10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2018

Birdwise, it turned out to be a good one and my year list was almost 400 species long, which made me happy… almost. Nikos said: “I may have about an hour before breakfast and can take you to see the geese.”. Kostas Papadopoulos observing Lesser White-fronted Geese at Kerkini. Lesser White-fronted Geese, of course.

Greece 181

Greece 2017 Pelicans Geese 181

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2014

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was one of three great goose species he saw on Saturday during a day-long expedition in eastern Long Island. Of the three, he decided on Pink-footed Goose over Ross’s Goose or the four Greater White-fronted Geese because, well, Pink-footed Goose is just plain awesome. How about you?

2014 176

2014 Geese Birds Experience 176

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

One species I can always count on at Colusa NWR is the Black-crowned Night-Heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax ), which boasts a large resident population. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Colusa NWR was beginning to fill its impoundments during this drought, and there were quite a few ducks and geese present.

Wildlife 158

Wildlife San Francisco Sacramento North Dakota 158

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2015

But I wonder how these trends are impacting every other species on Earth… yes, sometimes I can think of someone besides myself! Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was either of the two Cackling Geese that he found at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens on Sunday morning. Not anymore! What was your best bird of the weekend?

2015 104

2015 2014 Geese Birds 104

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2017

Don’t think we’ve noticed that most of you don’t play along with this game of sharing the best–meaning the coolest, rarest, fanciest, or dearest–bird species you’ve spotted in a given weekend. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

2016 100

2016 2017 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

I can hardly begin to describe the surreal experience that unfolded before me. Hundreds of birds all huddled closely together, dangling from the jagged ledges, seemingly separated by species in separate levels along the cliff. It is truly a magical place, an experience like none other.

Iceland 187

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2016

Despite my best efforts and despite seeing around 200 Canada Geese , I had no luck with the Specklebelly. I saw lots of Canada Geese – about 450 – but no Greater White-fronted Goose. After all, birding under a highway is not exactly my idea of a pleasant experience. The morning wasn’t a total loss though.

Puerto Rico 121

Puerto Rico Geese Canada Porpoises 121

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. I observe them, but feel I still lack experience to tell with certainty the SEO from LEO in flight. And the citizens of Kikinda are justly proud of it. Long-eared Owls are irresistibly cute.

Serbia 239

Serbia Owls Rodents Eagles 239

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

I was to go inland to Pocosin Lakes NWR, home of massive flocks of Tundra Swans and Snow Geese. We saw both, though the goose flock was too distant to pick out the Ross’s and Cackling Geese that are usually tucked within. This is my second ridiculous mink experience. The second was better. All in all a fun trip.

North Carolina 170

North Carolina Owls Geese Alligators 170

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2017

If your CBC experience is anything like mine here in eastern New York, you’ll be counting an awful lot of crows. And I think it’s safe to say the other two North American crow species aren’t showing up in New York any time soon. It would make a fitting choice for this beer, but I suppose it’s best to leave the crowberries to the crows.

New York 124

New York Portland Washington Geese 124

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2014

During this time, the fish trapped in the shrinking pools of water attract hordes of herons, egrets, storks, and other wetland species. Raptors such as Savanna Hawk , Snail Kite , and Black-collared Hawk and up to five species of kingfisher also join the bonanza in one of the world’s great birding spectacles. I must mention one thing.

Brazil 165

Brazil Birds Blackbirds Paraguay 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2019

eBird doesn’t offer such an option, so I used the second best: the species was observed in one month only. Lesser White-fronted Geese, of course. I counted them very roughly, but I do have a lot of experience estimating flocks. What qualifies a bird to be included in the top-5?

2018 117

2018 Serbia Falcons Greece 117

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2013

Always bringing her camera along, Erika is building her life-list by trying to check off at least one new species each week in her field guide. There were people at the basin, and the most popular species of the day, the semi-professional photographer, was already plentiful that morning. Her blog can be found at: [link].

DC 192

DC Washington Birds Geese 192

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

A first-winter Red-breasted Goose at Cley, North Norfolk As a general rule, geese are birds of subtle, even dull, plumage. All the so-called grey geese – Greylag, Bean, White-front, Lesser White-front, Swan – look very much alike, and it takes experience to identify them by their calls and their shape and size.

Bulgaria 130

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2016

The dam was very full and there were numerous species of birds present. Most were similar to what we had seen in September, with the addition of Magpie Geese in the flooded long grass. It was nothing like the experience in September with literally hundreds of each species looking for water.

Shelters 100

Shelters Geese Australia 2010 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

The Refuge is now home to nearly 200 species of birds, over 50 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, and a wide variety of insects, fish and plants. The Louisiana black bear’s threatened status warrants protection under sections 7 and 9 of the Endangered Species Act.

Fish 143

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 143

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2024

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. We got at least three sub-species but the highlight was a Wilson’s Snipe we flushed. We were happy enough for we were getting reasonable views.

Denver 165

Denver Colorado Ducks Mules 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. On Sunday at Kissena Park I saw five species of sparrows. A mixed species flock of sparrows (american tree, field and chipping) was by the bike track parking lot. What was your best bird of the weekend? Thanks for visiting!

2011 154

2011 New York Deer Birds 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Other birds with webbed feet, including ducks and geese, have only three webbed toes; the hallux (which in birds is usually the “hind toe&# and in humans, the “big toe&# ) is free. Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) Five species of frigatebird ply the planet’s tropical skies and seas.

2011 152

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 152

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2019

The economic impact of refuge visitation is broad: Recreational visitors pay for recreation through entrance fees, lodging near the refuge, and purchases from local businesses for items to pursue their recreational experience. Critically, NWRs preserve habitat and wildlife, often for endangered species.

Wildlife 245

Wildlife Maryland San Francisco Minnesota 245

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

She doesn’t know the species till it emerges, almost dreamlike, from the heavy glare of the sun. This is the story of Fox’s experiences on board the Achiever, the research vessel of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Fox encounters 69 species, some singly, some in huge feeding or migrating flocks.

Fox 100

Fox Albatross Geese Bald Eagle 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

Written in the tradition of the classic Hawks in Flight , but very much a product of the experiences of its birder authors, this is a groundbreaking book that offers a new way of identifying migratory birds at sea to all of us who observe the waters of eastern North America with expectation and excitement. No rails or gallinules.

Ducks 231

Ducks Groups Species North America 231

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2012

What this land-locked country lacks in endemic birds it more than makes up for in accessibility of tough species, numbers of birds and the overall wildlife experience. It is also home to the largest concentration of African Elephants on the planet and over 450 bird species. We are currently filming in Botswana.

Botswana 204

Botswana Zebras Lions Elephants 204

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2018

We had persevered through four years at the top of Battery Harris Platform and could bring our experience to bear on the task of trying to record as many species as possible on a single day from that single spot. At 8:30AM we were already at 53 species and we knew we still had many more easy birds to find.

2018 198

2018 Bald Eagle Battery Birds 198

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2012

Now, he’s sharing some information sure to improve your experience of American historical sites… When I’m not writing about sports teams and bird logos , birding ephemera , or stumbling into first state records , I’m helping protect Civil War-related national parks with the non-profit National Parks Conservation Association in DC.

Birds 172

Birds Mississippi Vermont Texas 172

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2012

Carrie had been at Jones Beach pretty recently , but was happy to return, while I’m not sure that John had ever been, but he certainly seemed to enjoy the experience. The goose, instead of leading us on a wild goose chase, decided to swim up close and then past some Canada Geese , as if to show off its tininess.

New York 160

New York Butcher Birds Geese 160

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

For Corey, this was a weekend without a single standout species but with many birds that were pretty darn neat. The Snow Geese at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge will soon be winging their way north, so he spent some quality time with them, his best birds of the weekend. I suspect though that once we get past the Ides of March (beware!)

2011 133

2011 Deer Birds Owls 133

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

Basically, this species is so dimwitted, it doesn’t know how to survive. Because, Pink Pigeons are not capable of doing the tasks required to create and bring up children of the species. Don’t these birds care about propagating their species? Is this the type of avian experience we want? I know, that’s harsh.

Mauritius 101

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 101

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

processed the entire genomes of 48 bird species and compared nearly 42 million base pairs of DNA (Hackett et al. Now we move on to the Neognathae , which also has two very deep branches that lead to all the other living species of birds. Erich Jarvis discuss key findings. ). were revolutionary for using 32,000 base pairs!) This is why.

Family 279

Family Parrots Birds 2014 279

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Informed literature bears out my experience that most birds are seen singly or in pairs. Very interesting species. Share Your Thoughts « A long way from nowhere Domestic or Ganky Geese » To learn more about 10,000 Birds, Mike, Corey, or the many marvelous Beat Writers, please click here. Married to a Canon?

2011 181

2011 Deer India New York 181

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

MARCH 1, 2019

But in many cases, Frederick found that the claims of these vaunted but unthinking sources stood in contrast with his own experiences as both a falconer and keen observer of birds. Could this be the first “accipiter sp.” ” report in history?

2015 113

2015 Italy Falcons Europe 113

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. Mallards , of course, bring new meaning to the term dabbling duck , what with all those wild mallard hybrids and domestic cross-breeds running around.

Ducks 228

Ducks North America Denmark America 228

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Cultures that experience it generally put a holiday of some sort at the end to motivate people to even bother living through it. There’s some excitement in putting up feeders and in discovering which species are gracing us with big invasions this year (2011, Montana: Snowy Owls ) but much of the time its a slog.

Bald Eagle 156

Bald Eagle Montana Owls Dogs 156

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2012

This make sense in a certain way; a species of carnivores that over-concentrated in space would go extinct. A little bit of prudential restraint is good for the species as a whole, and thus it evolved. Consider this thought experiment. Any of them, really, not just the one I saw today.

Eagles 174

Eagles Bald Eagle Coyotes Mississippi 174

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

Many a birding trip starts with a longish drive from the airport to the first birding site with these common roadside birds being the first taste you get of a country’s wildlife, and I feel that many bird trip reports, interested mostly in mega-rarities, gloss over the amazing experience this first drive can give.

New Zealand 174

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 174

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2018

On that visit we paddled from Lake Argyle back to Kununurra over three days and that was a magnificent experience. Due to the extreme heat many of the Magpie Geese were to be found in the shade of the mango trees. Magpie Geese. The last time we spent a significant time there in November was in 1999 on our way to Broome.

Cattle 114

Cattle Geese Birds Australia 114