10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2012

On and off for the last several months I’ve been working on a personal project to enter a massive amount of old bird records from the state of North Carolina into eBird. With Pacific Loon , Harlequin Duck and Black-chinned Hummingbird all recent and long-staying vagrants it should be a nice, if busy, day in the field.

North Carolina 157

North Carolina Groups Suffering Hunting 157

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2019

A pelagic out of Hatteras, North Carolina , the Biggest Week in American Birding in Ohio , and trip to Puerto Rico stand out as well. For me, there was the Limpkin in Loxahatchee NWR in Florida, the Atlantic Puffin at Petit Manan NWR in Maine, the Falcated Duck at Colusa NWR in California.

Puerto Rico 149

Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Michigan Washington 149

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2015

The flat expanse stretched far out into the distance, but close to us a few Least Terns chased each other, one lone Forster’s Tern glided by, and a handful of American Black Ducks swam about in the shallows. Though we were almost rained out, my graduation Outer Banks trip will remain a highlight of my time in North Carolina.

North Carolina 174

North Carolina Alligators Wildlife Woodpeckers 174

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2014

Soon after the waders I my ears and eyes were assaulted by nearly 300 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Black-bellied Whistling Duck is a cool bird, without doubt, and this explosion has likely been behind a number of recent records for my home state of North Carolina and states and provinces all the way to Atlantic Canada, too.

Florida 176

Florida Rattlesnake North Carolina Ducks 176

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

He is a current member of the North Carolina Bird Records Committee and an eBird coordinator for North Carolina. Nate Swick is a contributor to 10,000 Birds, American Birding Association (ABA) blog editor and event leader, and environmental educator. There is a wide lens applied here.

Birds 263

Birds North Carolina North America Owls 263

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2012

You find yourself doing odd things like pulling over on the highway to scope for Ring-necked Ducks and grebes in multiple counties or pulling into McDonald’s parking lots looking for House Sparrows in small rural towns (surprisingly difficult!). State tick! But more importantly, county tick!

McDonalds 167

McDonalds South Carolina North Carolina Jordan 167

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

I’ve also been on pelagic birding trips on both coasts, out of Half Moon Bay and Monterey, California; Newport, Oregon; and Hatteras, North Carolina. Prairie Pothole Region of the United States , primary in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. That trip resulted in 88 lifers in limited birding.

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Portland United States Puerto Rico 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2015

My friend Paul Taillie and I had to meet an intrepid bunch of birders for the inaugural Outer Banks Big Day field trip at the Wings Over Water festival in eastern North Carolina. We were setting the bar for what someone hitting all the good spots on North Carolina’s famous barrier islands could reasonably accomplish.

North Carolina 150

North Carolina Rattlesnake Sparrows Owls 150

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

This past weekend I headed out to eastern North Carolina with a group of friends to try our hand at a Rarity Roundup. These are parts of the state that are unknown to many aside from duck hunters and residents who have vacated for more populous areas. So it goes with rails in coastal North Carolina.

North Carolina 165

North Carolina Sparrows Groups Ducks 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

The term “Eastern Waterbirds” may include many different types of birds, from waders to shorebirds to ducks such as the stunning King Eider above to any of the many gulls and terns that migrate through Atlantic waters. Wood Duck, for example, is included with dabbling ducks, even though it is in a separate genus.)

Ducks 236

Ducks Groups Species North America 236

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

And yet, we birders know it refers ot a particular shade of purplish red, as used to describe a duck, or a ground-dove, or a turnstone. I realize this beat of mine is supposed to have a southeastern bent, and the Ruddy Turnstone is a fairly common seaside dweller on both sides of the North American continent.

Agenda 159

Agenda North Carolina Ducks Groups 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2013

For instance, on our first trip to Viera we found a single female Lesser Scaup among the Ring-billed Ducks. Of course, when I returned two days later, I called a particularly pale-faced female Ring-necked Duck in the same spot a Lesser Scaup , and stuck to my guns even though my gut was screaming at me that something was up.

North Carolina 115

North Carolina Florida United States Zebras 115

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

After cruising around the wildlife drive enjoying flashy Roseate Spoonbills and dozens of ducks, I turned into the parking lot for the Scrub Jay Trail thinking there’s no better place to find the birds. One of my targets was the eponymous Scrub-Jay, Florida’s most famous endemic.

Florida 131

Florida North Carolina Miami Family 131

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2021

Marks National Wildlife refuge in search of water birds – ducks and mergansers in particular. Every year they migrate down to this Gulf Coast protected area, giving me the opportunity to observed Redheads, Hooded Mergansers, scaups, Ring-necked Ducks , and more. I arrived at St. A huge smile spread across my face.

Geese 170

Geese Florida Tampa New Mexico 170

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2018

In June, the 2018-2019 Federal Duck Stamp was released. Birders have been encouraged by the American Birding Association and others to buy Federal Duck Stamps. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has published a list of NWRs that have been created or expanded with Duck Stamp funds. Senators, and two U.S. Representatives.

Ducks 203

Ducks Wildlife Texas Hawaii 203