10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2012

Birding the Dry Tortugas in late April has always been high on my bucket-list of the best birding experiences in North America. And last week I got to celebrate my coming of (young) age by crossing one off the old list, courtesy of my mate Adrian Binns and Wes Biggs of Florida Nature Tours. That means I used to be very young.

Florida 244

Florida Kentucky France North America 244

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2011

For many birders a highlight of birding the southeastern United States, maybe even the definitive birding experience of the region, is taking in the great numbers and diversity of long-legged wading birds. No, this is not Florida, but we have American Alligators in the Carolinas as well.

South Carolina 157

South Carolina Alligators Florida United States 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

We assembled at nine in the morning in a small parking lot outside the naval base in Key West, Florida. The weeks leading up to spring break had been a whirlwind, and the days before the trip mostly spent driving and exploring Florida. Dry Tortugas National Park: Bird Banding Sooty Terns. That was mostly my fault.

Birds 177

Birds Florida Groups Breeding 177

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

And, Essay #195, “Our Human Values: The Ugly,” describes the standoff between catfish loving Double-crested Cormorants and catfish farmers in the Missouri Valley. I’m not sure if “the Ugly” refers to the cormorant itself or human reaction (catfish farmers are officially allowed to shoot the birds).

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

I don’t really know – from my own experience with school bullies or from Jack London’s novels? Those bears live in the wild and are not used to humans. Florida scrub jay, Aphelocoma coerulescens. I was in primary school then, probably early grades, but I knew that whatever I do, I cannot afford to turn my back to them.

Animal 115

Animal Bears Stray Dog Blackbirds 115

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2015

The vast majority of you reading this accept it is happening, and for the time being it is caused by humans. Conversely, parts of the world that have traditionally been quite dry may experience more rainfall. Climate Change. As deserts expand, birds suited to arid climates may be just fine.

North America 214

North America Birds San Francisco Suffering 214

Animal Person

JUNE 26, 2009

People in South Florida are still in an uproar over the mutilation and slaughter of 19 house cats (allegedly) by 18-year old Tyler Weinman, who was declared mentally competent and not a danger to himself or others (!). We humans have decided that, for a combination of reasons that are important to us, cats are worthy of our respect.

Cats 100

Cats Dissection Cougars Pigs 100

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Masson tells Benjy's story--and Benjy stories--while explaining his theory about the mutual domestication of dogs and humans. You may know that dog/human coevolution has been a popular topic in the past decade, and if so, this might help: Masson "takes E. The point is that, as Chapter 3 is titled, "Dogs Make Us Human."

Dogs 100

Dogs Pit Bulls Greyhounds Kennels 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2024

There are a few spectacles in the birding community that are high energy, happen quickly, and is worth any effort to experience it. One such experience is a bird grounding event, sometimes called a fallout. A fallout is usually reserved for more significant events, but there is no true gauge as to one versus the other.

Texas 206

Texas Alabama Alligators Nashville 206

Animal Person

MAY 12, 2009

It wasn't much--clusters of mushroom-like townhouses that are ubiquitous in Florida--but it was on a lake. And by phase I mean I have intense and frequent experiences with them or around them that cause me to learn more about them than I thought I ever wanted to learn. And a dead end. And each time I learn the same things.

Geese 100

Geese Ducks Feral Cats Vermont 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2013

The incipient ferociousness of the hawk set against the skyscrapers, the Red-tail’s stillness against the human rush. I thought of this experience as I read Still the Same Hawk , a collection of twelve essays about nature and New York City, edited by John Waldman. This is what got me, the incongruity.

New York 107

New York New York City 2013 Collecting 107

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

The Refuge has also become a place where people can experience and learn about wildlife and the places they call home, whether through self-guided discovery or by participating in one of our many educational programs. The Service proposes opening the following refuges to sport fishing for the first time: North Dakota. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk_5pt9OTLA.

Fish 143

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 143

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

I got to see a beautiful female and owlet on a trip to a secret nest location near Howard Prairie Lake (human-made nest structures have enhanced local breeding for these huge owls whose nest success is boosted to 83% on artificial platforms vs. 66% at natural sites). The experience, the place, and the bird combine to make this my BBOTY.

2014 187

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 187

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Grief, friendship, gratitude, wonder, and other things we animals experience. Dogs are able to detect diseases such as cancer and diabetes and warn humans of impending heart attacks and strokes. In many ways, human emotions are the gifts of our animal ancestors. Waterfall Dances: Do animals have spiritual experiences?

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2020

Suzie wrote about her experiences as a bird rehabber in Flyaway: How A Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings (2009) and used those experiences as the source for her fictional children’s book, Hawk Hill (1996). How much did you draw on your own experiences as a wildlife rehabber to tell Luna’s story? .

Wildlife Rehabilitation 254

Wildlife Rehabilitation Bald Eagle Eagles Wildlife 254

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2020

In “Birding in Traffic,” Jonathan Rosen, no stranger to making connections between birds and human elements as he did in “The Life of the Skies,” describes how he took the subway to Union Square Park to see a rare (for NYC) Scott’s Oriole. The two stories about New York City are personal favorites, of course.

New York City 185

New York City Birds Owls Fox 185

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2011

Kirby Adams had a magical experience with his Best Bird of the Year and he blogged about it on his blog, Sharp Tern. While I had heard Yellow Rails in North Dakota in 2010, to see this Ohio Review Species fly, not once but twice, right in front of me was an incredible experience. I blogged about them here.

2011 161

2011 Birds Ohio North Dakota 161

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2024

It seems a bit sad to me that a paper on the Eurasian Tree Sparrow and the House Sparrow has to justify the need for research on these species by arguing this benefits humans: “Sparrow species … live in a close association with people. And apparently elsewhere: Mississipi , … … Texas … … and Florida.

Vietnam 130

Vietnam Zebras Birds Sparrows 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2024

One of these pages is dedicated to the harm and benefit the species has for humans, while a full page is dedicated to instructions on how to hunt the bird: The translation of the first sentence indicates the general tone: “They are not very shy, and easy to shoot.”

Birds 188

Birds Research Science Europe 188