10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Today, I am writing about another very birdy place and an event that I was very fortunate to have experienced, the Champions of the Flyway Bird Race in Eilat, Israel. Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most.

Costa Rica 168

Costa Rica Eagles Birds 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

And I have lots of experience with my long lens drawing attention. Bethany-on-the Jordan is literally a stone’s throw from Israel, which is why we were required to stay with the group and keep moving. This was due, oddly enough, to my binoculars. But no one had ever been concerned about my binos before.

Jordan 147

Jordan Birds Turkey 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

There are three species of crow-like cotingas with odd hairdos known as umbrellabirds, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird is the one that lives in Costa Rica. Ruffs from Israel, the one in Costa Rica kind of looked like the top bird. These experiences, guiding, and other aspects of birding were gifts, I look forward to 2020.

Costa Rica 182

Costa Rica 2019 San Jose Eagles 182

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

And so South Africa’s fifth largest park came to be (it’s worth remembering that its largest park, Kruger, is the size of Israel) on marginal land that no one in particular could do much with. But I think it should be on the list of anyone that wants a knockout experience to share with non-birders. And lo, it was good.

South Africa 143

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 143

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2016

In the northern hemisphere, the combination of migrants, resident species, and higher frequency of bird song makes it much easier to identify more birds, compared to say, August, so if you want to get really crazy and go for a Big Day record, spring is the time to go for it. They got all three potoo species in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica Birds Species 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

No matter how many times I see certain species, I’m happy to see them again when the seasons shift. One of those places is the Hula Valley in northern Israel, home to the large Lake Hula which was drained in the 1950s to make way for more agricultural opportunities and prevent malaria. I am a migration junky.

Hoarding 185

Hoarding Nebraska Minnesota 185