10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2016

New Year’s resolutions from birding friends are starting to trickle in as I write this review. It is the last day of 2015, time to select the bird of the year past and set goals for the bright open future, when everything is new again. Big years, little-big years, surpassing your state list, trouncing your best friend’s state list, inching up on the eBird top 100 (well, no one says that, but you know people are thinking it).

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Birds Groups 2015 North America 190

4 The Love Of Animals

JANUARY 30, 2016

This post is sponsored by Purina. As always, 4 the Love of Animals only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. It’s a new year and while we often make resolutions for ourselves, why not include your furry … Continue reading → The post Make a Pet Pledge for 2016 appeared first on 4 The Love of Animals.

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2016 Pets Animal Cats 116

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 25, 2016

Philosophy differs from many intellectual disciplines in that it is fundamentally a normative discipline. Unlike those disciplines whose primary aim is to describe various phenomena, philosophy aims to evaluate our views, attitudes, and behavior. At the societal level, philosophy seeks to identify and critically evaluate the cultural assumptions and dogmas of the day, exposing indefensible assumptions as mere prejudice.

Abandon 40

Abandon Abandoning Abandonment New York 40

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2016

I like 8x30s. I started with one such pair, until I capsized my kayak and had to swim to the riverbank with bins around my neck. A few days later, when I complained about algae growth, the repair serviceman told me that it would be cheaper to get a new pair, than to polish the prisms. Instead of buying a new pair, I started to use the one I already had but never used: 12×40.

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Birds Serbia Eagles Fish 188

Speaker: Steve Romanco

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

“Below the 40th latitude there is no law; below the 50th no god; below the 60th no common sense and below the 70th no intelligence whatsoever.” (“Antarctica” by Kim Stanley Robinson, 1998). 175 years ago, on 9 January 1841, the Erebus and Terror expedition with James Clark Ross was the first that ever burst into the Ross Sea, a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica.

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Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 176

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2016

This blog was written by Arden Zich, volunteer with Fox Valley Wildlife Center in Elburn, IL: Congratulating myself for leaving the house on time, I got into my car and drove off to meet up with a friend for lunch. Not one minute later, I noticed a small feathery mass sitting in the middle of my lane. Giving the bird a wide berth I veered towards the other side of the road, assuming she would fly off.

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Fox Medical Wildlife 160

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2016

Back in 2012 when I made my first foray to the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival I put up back -to- back posts featuring up-close-and-personal shots of some of the cooperative birds I encountered. Considering that I am still recovering from driving back to New York from Florida after the blizzard that crushed the northeastern United States wreaked havoc with air travel, I thought that I would put up a similar post now, mostly because I don’t have to think as much to put up pictures

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New York United States Birds Wildlife 111

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2016

The hardest part of reviewing this jacket, much like the hardest part of birding itself, was reckoning with the perversity of Mother Nature. Though I got this lovely item a month ago, it’s taken this long to find some temperatures that would let me even come close to fairly assessing a jacket that claims a 20 degree Fahrenheit/ -7 degree Celsius comfort rating.

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Unwanted Dogs Experience Experiments 111

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2016

I’m back! And what a bird I have for you today. The Azure-winged Magpie is a pretty member of the crow family found in Eastern Asia, from Siberia and Japan down to Hong Kong. It was in Hong Kong that I caught up with the species, as it is easy to find in the splendid wetlands of Mai Po. Unlike other magpies I’ve seen, this one lives in family groups, and like other corvids, are conversational and fun to watch.

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Spain Portugal Asia Japan 104

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2016

Are you headed to Costa Rica this year? I hope so because the birding and biodiversity are fantastic, and the flight time from most places in the USA is less than six hours. In other words, it’s easier to bird than most might think. Without further ado, here is some insider information for the trip: The Colibri Cafe : Pay the high entrance fee to the Waterfall Gardens if you wish, but don’t overlook the Cafe Colibri.

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Costa Rica 2016 San Jose Birds 104

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 31, 2016

Although I usually write about the birds that we observe we are always encountering other creatures along our coastline around Broome and it has been almost five years since I introduced you to some of our local Sea Snakes. The problem with Sea Snake identification is you are supposed to count scales and check other identifying features, which we often don’t do too thoroughly!

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Collecting Raised Birds Reptiles 103

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2016

Stuck inside with the blizzard? Tired of watching the National Zoo’s panda ? We’ve got your birding fix right here. Male Blue Manakins dancing for the love of a female —as entrancing as the falling snow. Make a big steaming mug of cocoa and get your finger set on “replay”! (Image via Wikimedia Commons).

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Pandas Rights Birds 103

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2016

The first weekend of a New Year feels like Christmas all over again for birders all around the world eager to begin new year lists. Even the first bird of a new year feels fun. What was yours? I’ll be racking up fresh 2016 species on the road from NYC to Rochester. Corey is coming back to NYC to make that Queens list pop. How about you? Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding?

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2016 Birds Species 103

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2016

Happy New Year! Did you realize that your Best Bird of the Weekend is, at least for now, your best bird of the whole year? Don’t worry… you have 51 more weeks to improve on your current best. Corey had a host of birds to choose from as his Best Bird of the Weekend as he spent Friday morning birding at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Orange County, California.

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2016 Sanctuary Birds California 102

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 31, 2016

The year 2016 has just surrendered its first month to the abyss of time, leaving lingering memories of January warmth in its wake. Thus, your birding year is one-twelfth over; happy with your year list so far? I’m happier now that I’ve added Short-eared Owl , never an easy sighting for me. As you can see from the feature pic, my lousy owl luck precluded me from getting too close to one of these crepuscular hunters.

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2016 Hunters Owls Birds 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2016

It looks like Whooping Cranes will have to find another way to fly. The U.S. federal government’s Operation Migration program, which has used ultralight aircraft to teach migration routes to the endangered cranes, has flown its last group of Whoopers from Wisconsin to Florida. Over 15 years, the program sought to boost the cranes’ numbers and enable them to someday flourish without intervention.

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Wisconsin Texas Florida Canada 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2016

Alas, now that the Arizona Cardinals have fallen to the Carolina Panthers, we face the prospect of a Super Bowl without bird-themed football teams. So, do you prefer rambunctious horses or big cats better? I got a good dose of seaducks this weekend up at the mouth of Irondequoit Bay; the most interesting species amidst the mixed flocks was a lone Bufflehead hobnobbing with Common Goldeneyes.

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2016 ALA Arizona Horses 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2016

Another year, another list. That’s January for birding. 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. On the other side of the weather coin, now that I live in Costa Rica, the first month of the year also means warm sunny days punctuated by windy weather, and migrants like Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Orioles sharing green space with Blue-gray Tanagers

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica 2016 San Antonio Sparrows 101

Speaker: Gabriel Wagner Presenter

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2016

On New Year’s Day 2016, our last day in California before heading back to New York, I was pleased for the chance to get out for a few hours in the morning to jump start the year list. The best place I could come up with that was within a short drive of my in-laws’ place in Yorba Linda was the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in nearby Irvine, only a quick twenty-minute drive away.

Sanctuary 101

Sanctuary Wildlife California Ducks 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2016

According to most sources the time to visit Zion National Park is in spring. Summer is too hot, the birds are quiet in fall, and winter is too cold. That said, there is really no bad time to visit a national treasure like Zion National Park. The red rocks against the clear blue sky are simply sublime. I loved the time we spent at Zion and only wish that we had more of it!

Birds 101

Birds Mules Utah Deer 101

4 The Love Of Animals

JANUARY 29, 2016

It may seem strange to find a post about fatherhood on a blog about animals, but dads are important, no matter what species! To be a genuinely good dad, the first step is to spend time with your kids. While … Continue reading → The post Take time to be a dad today! appeared first on 4 The Love of Animals.

Animal 100

Animal Species 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2016

Now that the U.S. federal government has nearly secured all of its National Wildlife Refuges from the hands of armed militants, we can all get back to celebrating our Constitutional right to go birding. This is, in fact, a universal right, so everyone should chase some birds this weekend for freedom! I’m working most of the weekend, which will keep me from going after some of the winter specialties I still crave.

2016 100

2016 Birds Wildlife Rights 100

Speaker: Steve Romanco

4 The Love Of Animals

JANUARY 27, 2016

I’m excited to share this great shop with you today. The store is called Open Eyes Open Hearts, and they are supporting the ASPCA with each sale of their fun, animal themed jewelry! Half of every sale from the animal … Continue reading → The post Open Eyes Open Heart – Jewelry that Matters! appeared first on 4 The Love of Animals.

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ASPCA Animal Pets 122

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2016

My first ever story for 10,000 Birds was about the wonderful city reserve of Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, here in Wellington, a city that has been my home for 9 years this week. To celebrate this I thought I’d talk about an urban reserve on the other side of the world, because my introductions are nothing if not tenuous. Actually, there are connections, like Karori (or Zealandia as we must now call it) this reserve is a reclamation of a defunct reservoir to be repurposed as a popular nature

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Geese New Zealand Germany Ducks 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2016

I have journeyed far and wide to bird, awestruck in national parks, windswept on top of mountains, mosquito-bitten in mangrove swamps, and more. But sometimes, like this month, I haven’t been able to get anywhere with the express intent of birding and birding alone. As a result, I have turned to a local pond I pass every day on the way to work.

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Birds Florida Raised Species 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2016

Wild weather comes at us from all angles these days, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. And yet birds abound, with both the anticipated treasures and unexpected delights. No matter what the forecast says, this weekend will be great for birding! I’ll be well poised to intercept more winter birds in suddenly wintry western New York. Corey is enjoying more tropical avifauna with hundreds of other birders at Space Coast; if you’re at the festival, buy him a beer!

2016 100

2016 New York Birds 100

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4 The Love Of Animals

JANUARY 18, 2016

Valentine’s day is coming soon, and what better way to show your furry Valentine how much you care than to spoil them with a shopping spree at PetSmart! We have a $25 gift card to giveaway to one lucky reader … Continue reading → The post #PawsInLove giveaway and blog hop appeared first on 4 The Love of Animals.

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Animal 126

4 The Love Of Animals

JANUARY 18, 2016

You know, sometimes your cat does something so irresistible you just want to give him an award. With awards season upon us, Meow Mix thought there’s no reason why the human actors should get all the glory when there are … Continue reading → The post WILD CAT CARD appeared first on 4 The Love of Animals.

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Cats Humane Animal 100

4 The Love Of Animals

JANUARY 18, 2016

Move over, Peyton Meowning, Fur-ena Williams, and Tiger Woods – there’s a new kind of athlete in town, one that can run 30 miles per hour, jump up to seven times their own height, and chase a red laser dot … Continue reading → The post BEST CAT-HLETE appeared first on 4 The Love of Animals.

Cats 100

Cats Fur Tigers Animal 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2016

For some of us, the weekend still rolls on. But come Monday morning, we need to consider the spoils of a well-spent weekend. Birds count. I was very happy to see Black Vultures circling in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, since vultures don’t hang around western New York during the winter months. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend were the dozens of Common Loons he saw off shore of Breezy Point in Queens.

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Pennsylvania 2015 New York Birds 100

Speaker: cha cha dwyer

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