10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2020

Every place has its hawk. At least it seems that way. A generalist raptor that can keep on living in a human dominated landscape. These are the neighborhood raptors that make do, even thrive, by preying on the wildlife of an urban landscape. Granted, the more urban, the less likely that a raptor can make it (except for maybe pigeon connoisseur Peregrine Falcons or garbage disposal Black Kites and vultures) but allow enough green space to persist and some raptor will usually find its place.

Costa Rica 293

Costa Rica Mice Arizona Squirrels 293

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

I promise this will be the last article (for a while at least) on this wetland that’s so close to where I live. Truth is, we’ve been getting so many migrants passing through that there hasn’t been much of a need to bird elsewhere. Plus, laziness kicks in pretty often and a 20 minute drive to see relatively rare birds like Nacunda Nighthawks and Glossy Ibises is a definite no-brainer.

Falcons 282

Falcons Experience Experiments Birds 282

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Tiaozini is a coastal place about a 3-hour drive north of Shanghai. It is famous for its mudflats that are used as a refueling stop for Spoon-billed Sandpiper. This is a bit of a dilemma for local authorities – on the one hand, they would presumably like to protect the birds, on the other hand, they also want to draw as many tourists to the place as possible.

China 273

China Birds Fish Asia 273

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

In late July, I travelled a half hour north of Morelia to Lake Cuitzeo (kweet-SAY-oh) to see if our two inevitable first migratory species from up north, Baird’s Sandpiper and Wilson’s Phalarope, had begun arriving. At that point, neither species was yet present, and there wasn’t much of a lake, either. A month later, I found large numbers of Phalaropes and a few Baird’s Sandpipers , but no other migratory species had yet arrived.

Ducks 253

Ducks 2020 Eggs California 253

Speaker: Steve Romanco

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

I have to admit that, at first, I found the name of this week’s featured beer rather confusing. Eager to Share is an American pale ale from Marlowe Artisanal Ales of North Haven, Connecticut. On its label are sketches of five gulls of indeterminate species frozen in various flight poses, eagerly going after what appear to be oranges suspended in midair, of which some are still attached to their twigs and blossoms.

Connecticut 242

Connecticut France Game Humane 242

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

September is a classic shoulder season, not yet finished with what has passed but still subtly teasing what is to come. Change is good, particularly because it always brings new birds. After one failed attempt after another, I finally added Ruddy Turnstone to Monroe County list after tracking them down to Ontario Beach. The reward for my long vigil was catching one still in its calico plumage.

2020 239

2020 Bald Eagle Birds Eagles 239

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

Mid-September offers abundant meteorological excitement in the form of variable temperatures, rushing winds, and sometimes hurricanes in the strangest places ( looking at you, Ianos ). Embrace the excitement; changeable winds tend to carry abundant birds. Corey and I will, for the first time in a long time, be birding together along coastal Queens. How about you?

2020 185

2020 Birds 185