10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

As I mentioned last week, my wife, son, and daughter-in-law spent much of the month of October in Europe. Visiting the continent after the end of most of the autumn migration meant that the number of bird species I could see in northern France, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria was much reduced. Boy, was I glad I got photos!

Austria 124

Austria Switzerland Europe Geese 124

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I tried to get a better idea of what exactly the definition of cuckoo-dove is but am still not very clear about it – Wikipedia only offers the rather formal definition “any of several species of bird in the genera Macropygia , Reinwardtoena, and Turacoena of the pigeon family.” But I may well be wrong.

Birds 147

Birds Geese Fish Industry 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Actually, I visited the Two Towers twice, had about 50 bird species each time and about 60 in total, so this is sort of a composite tour description. However awkward this seems, I am using both British and (American) names – I wouldn’t be surprised if they do become different species in years to come.

Serbia 264

Serbia Geese Eagles Louisiana 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2024

A bit of rain caused a two-hour delay on the flight in and, on my way back to Europe, they couldn’t find the airplane (clue: big metal thing with wings). Late summer 2023 the lakes and ponds had been empty, presumably because the ducks and geese were moulting. My hosts could confidently tick off the species on their life list.

Denver 165

Denver Colorado Ducks Mules 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

A Great Egret , a few Pygmy Cormorants and, by the middle of the Danube, about a hundred Greylag Geese. Two hundred yards further, the first Common Goldeneye and Smew started to appear and, while counting Smew and geese, a Great Bittern took flight from one stand of reeds to another, right in front of us.

Geese 144

Geese Serbia Birds Estonia 144

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2014

On 22 January 1879, a pair of Egyptian Geese sat quietly on top of Isandlwana Hill and watched closely. When I started birding in earnest during the 1980s in south-west Germany, no one talked about Egyptian Geese. And for the first time ever in Europe, I encountered a few Egyptian Geese somewhere around Amsterdam.

Germany 150

Germany Geese Netherlands Kenya 150

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

Greylag Geese. Soon I hit the brakes for a 60 strong flock of Greylag Geese of the Siberian race rubrirostris grazing near the road. My guess is, those nervous ones were some migrants, while the majority were locally breeding birds – the southernmost population of Europe! and dual digits. I was able to read the numbers.02,

Greece 252

Greece Pelicans Geese Breeding 252

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2016

By the cliffs we find several Eurasian Crag-Martins and a consolation species – a family of Golden Eagles in the air! The next morning is for the Kerkini Lake, one of the youngest national parks of Greece, protected only ten years ago, in 2006 and inhabited by 11 amphibian, 27 reptilian, 44 mammal and 312 bird species. What to say?

Greece 252

Greece Woodpeckers Boars Eagles 252

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2014

discovered that the usual flock of several thousand Pink-footed Geese was wintering in the Broads National Park. It breeds in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard and overwinters (singly and at mountain top hot springs – if Hollywood is to be trusted) along the coasts of northern Europe. Two Common Snipes , one Brown Hare and… geese!

Geese 205

Geese Barn Owls Serbia Sheep 205

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

per cent of individuals of a species at a given time” and a vagrant bird as a bird that shows up outside of this range (p. The accounts cover vagrancy patterns for the family as a whole, reasons for vagrancy, documented examples of vagrancy for specific species and reasons that might account for those incidents.

Birds 259

Birds Compassion Eagles Science 259

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

At the snowy Danube riverbank, we are waiting for geese to come to their roost inside the mostly submerged island. A shot or two coming from the opposite bank, but they do not sound like geese shooting – more like boar hunting. Scanning the water for rarer species… S. warns me of two locally rare Bean Geese.

Geese 174

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 174

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2011

The highlight of the early winter period for many over here has been an unusually large influx of Greater White-fronted Geese along the full span of the East Coast before penetrating further west and inland over the past 2-3 weeks.

Geese 164

Geese Russia Europe 2009 164

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Out of just under 200 bird species I observed this year in SE Europe, there are 6 threatened species. point to just one problem source, one over-abundant and highly invasive species – Homo sapiens. point to just one problem source, one over-abundant and highly invasive species – Homo sapiens.

Serbia 201

Serbia Greece Montenegro Bulgaria 201

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2018

” In other words, the New Zealand Scaup is so embarrassed by its association with the other scaup species that it not only tries to hide its affiliation with them but attempts to get out of being a diving duck altogether. At least Barnacle Geese are named for an arthropod. First, it’s not terribly difficult.

Ducks 210

Ducks New Zealand France Germany 210

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Of course such a clear case of misjudgement would never have happened here in the Olde Europe. Well look, it’s a nice species – but visually that’s nothing you wouldn’t get by repeateldy crossing Canada with Barnacle Geese. And the Nene? Seabirds and albatrosses?

Hawaii 156

Hawaii Albatross Europe America 156

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

Between finishing one graduate program and begining another, he embarked on a whirlwind tour of Europe. Here’s his first stop: Before starting graduate school at the end of June, I planned a whirlwind trip this spring, visiting the major cities in Northern Europe. Of course, birding was on the itinerary!

Iceland 187

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2019

There had been works on falconry before Frederick’s time: treatises on falconry date back to the 10 th century in Europe, and King Harold of England (of Battle of Hastings fame) reputedly owned the largest collection of volumes devoted to the subject in all of Europe.

2015 113

2015 Italy Falcons Europe 113

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

I observed this species in the Little Rann of Kutch in India and since then, have been burning with desire to see them back home. First stop and – bingo – Northern Shoveler , the last of the common duck species that I haven’t seen this winter. Birding city birds Europe owls Serbia' Photos (c) Sasa Preradovic.

Serbia 239

Serbia Owls Rodents Eagles 239

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl covers every residential, migrating, vagrant, exotic, and introduced swan, goose, dabbling and diving duck in North America (Canada and the United States): 62 Species Accounts on four swan species and one vagrant subspecies; 15 goose species; 46 duck species; plus accounts for hybrid geese, ducks and exotics.

Ducks 117

Ducks North America Geese Hunters 117

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2012

The Rose-ringed Parakeet’s European (=feral) range is surprisingly coherent for an introduced bird that is dependent on large metropolitan areas, and the species occurs in very decent numbers from UK’s London throughout the Netherland’s large cities all the way up along the Rhine to Germany’s Heidelberg.

Germany 244

Germany Netherlands Zoos Geese 244

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2017

An eclectic mix of endemics, specialties and oddly displaced species, it is one of the most memorable places I have ever birded… and I never visited it as a trip. As you climb you can stop to see facinating species like the Blue-winged Goose , a strange species whose closest relatives are in South America. So very bold!

Ethiopia 100

Ethiopia Mammals South America Rats 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2021

Of the dozen gifts mentioned in the Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” seven are birds: the seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and – of course – a partridge in a pear tree. No matter how big your avian-related library is, this would be a terrific addition to it.

Birds 242

Birds Colombia Collecting Bald Eagle 242

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

I had just a split-second glimpse of this species – my only second ever – yet immediately knew what is it, but I was driving through a snowbound countryside and had another car behind me, therefore I stopped a good 50 metres later to eBird it. Fortunately, B. managed to see it, his largest owl ever. Am I satisfied?

Owls 105

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 105

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2014

Between finishing one graduate program and beginning another, he embarked on a whirlwind tour of Europe. Obviously many species of birds can be quite elusive, but this may be your best bet at getting you close to where you’ll need to be. Trips Europe Finland' Of course, birding was on the itinerary! Next came a stop in Russia.

Finland 165

Finland Estonia Birds Europe 165

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2015

I have caught a bus across Europe, but I can’t really claim to have “been” to Germany or Belgium. Even without being on the water it was possible watch birds across the river, as evidenced by my lifer pair of African Pygmy Geese , which flew down the river and landed on the Namibian side.

Botswana 162

Botswana Birds Lesotho Elephants 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2013

No, the real downside is planning a post, say a post about a a particular species, maybe a thrush that you just happened to have taken a couple of half-decent images of recently.

Norway 150

Norway Geese Shelters Laws 150

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2015

A quick check of the Collins 2 (I think American birders know this book as the “Birds of Europe”, but here, some branding mastermind has interconnected the company’s name and the book title) revealed that we are facing two Siberian Greylag Geese (race rubrirostris ). Picture 2: Lesser Spotted Eagle – Clanga pomarina.

Greece 244

Greece Woodpeckers Eagles Birds 244

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

In early August this year, I saw 77 species here (69 on the lake, plus 8 more in the surrounding areas) but barely more than a thousand individuals. At first I dismissed them for some hybrid geese, until I recognized their JIZZ. Spring (migrants and breeding species) and winter (wintering waterbirds). Now I can say I was.

Greece 186

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 186

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Not that I don’t enjoy seeing new species myself, it’s just that they are an easy target and I am nothing if not lazy and mean spirited. I’m fairly sure the only family I’m missing in Europe is the Wallcreeper (Tichodromadidae), assuming you don’t lump it with the nuthatches.

Family 163

Family Wombats Uganda Fiji 163

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2014

And, as we talked of Long-billed Murrelets and Pink-footed Geese and Nutting’s Flycatchers, questions came up. In this book, rare birds are species “for which, on average, only 5 or fewer individuals have been found annually in North America since around 1950.” What year was the Red-footed Falcon seen in Massachusetts?

North America 252

North America America Birds United States 252

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2011

But apparently, all the Anas -species ducks are overly amorous or at least indiscriminate. NORTH AMERICAN TEAL HYBRIDS Clearly at least two teal species take to each other. Teal x Northern Shoveler hybrids seem fairly regular in North America and Europe. Consider the teals. What about the rest?

Ducks 228

Ducks North America Denmark America 228

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2017

Shallows provide an ideal spawning ground for almost 50 fish species and submerged islands breeding ground for more than 100 bird species. Looking at the river, I cannot believe my memories of the same place this January – frozen solid, with just a small opening in the ice – and 26,000 geese in it!

Romania 119

Romania Serbia Turtles Blackbirds 119

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Hunting sandhill cranes in Kentucky is a bad idea from a public relations standpoint, considering the growing cadre of birders and nature enthusiasts for whom cranes are a touchstone species. Initiating a hunting season on a large, charismatic species like a crane is no way to resuscitate hunting. Isn’t that neat?

2011 245

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 245

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2014

Editor Mitchell is the founder and managing editor of Birdwatch magazine, managing editor of Birdguides, a birding news website, and the author of two books on the birds of Europe and Great Britain. They are use the Objects concept as a framework for retelling the history of birding in an appealing, visual manner.

Mauritius 172

Mauritius Collecting Egypt Cyprus 172