10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2016

It’s a bio-energetic, organic farm. It’s not a huge block of forest but it’s large enough to still host several deep forest species and provide valuable habitat for many migrants. Since this is an organic farm, the growing areas also provide lots of habitat for migrants and many local species, and are thus very birdy.

Costa Rica 235

Costa Rica 2016 Eagles Belize 235

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2019

a British expat birder who was living in Belgrade, for a suggestion: “The top species is undoubtedly White-tailed Eagle. commented further: “With a little work some species can be seen quite easily such as the divers, scaup, scoter, Goosander , Garganey and Long-eared Owl. Hence, I asked my friend B.C.,

Serbia 247

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Breeding 247

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Checking my annual list, I am where I usually am at this time of year: several species short of 200. Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle. Now, one species, that I should find. The Slavonian Grebe is also a lifer for me. The search is on.

Moldova 118

Moldova Birds Serbia Greece 118

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 201

Costa Rica Panama Birds Eagles 201

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2020

Usually, maize is on the menu, only occasionally carrion or dead trout from a nearby fish farm. There are more than 1100 plant species, the most valuable being the 76 endemics. Other species include Roe Deer (also spotted), Wildcat , European Pine Marten and Otter.

Serbia 263

Serbia Bears Birds Mammals 263

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. Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is.

Serbia 171

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 171

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2018

Serbia has 317 eBirded species so far, or 89% of the 356 in the national checklist. The country has one eBird hotspot with 200+ and 48 with more than 100 bird species. The country has one eBird hotspot with 200+ and 48 with more than 100 bird species. Spring migration March to April , 270 eBirded species.

Serbia 145

Serbia Geese Owls Macedonia 145

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

Like my two previous visits I spent one day that I didn’t have to lead any field trips doing a run through central Florida looking for some of the specialty species of the region. On my previous trips I was successful on each and every species except for the crane. The first farm on the left, where all the cattle are? .”

Cattle 191

Cattle Florida Bald Eagle Endangered Species 191

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2015

Casualties surrounding migration were limited to natural events such as weather – not wind generators, poisoned food and water from industry, farm run-off, or loss of traditional stopover areas due to habitat destruction. In a recent case involving my own facility, an immature bald eagle was hit by a car.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 189

Wildlife Rehabilitation Bald Eagle Rescue Wildlife 189

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2018

While there were way less Puffins than any of the other species, they are still so much fun to see. Red Kites were considerted a Threatened Species starting in the early ‘80s, and a nation wide program was started to re-introduce them around the UK. The Bellymac Farm turned out to be the location that the birds choose to gather in.

Puffins 100

Puffins Wildlife Reserve 2003 Farming 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2017

Along that stretch, we enjoyed Fork-tailed Flycatchers and other species in the open fields and marshes including Harriss’s Hawk , the local Nicaraguan Seed-Finch , and, best of all, a pair of normally sneaky and secretive Yellow-breasted Crakes walking in the open through a grassy marsh! They weren’t joking.

Costa Rica 117

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Farming 117

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2020

Among 60 or so heron species in the world this is the only one using this peculiar fishing technique. To complete the scene the African Fish Eagle ( Haliaeetus vocifer ) was circling above us, yelping a triumphant high-pitched ‘Kyowkow- kow!’. ‘By The lady living on a farm by the Gaborone Dam said ‘I saw a croc taking an egret.’.

Botswana 181

Botswana Africa 2001 Fish 181

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

Traditional farming landscape of small holdings, hedges and groves draped in snow… I actually hate snow, but on days like this, cannot resist it. And I didn’t pay enough attention because one very dark eagle flew by at the same time, an adult Greater Spotted Eagle. And this one chose to fly right in front of us.

Geese 139

Geese Serbia Birds Estonia 139

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2014

The Veliko Ratno Island birdlist is about 170 species long, of which more than 90 were observed from the Dorcol Promenade. Highlight species: Ferruginous Duck , Goosander , Red-breasted Merganser , Red-crested Pochard , Greater Scaup , Velvet Scoter , Black-throated Diver. In March and November, Common Cranes are a possibility.

Serbia 226

Serbia Birds Ducks Eagles 226

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2014

In winter, try to bird the “Golubac Sea” (scope necessary), where good species include Smew , Velvet Scoter and Common Eider ; while the cliffs and quarries near the mediaeval Golubac Fortress offer the elusive Wallcreeper (which still eludes me, although I’ve tried this area last winter). The Woodchat Shrike, Boljetin, June 2014.

Serbia 182

Serbia Turtles Birds Eagles 182

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

And so, these goats ate the flora of the island: unique species of Indian paintbrush and woodland star, bushmallow and wirelettuce and morning glory. Also, they were infested by a species of ear mite unknown to science. And so, the goats grew small and nimble, shy and drought-tolerant, through natural selection.

Goats 159

Goats Bald Eagle Fox Feral 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2020

At mid-life crisis, the mother, Lili, decides to leave her husband (Gabe’s father) and return to take up farming on her family estancia in eastern Uruguay, far from the delights of Montevideo where most of her rambunctious, rollicking family resides, overseen, not always approvingly, by Gabe’s quirky abuela. Gabe agrees to come along.

Uruguay 152

Uruguay 2001 Bald Eagle Science 152

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2019

Getting to actually see four species, in the last two weeks, and to hear two more is almost unheard of in my experience. The only owl species that were around when I was a child were the Great Horned Owls, so any other species found since then have been a huge level of special for me.

Owls 144

Owls Arizona Tucson South Africa 144

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2016

Inside the IBA borders I observed some 163 species – about 70 percent of the estimated number of expectable species. On my section of the Danube several species reach their national thresholds, but the most important numbers are those of Pygmy Cormorants. 719 global IBAs are recognised in the US alone).

Protection 116

Protection Eagles Jamaica Farming 116

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.)

New York 100

New York Bald Eagle Birds New York City 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Scanning the water for rarer species… S. The only mammals of the day were feral Nutrias (Coypus), aquatic rodents originally from southern South America released from the bankrupt fur-farms and well established here. warns me of two locally rare Bean Geese. In this light, all beaks are dark! And nope, no LBBGs.

Geese 168

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 168

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

In short, the accepted view used to be that a small breeding population of Egyptian Vultures inhabited Southern Africa, but has vanished facing the spread of towns, roads and farms. During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too. My first ever Balkan Egyptian Vultures!

Sudan 218

Sudan Macedonia Botswana Serbia 218

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2019

All winter long, large mixed flocks of crows stream over my home on their way from their downtown roosts out to feed in the farm fields outside of the city. I generally wait until I have at least a dozen species on my year list before having my first drink of the year. “I’m fly like an eagle and I drink Old Crow.”

Mississippi 116

Mississippi Kentucky New York Tennessee 116

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

I don’t live in the forest either (unfortunately) but near a green patchwork of farm fields, second growth, and a riparian zone flush with trees. We just had to stop on the way, even if briefly, at Cinchona, Cinchona- always an easy place for in your face views of hummingbirds and species that visit the fruit feeders.

Costa Rica 119

Costa Rica Falcons Birds North Carolina 119

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2012

The new edition adds 11 species, birds such as Zone-tailed Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, and California Condor that are only seen in specific areas of North America. As birders in New Jersey recently found out when a Crested Caracara showed up in a farm field in the middle of suburbia, hawks just might show up anywhere!

North America 215

North America Bald Eagle Birds Eagles 215

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

“We let a one-eyed Bald Eagle go after a year of battling state officials in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky. Two years ago we got a call about an eagle hit by a car. When we arrived we looked and there was our one-eyed eagle, eating a raccoon that had been hit. That was 9 years ago.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 214

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ohio Tulsa West Virginia 214

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2024

Europe lost the Buttonquail (but abundant in Africa) but the Griffon, Cinereous Vulture (José Leal’s picture below) and several eagles are making a spectacular comeback. Case in point: the Spanish populists would sacrifice Doñana National Park to provide more water to strawberry farms. Water security isn’t easy.

Spain 211

Spain Ducks Morocco Europe 211

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Fortunately for everyone but the farmers, it was mostly farm fields that were flooded, but roads, buildings, and homes certainly felt the effects of high water as well. Consolation prizes included a flyover Caspian Tern , a horde of Common Yellowthroats , and a Red-shouldered Hawk. More impressive was the agricultural scenery.

New York 156

New York Bald Eagle New Jersey Cattle 156

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 256

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 256

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2021

The very best wetland birding around Belgrade, Serbia, is not to be found in the locally famous and tourist-promoted Obedska or Carska Bara Ramsar areas, but at Beljarica Backwaters and the fish farm triangle of Centa, Baranda and Sakule villages, in the Tamis River floodplain. If there were rains recently, this section of 0.3

Farming 264

Farming Birds Fish Boars 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2012

Even in the tropics there are few birds that excel some of our own in elegance and beauty of plumage and we have an unusually large number of species considering the smallness of the area they inhabit. ” (Woodward brothers, “Natal Birds”, 1899) The mighty Drakensberg Mountains run along the western boundary of KwaZulu-Natal province.

Mozambique 182

Mozambique South Africa Africa Collecting 182

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

They are a commensal species, meaning that they are a wild animal that lives in close association with humans, not as a pet or as a farm animal but more like a parasite, to the extent that it is hard to find them in truely wild settings, and it is hard to find human settlements without them.

Killing 189

Killing South Africa Nebraska Collecting 189

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 218

Kenya Owls Hunters Ostriches 218

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

Sometimes it is too late, as they are deceased and Brahminy Kites and White-bellied Sea-Eagles usually take advantage of the situation. The most common species we see are the Stoke’s Sea Snake Astrotia stokesii , Dubois’ Sea Snake Aipysurus duboisii and the Olive Sea Snake Aipysurus laevis.

Australia 149

Australia 2011 Sharks Deer 149

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2017

I am a birder and I can claim that out of Serbia’s total of 350+ bird species, highly urbanised inner city areas of Belgrade hold almost 100 birds, while the outskirts have more than 200 species. eBird says that, at the time of writing (April 2017), there are some ten hotspots that have crossed the 100 bird species mark.

Birds 200

Birds 2017 Eagles Otters 200

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2021

His hagiography describes an incident in which, as a child, he is said to have been miraculously sheltered from a rainstorm by an eagle hovering over him with outstretched wings. But it’s for the lore concerning the weather on his June 8th feast day that Saint Medardus is best known today, by those who remember him at all.

France 225

France Eagles Shelters Suffering 225

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2022

The one bird I did not see here, however, was the Bateleur Eagle … One highlight in the area is the Saddle-billed Stork , likely to be the tallest species in the stork family. The African Spoonbill is one of the six global spoonbill species, and the main African one (there are also some Eurasian Spoonbills in Africa).

Ostriches 147

Ostriches Parrots Birds Eggs 147