10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

During a two-year long moratorium on hunting in T&T, I had some of the most incredible birding experiences. The higher elevation also attracts more rainfall, broad-leafed trees shed their dying leaves onto the floor to make a playground for species like White-necked Thrush, Grey-throated Leaftosser and Black-faced Antthrush.

Trinidad 263

Trinidad Hunting Venezuela Woodpeckers 263

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

The first stop of the morning: young White–tailed Eagle , right next to the road and several dozen Rooks around. I observed this species in the Little Rann of Kutch in India and since then, have been burning with desire to see them back home. Long-eared Owls are irresistibly cute. They are now moving from one tree to another.

Serbia 243

Serbia Owls Rodents Eagles 243

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2018

Birdwise, it turned out to be a good one and my year list was almost 400 species long, which made me happy… almost. Lesser White-fronted Goose and Greater Spotted Eagle came to mind, but what else? I counted them very roughly, but I do have a lot of experience estimating flocks. The solution? The Kerkini Lake.

Greece 185

Greece 2017 Pelicans Geese 185

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

How much do you know about owls? I’ve been fortunate to encounter many owls in my birding life, sometimes because I’m looking for them, sometimes happily by happenstance. I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences. This isn’t a rhetorical question, think about it. I don’t think so.

Owls 221

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 221

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

His obsession with all things feathered has led him to visit 20 countries around the world in the pursuit of thousands of different species of birds to watch, photograph, and enjoy. On Hokkaido there are three primary species that people go to see in the winter – the Big Three as I think of them.

Japan 182

Japan Massachusetts Birds Eagles 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

we learn) that are home to coveted boreal species, breeding wood-warblers, and two species of Grouse. 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. (

Los Angeles 206

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 206

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2019

It would be uber cool to lay eyes on a rare lifer, on species that only seem to live on the pages of a field guide but isn’t that somewhat discriminatory? And why spend time only looking for one or two species when those hours could be used to put binos focused on a few dozen? This is what a Black Hawk-Eagle shape looks like.

Costa Rica 203

Costa Rica Panama Birds Eagles 203

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2018

Northern Emerald Toucanets in Costa Rica are sometimes considered a separate species known as the Blue-throated Toucanet. Yellow-thighed Finch , one of several common species in the forests of Coronado. . These would be birds like the aforementioned quetzal, Black and white Becard , various Furnarids, and Ornate Hawk-Eagle.

Costa Rica 141

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Eagles 141

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2015

The count totaled 119 species, which is historically a very good number. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed.

Bald Eagle 101

Bald Eagle 2015 Nashville Pelicans 101

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Paging through a fieldguide, it’s always with a sense of dismay and sadness that I come across reference to an extinct species. Islands, for various reasons, experience more extinctions than continents (with Africa being the only continent not suffering a bird extinction!). The mythical Red Owl on a day roost at Lake Bemanevika.

Madagascar 244

Madagascar Lemurs 2006 Owls 244

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2012

Choosing among the hawks, eagles, and owls at the raptor residence (alas no rehab for these irreparably injured birds of prey) and the active late winter species in the park seemed impossible, until an impressive Pileated Woodpecker put on a powerful display of excavatory activity. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2012 166

2012 ALA Woodpeckers Birds 166

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

If you can drag yourself away from the feeder, walk the trail and you might get lucky with Uniform Crake while looking at Rufous-tailed Jacamars , wrens, Olivaceous Piculet , wintering wood warblers, Barred Antshrike and various other species. Bird from the road itself and you can easily total more than a 100 species for the day.

Costa Rica 127

Costa Rica Owls Eagles Birds 127

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

We had dipped hard on a long-staying (but not always reliable) Ash-throated Flycatcher at Pettigrew State Park, but while searching for the bird one of the tour participants found a roosting Great Horned Owl , a really nice way to close out the day. The owl had put me at 195 and I felt pretty confident I would get there.

North Carolina 173

North Carolina Owls Geese Alligators 173

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2016

I was waiting at the entrance gate for everyone in our group to gather, when I remembered that someone had told me about nesting owls at the Taj. Luckily, I didn’t have to look hard to find the Dusky Eagle-Owl’s nest. The species is crepuscular and nocturnal, but can sometimes be seen during the day.

India 189

India Tigers Birds Owls 189

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? I also blogged about that dreamy day.

2014 194

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 194

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2011

Tara Tanaka described the experience of digiscoping this spoonbill as such: Tara Tanaka : Merritt Island NWR was the last stop on a 10-day Florida birding trip last winter. Yueh Yun Lin’s flying White-tailed Sea Eagle is a wonderful image, but the raptor enthusiast in me sees much more than great exposure and composition.

2011 237

2011 Eagles Bald Eagle Owls 237

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

As I explained to my nephews when they were younger, “The Burrowing Owls don’t think we’re their friends. People on one side of the rope, owls on the other.” Substitute Snowy Owl here if you’d like the modern version). The beautiful Bee-eater family, with its 26 species, is covered in a little less than two pages.

Birds 221

Birds Egypt Family Eagles 221

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2014

And who knows what else you can see at Viera – I’ve been lucky enough to see a Gray Kingbird there as well as a Bald Eagle catching and eating a Blue-winged Teal ! This Bald Eagle was a sight worth seeing! Sign up if you want the chance to see an enigmatic and charismatic species. What are you waiting for?

Wildlife 157

Wildlife 2015 Bald Eagle New York City 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

So, for example, Essay #15, “Individual Variation,” uses Herring Gulls to introduce the concept that one species, even one species at a specific age, can vary widely in appearance. The Checklist is more than a taxonomic listing of species and chapter number and title; it also contains useful notes on each bird family.

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2018

Now, dont get me wrong, there have been some nice birds, and locations in between, but these two experiences are just so hard to put out of my mind. While there were way less Puffins than any of the other species, they are still so much fun to see. The show stopper was his Eagle-owl. Total Scotland Species – 105.

Puffins 100

Puffins Wildlife Reserve 2003 Farming 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

149 checklists were submitted, accounting for 465 species. These are included as part of the summary and are maintained in the list, despite objections by some purists, to give the full, rich experience as enjoyed by your lucky, lucky beats. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).

2020 153

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 153

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2017

They want an authentic nature experience, but a relatable authentic nature experience. It makes people feel like they have to choose sides, and who wants to choose sides between the noble bald eagle and the majestic great horned owl or whatever? There’s only so much I can do. It’s just for the summer.

Bald Eagle 100

Bald Eagle Belize Iowa Eggs 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2012

Due to the large number of specialty and range-restricted species it is a must-visit destination for any South African birder who wants to surpass the 800-mark of a Southern African life-list. I can speak from experience that this place should only be accessed by a 4 x 4 vehicle. Just be prepared for well…almost anything.

Zimbabwe 200

Zimbabwe Buffalo Mozambique Birds 200

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Betty’s Bay was also a great place to see all of South Africa’s cormorant species, including the endangered Bank Cormorant. We observed far fewer Lesser Flamingos, a near-threatened species. It was the first of six bustard species I would see over the course of both trips. And then there were the Flamingos.

South Africa 254

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 254

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2016

Both are declining species who have attracted the attention of birders and conservationists, and both are hanging on, showing the remarkable spirit that I think characterizes New Yorkers throughout the state. Not only did it fly in but it attacked a Bald Eagle! Within 15 minutes the Gyrfalcon flew in. Or a sequel.) It was a lot of fun.

New York 100

New York Bald Eagle Birds New York City 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2013

However, the great birding experience that is Sani starts lower down. Both species of southern African otters are also regularly encountered ( Cape Clawless and Spot-necked.). The final southern African stronghold of this species is the high Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho. Photo by Adam Riley. Image by Adam Riley.

Lesotho 175

Lesotho Africa Birds Rats 175

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2014

I’ve even paid a few calls to Massachusetts in the dead of winter for finches and owls. The Anchorage area hosts a number of far norther species I could never hope to see in North Carolina, and I quickly pulled together a list of targets and my friends made a plan. What an incredible experience.

Alaska 167

Alaska Bears Grizzly Bear North Carolina 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

It is my best bird because it is just such an incredible species, and looking at it made me realize that I had temporarily stopped to fully appreciate birds during the stressful last few years. This year I watched them from the day they arrived , until two chicks successfully hatched, the northernmost breeding record for the species.

2011 189

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 189

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2013

Redgannet was originally conceived as a way to encourage my colleagues (in case you haven’t read the profile, I work as a flight attendant for an international airline) out of the shops and their hotel rooms to experience something that the local natural scene has to offer. Spotted Wood-owl. My favourite site in Singapore is Paser Ris.

Singapore 161

Singapore Woodpeckers Parrots Zebras 161

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2020

A single morning birding the thorny desert of Baringo in Kenya’s Rift Valley yielded several species at a rate I at times struggled to keep up with. Lake Baringo and the surrounding desert scrub at just over 3,000 feet elevation is one of the most profitable birding hotspots in the country, boasting approximately 470 species.

Kenya 238

Kenya Owls Hunters Ostriches 238

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Raptors to look for in this reserve are Golden Eagle and Short-toed Snake Eagle , European Honey-buzzard and Peregrine Falcon. The commonest owls are Eurasian Scops Owl and Tawny Owl , while rare ones include Ural Owl and Eurasian Eagle Owl. About 120 species have been recorded so far.

Serbia 263

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 263

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2016

Coming from Niagara Falls, New York, it also means freezing, bitter cold, watching for imaginary Polar Bears while pretending to walk through an Arctic landscape, and looking for owls. This year, visiting Niagara Falls until January 6th gave me the chance to experience a bit of both latitudes. So was this Snowy Owl.

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica 2016 San Antonio Sparrows 101

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2016

Over 3,200 photographs have been used, most showing species in their habitats. There is also text, distribution maps, a dark red bar “warning” about similar looking rare species, and conservation symbols. So, how do you find the species account for Kestrel if falcons are not placed between woodpeckers and parakeet?

Ireland 148

Ireland Birds Groups Falcons 148

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

There wasn’t much around, and aside from a lifer Yellow-bellied Bulbul the two most impressive species were heard not seen – a Blue-headed Pitta an a Banded Kingfisher. Two highlights of the walk back were a bright green Greater Green Leafbird and a Lesser Fish Eagle following the road above our heads. Did I mention them?

Lemurs 159

Lemurs Family Rhinoceros Fish 159

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2024

I was high and happy, not from “420” drugs but from the altitude and the anticipation of seeing woodpeckers and owls I had never seen before. We admired the Bison in the frozen fields and saw a juvenile Golden Eagle which was both beautiful and a lifer for my hosts. We were happy enough for we were getting reasonable views.

Denver 173

Denver Colorado Ducks Mules 173

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2023

My book of choice for this time of year is Jerry Liguori’s Hawks At A Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors, a brilliant tutorial on how to recognize raptors by shape and flight style, distilling years of experience and expertise into 216 pages. The number of plates per species varies, which makes a lot of sense.

2011 100

2011 North America 2005 Eagles 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

My own trip was not an intensive birding experience, and August is clearly not the most productive month. I chalked up 132 species in a pretty relaxed eight days, during which birds shared the agenda with culture. With 154 eBirded species, the Beljarica shares the 4th place on the list. eBird bar chart. #4 eBird bar chart. #4

Serbia 165

Serbia Birds Farming Bulgaria 165