10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2021

It helps that there is a little bird hide almost on top of the hill, guarded by a Chinese lady and attracting a substantial number of species of birds and birders. A Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler made an early experience. There are some here, and compared to rainforests, they are surprisingly visible. So, what was there to see?

China 260

China Birds Zebras Germany 260

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2012

There’s a little hint of white in the malar and throat too, which would seem to be a problem for the species Black- chinned Sparrow. As the old saying goes, “when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” This is not an easy bird, but it is expected. New Jersey mystery sparrow.

New Jersey 214

New Jersey North Carolina Sparrows Connecticut 214

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

But my long wait to see antelope, zebras and everything in between is finally over. Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull. Ugandan Mangabeys were part of my family once.

Uganda 160

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 160

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Elephant The big – two species of elephant are now recognized as occuring in Africa, the smaller and more secretive Forest Elephant and the larger, more familiar African or Bush Elephant. The little – the two species of black Buffalo Weavers obtain their appellation from their dark coloration that resembles their fearsome namesake.

Buffalo 195

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 195

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Nowhere else in Africa do the preconceived ideas of the continent really exist in such living detail; tall, red-robed Maasai herding their skinny cattle, endless grasslands studded with flat-topped Acacia trees and grazed by herds of zebras and wildebeest, and dramatic volcanic calderas brimming with big game and fierce predators!

Tanzania 209

Tanzania Africa Stud Leopards 209

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

I was planning a trip to South Africa, I had about five days to fill, I wanted to get a bunch of desert species (particularly the Springbok – not a bird) in a way that wasn’t too hard to reach from Johannesburg. A Shaft-tailed Whydah, a member of a small African family of cuckoo-finches. And lo, it was good. Or Cheetahs.

South Africa 141

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 141

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2024

Phoebe Snetsinger was an American birder who first passed the 8,000 species mark. Before leaving the safety of the car I heeded the park’s advice and checked for animal tracks belonging to any biting, gnawing, mauling, trampling, stabbing or disembowelling species. Having learned from my Namibian experience I walked away briskly.

Mozambique 209

Mozambique Birds Ghana Namibia 209