10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2018

Imperial and Booted are the rarest eagles in the country, the first with only one heavily guarded pair left. Black Woodpeckers are still relatively easy to hear and see. Usually about 40K geese overwinter in Serbia, but the last cold spell, when the Danube was mostly frozen solid, pushed twice as many to Serbia.

Serbia 164

Serbia Geese Owls Macedonia 164

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2018

As the Red-Shouldered Hawk seen above screamed overhead, Acorn Woodpeckers not only treated themselves to the woodpecker feeder, they had to attack the sunflower feeders as well. As an adult Bald Eagle and a first of the season flock of Tree Swallows flew overhead, several birds were cleaning up underneath the feeders.

2018 100

2018 Bald Eagle Woodpeckers Turkey 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Marsh and Long-tailed Tit joined the list, quickly followed by Nuthatch (heard but not seen), Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay. I noted from the log that I should have been there on Christmas Day, when a White-tailed Eagle had been seen. Treecreeper would have been a bonus, but none were to be seen.

Birds 226

Birds Albatross Barn Owls Sparrows 226

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2015

A quick check of the Collins 2 (I think American birders know this book as the “Birds of Europe”, but here, some branding mastermind has interconnected the company’s name and the book title) revealed that we are facing two Siberian Greylag Geese (race rubrirostris ). Picture 2: Lesser Spotted Eagle – Clanga pomarina.

Greece 252

Greece Woodpeckers Eagles Birds 252

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

I did manage to get a few Surf Scoters, my first Bald Eagle of the year, Pelagic Cormorants , and an unlikely pair of Western Grebes out in the middle of that rough water. I have gotten to the point where there were very few waterfowl that I need for my years’ list, but I was able to add Canvasbacks , and Cackling Geese. Finley NWR.

Oregon 100

Oregon Geese Woodpeckers Seattle 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Near the sand dunes, the first “V” made out of a hundred or so Greater White-fronted Geese , They spend the night on the water and in the morning they spread over arable fields to forage; but most of them do so at the crack of dawn and these 100 must have overslept.

Killing 240

Killing Mali Geese Serbia 240

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

The best birds so far were two rare geese, Lesser White-fronted and Red-breasted Goose (both my second observations ever), plus Bewick’s Swan and Red-crested Pochard – all in Greece. Greater Spotted Eagle – Clanga clanga. White-tailed Eagle – Haliaeetus albicilla. Black Woodpecker – Dryocopus martius.

Owls 107

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 107

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

This cold weather and snow does not seem to have much effect on the huge number of ducks and geese, but the smaller song birds, all seem to wake up much later in the days, and only after it has warmed up a bit. I am still looking for that elusive Hairy Woodpecker, but I did get to add a Red-breasted Sapsucker to the list.

Fox 134

Fox Washington Geese Sparrows 134

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2013

We also passed Golden and Bald Eagles , a few hardy Red-tailed Hawks , and what we thought was probably a Peregrine Falcon although (or because) it zipped by fast. A cruise by the shore revealed some Canada Geese , Common Goldeneye , and Bufflehead. Then a Raven passed us, sparking appreciative discussion of the wonders of corvids.

Bald Eagle 154

Bald Eagle Montana Owls Eagles 154

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

The Lesser White-fronted Goose is not only rare in Serbia, but also overlooked among numerous Greater White-fronted Geese. Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga. The Greater Spotted Eagle mostly breeds from Ukraine eastward and in Serbia is only a rare but regular wintering species (several birds are recorded every winter).

Serbia 203

Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria 203

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

According to eBird, the chronology of my life list includes White-Headed Woodpecker at No. Lifers includes Gambel’s Quail and Neotropic Cormorant, but the real highlights were the morning fly-out of Sandhill Cranes and the evening fly-in of Snow Geese. Thus, my “good birds” are likely the opposite of an eastern birder.

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Portland United States Puerto Rico 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2018

Scanning the bay side as Laughing Gulls streamed west by the hundreds netted us three Black Skimmers , our only sighting for the day, and Canada Geese , Brant , and Double-crested Cormorants were picked up in flocks. Sure enough, it was just to our north harrying a…wait, that’s a Bald Eagle ! Species number 81!

2018 210

2018 Bald Eagle Battery Birds 210

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Swan : “any of various large heavy-bodied long-necked mostly pure white aquatic birds (family Anatidae, especially genus Cygnus ) that have webbed feet and are related to but larger than the geese.”. Many individual species get an entry too, though they are generally not capitalized. Some entries include etymology (word history) information.

Albatross 106

Albatross Bears Ducks Bald Eagle 106

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2014

About an hour before sunset we visit the “Parc Ornithologique Pont de Gau” to enjoy the flamingos and search for the park’s two specieals, Moustached Warbler and Greater Spotted Eagle, successfully! Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga : Parc Ornithologique Pont de Gau, Provence, France, 2 Jan.

2014 145

2014 France Germany Indonesia 145

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

One of the neognath branches is called Galloanserae and consists today of the the Galliformes or landfowl (megapodes, guans, guineafowl, patridges, pheasants, grouse, turkeys, quail, and relatives) and the specialized aquatic Anseriformes or waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans, and related waterfowl, along with the weird South American screamers).

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

The Snow Geese at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge will soon be winging their way north, so he spent some quality time with them, his best birds of the weekend. Blue Tailed BeeEater, White Bellied Sea Eagle, White Rumped Shama were other ones I particularly enjoyed. Enjoy the details and proof here. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2011 133

2011 Deer Birds Owls 133

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Here’s a tidbit from the NRA’s Hunters’ Rights website: “Sandhill cranes are hunted much like geese, with decoys set in fields and hunters stationed in blinds. AND you can use lead shot, which will impact any scavenger like a bald eagle that happens to feed on the carcass you leave. Isn’t that neat?

2011 254

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 254