10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2016

The key to solving the puzzle of Germany’s large white-headed gulls was banding juveniles of all forms in their breeding colonies and the fact that some humans find immense joy in driving around garbage dumps, looking at birds with pricey scopes and trying to decipher tiny codes on plastic or metal rings of various shapes and sizes.

Kazakhstan 117

Kazakhstan Germany Ukraine Asia 117

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2011

The Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita is an abundant species with an impressive global range that stretches from the West of Europe across Siberia to Russia’s far East, just falling short of reaching the Bering Straits by a laughable 800 kilometres, a fact one individual apparently found too awkward to bear. But easy ain’t all.

Kazakhstan 157

Kazakhstan Europe Russia Asia 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2017

I was given my first real field guide to the birds of Europe by my parents, a guide beyond the species found at backyard feeders and city ponds. Yes, in the face of all the human tragedy the Cold War caused it may seem a miniscule aspect, but to a young boy who was passionate about birds, it wasn’t. This made me truly sad.

Europe 100

Europe Birds Kazakhstan Russia 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

The genus Passer has several well-recognized and recognizable species in Europe, and still holds several enigmas. A male probable member of the indicus group (foreground) and a male domesticus House Sparrow in western Kazakhstan. Winter plumage makes things a bit more difficult, but the difference is rather obvious.

Sparrows 223

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 223