10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Today, I am writing about another very birdy place and an event that I was very fortunate to have experienced, the Champions of the Flyway Bird Race in Eilat, Israel. Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most.

Costa Rica 187

Costa Rica Eagles Birds 187

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2016

I have been back from Eilat, Israel for more than a week but still find myself dreaming about birding in the desert. Hit the coast these days and you will see that river of birds but there won’t be as many species as Eilat, nor as many chances at vagrants, and especially, not as many raptor species.

Costa Rica 105

Costa Rica Birds Jordan 105

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

There are three species of crow-like cotingas with odd hairdos known as umbrellabirds, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird is the one that lives in Costa Rica. Ruffs from Israel, the one in Costa Rica kind of looked like the top bird. Three days, three hawk-eagles. These are some of mine: The umbrellabird. Bird counts.

Costa Rica 220

Costa Rica 2019 San Jose Eagles 220

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

And so South Africa’s fifth largest park came to be (it’s worth remembering that its largest park, Kruger, is the size of Israel) on marginal land that no one in particular could do much with. And lo, it was good. I stumbled on Madikwe completely by accident. Springbok were one of my targets, and I got them! Or Cheetahs.

South Africa 172

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

No matter how many times I see certain species, I’m happy to see them again when the seasons shift. One of those places is the Hula Valley in northern Israel, home to the large Lake Hula which was drained in the 1950s to make way for more agricultural opportunities and prevent malaria. I am a migration junky.

Hoarding 198

Hoarding Nebraska Minnesota 198

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2017

Last year beats were being spotted way beyond their usual habitat with checklists shared from India, Puerto Rico and Israel. 146 shared checklists (an increase on last year’s 97, well done chaps) noted 664 species (ooooh, down on 826 from last February) and brought the yearly total to 1063 (1303 at this time in 2016, ouch!).

2017 100

2017 Australia Sanctuary Woodpeckers 100