10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2019

Folks want to know what they can see, if it’s worth traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, if they should to to Ecuador for three days or three weeks, or if one should drive to Wisconsin to look for a vireo with white eyes or a blue head. The gray hawks weren’t the only north-south sister species that meet in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 203

Costa Rica Birds Owls South America 203

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2021

The year list ends on a provisional 1803 species from 1608 checklists submitted by 12 beats from 16 countries. Most species-prolific was Patrick in Costa Rica, followed by Paul from Mexico. December’s beats found 609 birds after submitting 116 checklists from 8 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Serbia and Australia).

2020 242

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots 242

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2021

9 beats submitted 140 checklists from 7 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, Serbia, Australia, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago) during October to account for 585 species. 2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 3 Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. 11 Wood Duck – Aix sponsa.

Woodpeckers 252

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds Ducks 252

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2020

8 countries were birded by 11 beats and I am delighted to include Faraaz and Trinidad and Tobago in those stats. The 83 checklists submitted during July contained 459 species. Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. Wood Duck – Aix sponsa. Eastern Spot-billed Duck – Anas zonorhyncha.

2020 158

2020 Sparrows Blackbirds Woodpeckers 158

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2022

It was an undeniably dank morning at the top of this island watershed, and even though we were able to discern some other species like Rufous-tailed Jacamar and the endemic Trinidad Motmot , activity was a bit slow. We were hoping for some of the more secretive species, however.

Trinidad 254

Trinidad Woodpeckers Species Ducks 254

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2018

Trinidad Colorado is located just a few miles north of the Colorado – New Mexico border, and home to the Trinidad Reservoir. Jeanne and I parked the 5th wheel in the Trinidad Lake Campground, and found it to be perhaps the nicest campground we had ever been in. The numbers are as follows: Little Big Year Species – 892.

Colorado 113

Colorado Texas Trinidad Albuquerque 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2021

The list for the year has reached 1276 and the life list has been stretched to 4066 with red ticks from China, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago, thanks to Kai, Claire and Grant and Faraaz respectively. 9 beats submitted 172 checklists from 7 countries (UK, USA, Costa Rica, Australia, Serbia, China and Trinidad and Tobago) for 640 species.

Woodpeckers 157

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds Ducks 157

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2020

11 beats collaborated to enter 163 checklists from 8 countries (UK, USA, Costa Rica, Australia, Serbia, China, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago). They noted 719 species between them. 2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. 3 Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor.

2020 296

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds 296

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2023

If there was any doubt we were near to water, this flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks made it absolutely clear. Silvered Antbird has been one of my bogey birds here in Trinidad for many years, from sightings when I did not have camera in hand to having camera in hand, ready to go but being on opposite sides of a large tree trunk.

Guyana 150

Guyana Trinidad Bats Falcons 150

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2022

What struck me immediately upon arrival was the sheer number of ducks. I didn’t have a target species for our visit that morning, but ended up photographing the grebes more than any of the other species on show because they were always doing something interesting. The complete list can be found here.

Ducks 231

Ducks Groups Experience Experiments 231

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

The beats are famed for their inclusion on the nice side of the ledger and this month 9 of them shared 163 lists from 7 countries (Australia, Costa Rica, USA, UK, Serbia, China and Trinidad and Tobago) and accounted for 735 bird species. Mike doubled up with “smushed”, a new addition to the adjective list.

Sparrows 202

Sparrows Woodpeckers Ducks Parrots 202

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2021

The year list ends on a provisional (some beats will be birding ’til the final whistle to try and salvage a ravaged year) 1803 species from 1602 checklists submitted by 12 beats from 16 countries. Imagine that, 13 lists per year where once there were only 12.

2020 236

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Ducks 236

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2019

April was a busy time for the beats with 10 of them contributing 164 lists to accumulate 744 species from 7 countries; Costa Rica, USA, Australia, Serbia, UK, Brazil and Barbados. Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni. Pacific Black Duck – Anas superciliosa. Pink-eared Duck – Malacorhynchus membranaceus.

2019 113

2019 Australia Ghana Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2019

978 species were tallied this month from 163 checklists. Only 123 species appear on both sides of the life list. Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni. White-faced Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna viduata. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. Wood Duck – Aix sponsa.

2019 113

2019 Ghana Australia Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

In reverse order, the medals were awarded for “most species seen in a country”, to Australia with 420, USA got the silver, scoring 556 while the runaway winner was Costa Rica with 646 species. Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni. White-faced Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna viduata. 05 Jan 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

During October, 7 countries (Costa Rica, Australia, USA, India, Hong Kong, UK, Serbia) were birded by 11 beats who shared 135 checklists and noted 697 species. Trinidad Lake SP–Watchable Wildlife Trail. Yellow-billed Duck – Anas undulata. Red-billed Duck – Anas erythrorhyncha. Alphabetic Taxonomic.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2018

8 beats shared 126 checklists accounting for 704 species. Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni. White-faced Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna viduata. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna autumnalis. Fulvous Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna bicolor. Muscovy Duck – Cairina moschata.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

They noted 598 species as a team, bringing the year total to 2118 and pushing the life list to 3555. Trinidad Lake Watchable Wildlike Trail and Hides, Colorado. Yellow-billed Duck – Anas undulata. Red-billed Duck – Anas erythrorhyncha. Knob-billed Duck – Sarkidiornis melanotos. 28 Sep 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2012

Felonious Jive really likes a ravishing returning rarity – a Falcated Duck. Falcated Duck by Felonious Jive Duncan Wright had some pretty good birds to choose from for his Best Bird of the Year. This bird represented only the second documented record of this species in Florida. Sound good?

2012 159

2012 Birds Guatemala Florida 159

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2016

All birds are equal on this list; parking lot birds or pelagic species, breeders or fly-overs, all will be accorded the same status and each shall be worth 1 credit on the list. Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni. White-faced Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna viduata. Comb Duck – Sarkidiornis melanotos.

2016 154

2016 Sanctuary Australia Ghana 154

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

All birds are equal on this list; parking lot birds or pelagic species, breeders or fly-overs, all will be accorded the same status and each shall be worth 1 credit on the list. Plumed Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna eytoni. White-faced Whistling-Duck – Dendrocygna viduata. Comb Duck – Sarkidiornis melanotos.

2016 102

2016 Sanctuary Australia Ghana 102