10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

In front of us, the river is two miles wide… and it is paved with birds: smaller groups of Greater White-fronted and Greylag Geese , numerous Mute Swans and Mallards , plus Eurasian Teals , Gadwalls , Common Pochards , a few Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks , Common Goldeneyes and several Smews. A goose hunt sounds like a WWII battle.

Geese 168

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 168

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2014

Can you use a drone to get footage of snowy owls in cornfields? If you have a drone and fly it over a field and it finds a Short-eared Owl that you didn’t know was there and you only saw it after you uploaded your video…does it count on your list? How close is too close?

Bald Eagle 191

Bald Eagle Mississippi Eagles Ducks 191

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2014

It was our second trip out on this piece of highway this year and sadly the second deceased Barn Owl. Unfortunately we have only ever seen dead Barn Owls in the Broome area and one day it would be nice to see a bird hunting over the land. Grass Owls are also present in the area, but remain off our bird list.

Barn Owls 162

Barn Owls Seals Birds Cattle 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2012

During the middle ages, a specialised vocabulary became popular in the sport of hunting. One would display one’s credentials as a sporting gentleman by correct use of the terms and knowing that a flock of duck might be called a raft or a skein , depending on whether they were floating or flying, was essential.

Hunting 151

Hunting Collecting Groups Fox 151

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2011

A female red-tail may leave a nest to hunt for her two chicks and return to feed a rabbit to three chicks without noting an increase in the number of chicks a rehabber has placed there. Owls are a little different. They don’t build nests and some like Great Horned Owls take over old hawk or squirrel nests. Leave it be.

Birds 264

Birds Fox Raised Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

John from A DC Birding Blog , and Patrick from The Hawk Owl’s Nest at Jamaica Bay at 8 AM Saturday morning for some birding. Tree Swallows squabbled and hunted in the air overhead and spent time examining the numerous nest boxes erected for them. Why does this matter? Needless to say, I was a bit groggy when I met up with them.

New York 162

New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2011

Snowy Owl – This winter turned out to be horrible for birders hoping to see Bubo scandiacus but pretty good for the birds themselves. Short-eared Owl – Finally, a bird that I saw! Harlequin Duck – There were several birds seen in Queens this winter that I either missed or could not get out to chase.

Jamaica 156

Jamaica Owls 2010 New York City 156

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Larry starts us off right with an owl that makes birders drool: I was able to see and photograph many great birds in 2014 but my Best Bird of the Year would have to be the Great Gray Owl , the largest Strix in North America. Larry’s BBOTY – Great Gray Owl. What was yours? Maybe I should not say that….who

2014 183

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 183

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Win a Copy of Hawks at a Distance Great Horned Owl Taking a Deer Leg Cats Are Still Public Enemy Number One, For Birds Crossley ID Guide Giveaway Winners.Or Say Hello to the South Hill Crossbill Snipe Hunt in the Bird Blogosphere 3 Million Page Views! There, i said it. it’s your fault, all yours!! Thanks for visiting!

2011 140

2011 Deer New York New York City 140

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2012

Like several of my favorite NWRs, this one was established as a haven for migratory birds, most notably waterfowl, during the bad old days when uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss had put the future of even species we now think of as common in doubt. At last we plunged into the woods, hoping for Great Horned Owls.

Wildlife 165

Wildlife Montana Geese Bald Eagle 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

The quail, guans, ducks and pheasant are hunted for their meat. A three generation family in Choluteca checking out a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in their backyard Better yet. In the Far East they keep birds of prey which they use to capture other animals such as foxes and rabbits. We will take charge of the prosecution.

Honduras 185

Honduras illegal Parrots Birds 185

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

There’s Lynford Water, a scenic tree-fringed former gravel working that today is popular with Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Ducks and wild swimmers (yes, they even swim in December). It was a Barn Owl, or what country people around here still call the White Owl, hunting the water meadows at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Barn Owls 202

Barn Owls Japan Rats Owls 202

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Egyptian vulture clearly knowing where I left my smartphone “Lahme Ente” – lame duck Any slow person may be called a “lame duck“ in German, but today it is most commonly used in traffic to describe an annoyingly slow car. The origin of this expression clearly lies in the slow, dopey waddling gait of a duck on land.

Germany 172

Germany Birds Hunters Owls 172

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2024

A lone Whooper Swan on a grey January day in Norfolk As for the ducks – I’m now up to 15 species. The birds I saw were mixed in with a flock of Tufted Ducks, their European counterparts, for they are a similar size and have very similar habits and behaviour. Always a good bird to see: a Short-eared Owl.

Spain 130

Spain Eagles North America Ducks 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2013

Here, thousands of Amur Falcons hunt for insects during the southern summer, Wattled Cranes and Denham’s Bustards may be seen, impressive Long-tailed Widowbirds display over the grasslands and the waterbodies are a haven to many hundreds of waterbirds, including Maccoa and White-backed Ducks.

Lesotho 164

Lesotho Africa Birds Rats 164

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Sandhill Crane Hunt in Kentucky?! Sandhill Crane Hunt in Kentucky?! Tomorrow, MARCH 15, 2011, is the deadline for public comment on a proposal to hunt sandhill cranes in Kentucky. Kentucky Dept.

2011 239

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 239

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

I always undertake a number of short timed surveys for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Big Farmland Bird Count in February, and though the counts didn’t add anything to the year list, they were memorable for finding big flocks of finches and buntings, while a daylight-hunting Barn Owl was a pleasing sight.

Estonia 216

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 216

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2018

Once we were checked in, we headed straight out to begin our hunt. That lovely little owl represented bird number 34 for the run thru Texas! Here that Eastern Screech Owl. Estero Llano Grande has a HUGE number of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, somewhere in the area of 3000-4000. Eastern Screech owl. Mottled Duck.

Texas 127

Texas Tucson San Antonio Owls 127

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2017

Like many “wildlife areas” it is open to waterfowl hunting during the season. We stopped at the entrance to the wildlife area (see the sign above) where there is a small kiosk with bird lists and hunting regulations as well as maps of the facility.

Wildlife 100

Wildlife Chipmunks Sparrows Blackbirds 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

With the proposed hunting seasons on sandhill cranes being discussed in Tennessee, Kentucky and Wisconsin, we must not forget the whooping crane, which travels and winters in the big sandhill crane flocks. More states will doubtless join the queue of those proposing hunts. Another thing to consider. Now, it’s time to go to the top.

2011 239

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 239

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2014

Further north, we slow down by the ruins of an old farm… and yes, a Little Owl greets us with its ‘smiling’ face. The intensity of experience is not the same, but, e.g. focusing on a single bird and trying to solve the puzzle… or finding the rarest owl of India , that was a mind-blowing one. More of a hunt?

Farming 229

Farming Serbia Europe India 229

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2014

Get to my early morning birding destination while it was still dark, sit in the car with the radio on to prevent the inadvertent identification of a run-of-the-mill bird by voice, and wait for a Short-eared Owl to fly past on the hunt. Short-eared Owl is a great way to start off a birding year! Amazingly, it worked!

2014 155

2014 Fox Birds Owls 155

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2012

This breathtaking part of the world is home to a dazzling array of bird species including many species that are easiest seen in the Okavango – birds like Pel’s Fishing Owl, Slaty Egret and Wattled Crane. The diversity of birds here is so staggering that 300 species of birds have been recorded here in a single day.

Botswana 199

Botswana Zebras Lions Elephants 199

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. So when Tuesday morning was nice and warm I was thrilled to get out of the house early and out to Breezy Point to begin counting ducks.

Geese 100

Geese Jamaica Ducks Barn Owls 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

American Kestrels, Cooper Hawks , and Northern Harriers also found the hunting here to their liking. I spooked three Barn Owls out of a dense scrub row, just as the sun was setting. There was a large number of Wood Ducks, using the deep foliage of the irrigation canal as cover, making them quite difficult to photograph.

Albuquerque 120

Albuquerque New Mexico Mexico Sparrows 120

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2020

with additional sections added if there is just too much interesting information for a two-page spread (“Large Sandpipers,” “Small Sandpipers,” “More Owls,” and so on). 167, Meadowlark line of sight–not p.67). copyright @2020 by David A llen Sibley.

2020 262

2020 Birds Groups North America 262

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Most people oppose large-scale, indiscriminate, hunting of birds but it still happens all over the world. Mauritius Owl. Amsterdam Duck. But non-natives, and seriously damaging ones, are still constantly being introduced around the world. Black-fronted Parakeet. Canary Islands Oystercatcher. Pagan Reed Warbler.

Mauritius 171

Mauritius Djibouti Guam Birds 171

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

This ABA Code 4 bird was found hanging out with some Wood Ducks in Missoula, conveniently enough, by Radd Icenoggle. I was fortunate to rack up a number of lifers in 2013, both at home and abroad ( Varied Thrush in Washington, Brewer’s Blackbirds in California, Burrowing Owl in the Nevada desert). I chose the owl.

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

Anyway, we arrived, spotted a Great Horned Owl in flight and waited and waited and waited. Then he pointed out a Least Tern that came in to hunt for fish on the pond as if I would be assuaged with another bird that has “Least” in its name! We saw twenty-one swamphens but not a single Least Bittern. Some guide!

Florida 114

Florida Miami Birds Owls 114

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

On my first visit to the island a few years ago I even found one hunting for sandhoppers and other assorted treats in the washed up seaweed on the beach. I usuaully see Saddlebacks when I go to Kapiti, and often when I go to Karori, but they are everywhere on Tiritiri. Saddleback ( Philesturnus carunculatus ) on the beach. Wicked, right?

New Zealand 147

New Zealand 2011 Deer Cats 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Bang Pra is a reservoir and no-hunting area to the south east of Bangkok. Lesser Whistling Duck were flying around, and a Black-naped Oriole provided a nice flash of colour. Bright and early on the morning (actually, so early it wasn’t remotely bright) he was at my hotel, and we were off to our first location, Bang Pra.

Thailand 153

Thailand New Zealand Terrapins Asia 153

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2020

So, I could capture it in all its owlish glory, complete with fake eyes at the back and nicely illustrating the capability of the owl to turn its head by almost 180 degrees in each direction. I’d like a beer too, please, as I have never seen a Masked Duck. In a year divided by pre-pandemic birds (travel!),

2020 221

2020 Birds Germany Costa Rica 221

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2022

Logging roads have opened up vast areas to commercial hunting, leading to industrial-scale poaching and a more than 60 per cent drop in the region’s Forest Elephant population in less than a decade. At the same time, 50% of the Congo Basin forest has now been allocated for logging and this region loses close to 1.5

Central African Republic 279

Central African Republic Congo Gabon Gorillas 279

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

Snowy Owl, Long Island, NYS. This was a special Snowy Owl encounter in a year of many Snowy Owls. It was, indeed, a Snowy Owl. I drove to the other end of the lot and watched the owl fly back to its meal, smack in the middle of the empty lot. How often does one have a Snowy Owl all to one’s self?

2018 149

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 149

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2013

Sure, we aren’t infested with Snowy Owls that clog up our Facebook newsfeeds (actually, the wretched things still do) and airports, but we do have lots going on. So you’ll have to wait till next year for me to post more rambling and incoherent thoughts about hunting or how I managed to not see a single pitta in Borneo.

New Zealand 166

New Zealand Hunting Sanctuary Ducks 166

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Also on the ground you’ll see your first Finsch’s Duck. This attractive relative of Australia’s Maned Duck is the most common duck you’ll see on the tour, but visitors always love seeing them and their ubiquity doesn’t detract from their attractiveness. Laughing Owl.

New Zealand 194

New Zealand Ducks Australia Mountain Goats 194