. Geese (domesticated). Partridges. Ravens (domesticated). And this is all. Why, oh why George R.R.

Chickens 161

Chickens Falcons Birds Geese 161

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2020

12 Grasshopper Sparrow – Ammodramus savannarum. 23 Lincoln’s Sparrow – Melospiza lincolnii. 61 Orange-billed Sparrow – Arremon aurantiirostris. 70 Greater Spotted Eagle – Clanga clanga. 71 White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla. 178 Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula.

2020 169

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds 169

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2021

Checklists came in from 7 countries (USA, UK, Serbia, China, Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia) and brought the year list for 2021 so far to 1143. Checklists came in from 7 countries (USA, UK, Serbia, China, Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia) and brought the year list for 2021 so far to 1143.

Sparrows 155

Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds Ducks 155

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

The year list remains sluggish at 1489 , but the life list received a boost from the eBird taxonomy reshuffle and now includes 4076 species. The year list remains sluggish at 1489 , but the life list received a boost from the eBird taxonomy reshuffle and now includes 4076 species.

Woodpeckers 190

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds California 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2021

2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 10 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. 11 Mandarin Duck – Aix galericulata. 17 Falcated Duck – Mareca falcata. 20 Eastern Spot-billed Duck – Anas zonorhyncha. 22 American Black Duck – Anas rubripes.

Woodpeckers 176

Woodpeckers Sparrows Ducks Parrots 176

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2020

Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. Eastern Spot-billed Duck – Anas zonorhyncha. American Black Duck – Anas rubripes. Ring-necked Duck – Aythya collaris. Ring-necked Duck – Aythya collaris. Long-tailed Duck – Clangula hyemalis.

2020 153

2020 Sparrows Blackbirds Woodpeckers 153

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2020

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca). White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus). Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis). Red Kite (Milvus milvus).

2020 152

2020 Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds 152

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

Most are still endangered, but some are not, including one of the great conservation success stories, the Bald Eagle. Laysan Duck – Anas laysanensis. Hawaiian Duck – Anas wyvilliana. Mexican Duck – Anas diazi (delisted: taxonomic revision). Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus t.

California Condor 102

California Condor Endangered Species Bald Eagle Parrots 102

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle. I observed my first GS eagles in India some 8 years ago, then the first for Europe in Greece only last December , and finally I have them in my home country list. Simply, they are among the most beautiful ducks around.

Moldova 118

Moldova Birds Serbia Greece 118

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015

Lincoln’s Sparrow for example. Heck, I still need it for my country list along with other “super rare” sparrows like Lark Sparrow , the needle in a sugarcane field Clay-colored Sparrow , and the extremely elusive Chipping Sparrow. Oh, how that would be a nice year bird.

Costa Rica 161

Costa Rica Birds Panama Sparrows 161

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2018

As an adult Bald Eagle and a first of the season flock of Tree Swallows flew overhead, several birds were cleaning up underneath the feeders. The ranch’s ponds yielded several Ring-necked Ducks … large numbers of American Wigeon … several Bufflehead … and Pied-billed Grebes. Fun birding!

2018 100

2018 Bald Eagle Woodpeckers Turkey 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2016

Gold-crowned Sparrows were found around many of the salmon filled streams. I am sure there is a regulation that requires any article that covers Alaska, must include a Bald Eagle , so here is mine. Savanah Sparrow. Aleutian Song Sparrow. Gold-crowned Sparrow. Fox Sparrow. Long-tailed Duck.

Grizzly Bear 154

Grizzly Bear Alaska Bears Puffins 154

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2016

On my recent visit I managed to see specialties like Spotted Eagle Owls , Swee Waxbills , Cape Sugarbirds , Malachite Sunbirds and Cape Francolins. Spotted Eagle Owl. It’s the place to learn your African waterbirds, particularly ducks. The gardens are so bird rich books have been written about what can be seen in them.

Penguins 171

Penguins Birds Mongoose Ostriches 171

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

When discussing this topic for local media, I often say that because of their White-tailed Eagles , the Scottish island of Mull makes 2 million pounds per year from birders alone. By the end of a day, the best bird was the White-tailed Eagle that caught and ate a fish right in front of us – a species they have seen in the UK only once.

Serbia 171

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 171

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2013

The walkway proved very productive today; Three-banded Plover , African Snipe , African Jacana , and some White-faced Ducks were seen through the screen in the water to the left as I walked up. Southern Grey-headed Sparrow , Cape Wagtails and Common Bulbuls used the screen or nearby snags as perches to see who was coming along the walkway.

South Africa 170

South Africa Mammals Reptiles Elephants 170

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

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. These were my first Fox Sparrows of the year. I got to see several Brown Creepers in the area.

Fox 121

Fox Washington Geese Sparrows 121

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

There was a Short-toed Eagle ahead, taking flight to be replaced by another ST Eagle. In my homeland, some 800 km / 500 mi further north, these ducks are common on migration but very rare in the breeding season and I realized that these are my first young birds – ever. Ferruginous Duck – Aythya nyroca 2.

Greece 179

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 179

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2012

There were, in her book, three kinds: Owls, Pigeons, and Ducks. water birds (ducks!) Most of them were pretty good in the Owl-Duck-Pigeon range, but they got bogged down when trying to make the leap from a study skin to a particular page of the field guide for, say, a blackbird or a sparrow. And that frustration was epic.

Montana 160

Montana Bald Eagle Owls Ducks 160

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2015

Green-winged Teal : It might not sound exciting for birders slinging their binos in the temperate zone, but this fancy little duck is a heck of a rare sight in Costa Rica. Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle : I rarely see this rare raptor. One of those Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles.

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica 2015 Eagles Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2018

The sub-adult Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) below was photographed from the same blind. And, of course, the infamous Falcated Duck ( Mareca falcata ) viewed by thousands of birders from the Colusa NWR viewing platform. I hope you enjoy it. Click on photos for full sized images.

Wildlife 101

Wildlife Sacramento Bald Eagle Falcons 101

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Ferruginous Duck – Aythya nyroca. Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula. Greater Spotted Eagle – Clanga clanga. White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla. House Sparrow – Passer domesticus. Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus. Northern Pintail – Anas acuta.

Owls 104

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 104

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2015

Ducks and other waterbirds : I could still see Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail , and various gulls, terns, and shorebirds. With regular birding in the right places, the most likely additions will be White-tailed Hawk, Pearl Kite, Mississippi Kite, Bicolored Hawk, and Black Hawk-Eagle (should have had that one already!).

Costa Rica 154

Costa Rica 2015 Species West Virginia 154

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2021

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis; Tirimbina, 9-Jan. Black Hawk-Eagle – Spizaetus tyrannus; Tirimbina, 9-Jan. House Sparrow – Passer domesticus; San Joaquin de Heredia, 1-Jan. White-eared Ground-Sparrow – Melozone leucotis; San Joaquin de Heredia, 1-Jan. Great Tinamou – Tinamus major; Tirimbina, 9-Jan.

Costa Rica 158

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Woodpeckers 158

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Owls and eagles and ducks and hummingbirds and parrots and woodpeckers are all things that a regular nonbirding joe or jane can, with time and a few color photographs, see the appeal of. Even sparrows, if you choose the right species and play your cards right, can be elevated to ‘cute’ status.

Seals 214

Seals Lifestyle Turtles Parrots 214

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2014

2 White-throated Sparrow (6th time on the count). Golden Eagle 8 birds with a previous high of 7. Count Period birds that were not seen on the day of the count were: Long-tailed Duck. Super rare birds were (click on photos for full sized images): 17 Dunlin seen in 3 different areas (5th time on the count). Peregrine Falcon.

California 167

California Blackbirds Turkey Birds 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2016

For a split-second I was considering the white morph of the Booted Eagle… while noticing that they do not have long stork necks and that they were… Egyptian Vultures ! Actually, when I started to bird, my second ever duck, after the Mallard, was a Ruddy Shelduck! My first ever Balkan Egyptian Vultures! Four – at one stroke!

Wildlife 172

Wildlife Tigers Asia Europe 172

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

And of course, two raptors that are a part of North American birding history: the Great Black Hawk of Portland and the Steller’s Sea-eagle of Boothbay Harbor and other local areas. ( So, expect to find warblers before sparrows if you are browsing.

Los Angeles 186

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 186

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

If you think one of the birds is a Song Sparrow call it “ Song Sparrow &# and not the unspecific “sparrow.&# No, none of the images below feature a Song Sparrow.* Jason Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:41 pm Hooded Merganser, Monk Parakeet, and House Sparrow. Greg Lawrence Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:58 pm 1.)

2011 176

2011 Bald Eagle Sparrows Parrots 176

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2014

It was the height of baby season, I was insanely overworked and underslept, and I did not – I repeat, did not – do waterbirds, except for mallards and Canada geese and wood ducks and swans etc. We once took in seven tiny brown whatsis, and just figured they must be House Sparrows ,” wrote Donna Osburn. Could you tell me what he is?”.

Wildlife 244

Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Falcons Pit Bulls 244

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2016

Birders will also enjoy such moments as Audubon’s first encounter with the Lincoln’s Sparrow and his observations of the mysterious Washington’s Eagle.

Emotional 131

Emotional Fox Sparrows Washington 131

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

White-faced Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna viduata. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. Muscovy Duck – Cairina moschata. Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. Mandarin Duck – Aix galericulata. African Black Duck – Anas sparsa. Yellow-billed Duck – Anas undulata.

2019 161

2019 Chile Texas Sanctuary 161