10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2024

When I last visited the town almost 10 years ago, it had a Wild West feel, and Wikipedia claims that it is “an important location for trade with Myanmar, in both legal and illegal goods and services” but it seemed pretty tame to me this time. Not a great situation given the chronic housing shortage in suitable environments.

Myanmar 169

Myanmar Sri Lanka Nepal Birds 169

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2018

The result is a really good read, a suspenseful true-crime narrative that reads like a novel yet also probes real-life questions focused on the purpose of natural history museum collections and the ethics of closely gated “hobbyist” communities. Photograph used in image section of The Feather Thief.

Collecting 102

Collecting Iraq Ostriches Science 102

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2015

Although this park was logged in the past, as a national park it is one of the few forests in Ghana that is really protected. . These strange birds are two species in their own family; White-necked or Yellow-headed, endemic to the Upper Guinea forests and Grey-necked or Red-headed, restricted to Lower Guinea forests.

Ghana 188

Ghana Hunters Guinea Gambia 188

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2014

by Arthur Ransome, 1947, starts with an affectionate recollection of a children’s book, in which a group of kids identify and protect a possibly rare bird (Great Northern Diver?), It omits Audubon’s uneven business history, his bankruptcy, and the fact that Lucy, his wife, eventually had to support the family through teaching.

Mauritius 172

Mauritius Collecting Egypt Cyprus 172