10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

I may have to buy a smartphone : For more than a year, Berres (and his graduate students, of course) have been testing and improving the fruit of that inspiration: WeBIRD, the Wisconsin Electronic Bird Identification Resource Database. Like music-identification apps Shazam and MusicID, WeBIRD allows anyone with a smartphone and a mysterious bird nearby to record the bird’s call, submit it wirelessly to a server and (after a few seconds) receive a positive ID on the species of bird tweeting away

Wisconsin 252

Wisconsin Species Birds 252

Critter News

OCTOBER 31, 2011

This is excellent news. Not only is Toronto closing its elephant exhibit, but the City Council voted to send the remaining elderly elephants to the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary instead of another zoo. Yay!

Elephants 126

Elephants Sanctuary Zoos Animal Welfare 126

4 The Love Of Animals

OCTOBER 29, 2011

We are happy to share this news with you! Sam’s Club Howl’oween Pet Photo Contest is happening now! Clever or creative, creepy or playful, just tweet your photos of your cute critters dressed up in their most spooktacular costumes for a chance to win! Pick your best pet in costume photo, then enter the contest via Twitter. Be sure to include the hashtag #SamsClubPet and mention @SamsClub.

Pets 146

Pets Rights 146

Animal Person

OCTOBER 17, 2011

Saturday was the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of my Charles Hobson Booger, III and it got me thinking about how easy he was to love. Everyone loved him. Okay, not everyone. There was that little Westie whose vulva he bit early on. Yes, vulva. No stitches, no puncture, but still a nasty bruise and some scratches. Charles had a higher prey drive than he appeared to have at first.

Greyhounds 137

Greyhounds Dogs Breeders Adoptable 137

Speaker: Steve Romanco

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Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 26, 2011

I support the goal of legal rights for nonhuman animals, but this approach is wrongheaded. Instead of using the 13th Amendment, the original understanding of which did not include animals, proponents should work for a constitutional amendment, or simply for national legislation. Take it to the people.

Animal Rights 40

Animal Rights Rights Animal Legislation 40

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 17, 2011

The Big Year was alright. It was neither horrible nor outstanding, neither fully factual nor completely made-up, neither completely engaging nor totally alienating. I would give it a solid “B-” as a birder whether I was grading on a curve or not. If you are a birder you should, of course, see the movie. If you are not a birder there is no reason to see it in the theater because despite the fact that the movie is about birding there is very little that is exciting or funny or orig

Colorado 245

Colorado Geese Family Owls 245

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Timothy Barksdale is a birder, Prairie Chicken documentarian , and wildlife videographer well-known for his stunning Adventures with Birdman. He’s got a different view on how bird watchers should respond to The Big Year than the one Corey recently expressed here. We’re pleased to share his thoughtful perspective and plea for your consideration… Dear Friends and Lovers of Birds, On Friday, October 14th, to my knowledge, the first feature film with the subject being Birding ever

West Virginia 228

West Virginia Chickens Missouri United States 228

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2011

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge , AKA Tinicum, is an outstanding urban oasis in southern Philadelphia, less than one mile from Philadelphia’s airport. Being a New Yorker, I had never birded the refuge before. After all, why would I drive over two hours to bird in habitat that is very similar to much closer locations? But when the Focus on Diversity: Changing the Face of American Birding conference was held there last weekend it seemed like a welcome excuse to finally check out this

Wildlife 223

Wildlife Philadelphia Bald Eagle Pennsylvania 223

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

While we at 10,000 Birds wouldn’t advocate taking such an approach , it is not without its merits: Nico Dauphine told a D.C. superior court judge in response to the allegations, “absolutely not, no I did not.” The Ph.D. Smithsonian Institute researcher is accused of trying to poison street cats outside her apartment building on 15th Street in Northwest.

Hunting 221

Hunting Feral Cats Free Range Rats 221

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2011

Last week I was doing a birding tour of the East and West slopes of Ecuador and encountered some warblers that have already made it to Ecuador. It is really amazing how far and how fast they can fly to improve the living conditions that assure their millenarian survival. Here are a couple of pictures of the birds that might have crossed your path and are now crossing my path a few thousand miles away.

Ecuador 215

Ecuador Canada Birds 215

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10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2011

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Capuchinbird, Red Fan Parrot, Guianan Toucanet, White Bellbird, Grey-winged Trumpeters, Black Currasow. Interested yet? Well, you should be. For these stunning birds are not easily found outside of the Guianas which includes Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. On a trip to Suriname to find and film some of these spectacular species I was blown away by the birding.

Suriname 212

Suriname Birds Guyana South America 212

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2011

Every spring the wood-warblers come north bedecked in breeding finery and every autumn they head back south again in more muted colors. The trickle of migrants becomes a flood and then slows to a trickle again, leaving us New Yorkers with a host of Butterbutts and few other wood-warblers to tide us over until spring. This fall I again spent time out in the field documenting the wood-warblers moving through and enjoying the last looks I would get at them for six months or more.

Tennessee 210

Tennessee 2011 Sparrows Breeding 210

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2011

We humans have a very deep and powerful urge to assemble individual data points into some sort of larger construct — to label and categorize them and understand how they relate to other things we know. Which is why, upon meeting new people, we want to know where they’re from, who their family is, what they “do,” or two or three other things, depending upon our cultural values.

South America 209

South America Africa America Namibia 209

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2011

The American Black Vulture ( Coragyps atratus ) does not only look evil; it is evil to the core. Horrid. American Black Vulture ( thanks Redgannet for letting me use your photo) I must admit that I too completely underestimated them when I first say the American Black Vulture in Costa Rica. Bizarre looking with that funny grayish head and they strange gait when running on the beach.

Sea Turtles 205

Sea Turtles Turtles Hunting Costa Rica 205

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Experience

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2011

Despite regularly hearing their bubbling song emanating from undergrowth and the fact that they are widespread and common I have never managed to get a really good picture of a House Wren. Whenever one would show itself to me at close range I wouldn’t have my camera or the light would be bad or a stick would be in the way or I would be just plain old incompetent.

Mexico 204

Mexico South America North America Arizona 204

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2011

As a form of entertainment, it may lack the sophistication of America’s Got Talent , but watching a gull trying to swallow a starfish is certainly compelling. Glaucous-winged Gulls in Vancouver’s Stanley Park can often be seen with a perplexed yet determined look on their faces and a starfish half in, half out (or two-fifths in and three-fifths out, or vice-versa), apparently stuck.

Rodents 202

Rodents Owls America Birds 202

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2011

October 13 found me doing something very unusual, even for me: learning about birds while watching an orchestra. The University of Montana Symphonic Wind Ensemble, to be precise. At a concert called “Winged Messengers”, which included a piece called “Chickadee Symphony” by Craig Naylor. Plenty of composers have been inspired by bird song – it’s possible that even the first musicians were.

Montana 201

Montana Owls Science Research 201

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

I spent this past weekend at the coast, travelling to Arcata for a Northern California Audubon Council meeting hosted by the Redwood Region Audubon Society. This area includes Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, part of Audubon’s Humboldt Bay Important Bird Area (IBA). The Arcata Marsh is an innovative wastewater treatment facility consisting of 307 acres of freshwater marshes, salt marsh with tidal slough, grassy uplands, tidal mudflats, brackish marsh, 5.4 miles of walking and biking p

Sanctuary 200

Sanctuary North America Breeders Alaska 200

Speaker: Gabriel Wagner Presenter

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 20, 2011

When climate changes, causing habitats to move, birds can get up and fly away to a new habitat, so really, they’ll be fine. Right? Well, that’s probably a little bit true, but only a very little bit. I’ve been working on climate change lately (not causing it, but reading and writing about it) and birds have come up in a few places.

Penguins 199

Penguins Birds Cooking Fish 199

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2011

“Seen anything good?” -Our Ritual Greeting It was after about fifteen minutes on the dike at Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area with a pleasant couple from Maryland that I realized that we had managed to have quite a conversation that touched on a variety of topics but managed to not introduce ourselves. We had discussed the birds, parenting, birds, hometowns, birds, weather, birds, and blogging.

New York City 198

New York City Maryland New York Humane 198

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2011

“This focus on diversity is good. It is the future of conservation. It is good.” -Dave Magpiong “There was so much incentive for me to stop birdwatching.” -John C. Robinson I spent all day Saturday at the Focus on Diversity: Changing the Face of American Birding conference organized ably by the irrepressible Dave Magpiong and a host of others.

United States 196

United States Birds America Experience 196

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2011

The Tennessee Warbler is a poster child for the boreal forests of Canada and the far northern United States. Its population actually fluctuates in response to the availability of Spruce Budworm and though it nests on the ground it is entirely inseparable from the forests of the north during breeding season. As autumn arrives and the days get shorter and cooler Tennessee Warblers make their way south to Central America and northern South America, sometimes as far south as Ecuador.

Tennessee 193

Tennessee South America Ecuador United States 193

Speaker: Steve Romanco

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2011

When I digiscoped the European Starlings feeding on hawthorn berries last week I also turned my digiscoping rig towards the horde of American Robins that were frequenting the same hawthorn shrub. They were struggling to stay balanced on thin branches in strong wind while scarfing down berries like they were the tastiest thing they had ever eaten. It was fun to watch and photograph and I spent quite a bit of time with the birds in the nice late afternoon light snapping shot after shot after shot.

Breeding 191

Breeding Birds 191

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

You should know by now that there are a good number of birds that spend an appreciable amount of time underwater. There are, for example, the Penguins and Diving Ducks. And then there are the crazy-awesome Dippers and one should not forget the great diving birds like Gannets and Albatrosses. This Yellow-crowned Amazon was not quite as vociferous as his Central American cousins And like many of these birds, I too love to spend time beneath the water – there are few things better than free d

Sharks 191

Sharks Thailand Dolphins Fish 191

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2011

Though it was pretty warm for an October morning when I spotted this bird at Fort Tilden, Queens, it was fluffed up as if it was suffering from extreme cold. Maybe it was trying to be a big tough guy considering the volume of sparrows in the vicinity of where it was foraging? Somehow, I doubt it but I have to admit that I was entertained with such a fluffy Common Yellowthroat.

United States 191

United States Suffering California Sparrows 191

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2011

One of my greatest joys is photographing birds out my big studio windows. I have lots of plants that attract birds; clumps of gray birches, mulberry trees; a hummingbird garden lousy with salvias and fuchsias. Fuchsia “Gartenmeister Bonstedt” is one plant that’s a must-have for me, so much so that I save it over the winter in my greenhouse, take cuttings in spring and plant them in planters all over the studio sideyard.

Tennessee 188

Tennessee Costa Rica New Jersey Birds 188

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10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

The Brown Booby is a bird that helps explain why birders don’t always want to share what they are doing with non-birders. Explaining to people that the main goal you have for a visit to Cape May is seeing a Brown Booby and you will, at the least, get an odd look. Others will crack ribald jokes, mock you, or accuse you of being crass. Being a birder can be a tough row to hoe sometimes.

New Jersey 189

New Jersey Ohio Fish California 189

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2011

If you ever wanted to put fish down your pants let this YouTube video serve as a cautionary tale. Seriously. Never, ever, ever put fish down your pants. Why? Just watch the video already, sicko… a.

Fish 187

Fish Penguins Birds 187

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Black-necked Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus ) photos by Larry Jordan Click on photos for full sized images. This female Black-necked Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus ) is distinguished from the male by her paler brownish back and scapulars. The male of the species has the upper portion of the head, back of neck, back and wings all glossy black. He also has longer legs than the female.

South Dakota 185

South Dakota Jordan Sacramento North America 185

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2011

In the United States, so much seems to be happening towards the end of October. Not only is baseball hitting the very apex of what excitement it arouses, but the storylines in the National Football League are just beginning to manifest in reality rather than in the empty space between commentators. Kids can’t help but work themselves into a multi-week Halloween frenzy.

2011 184

2011 United States Turkey Birds 184

Speaker: cha cha dwyer

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