10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Babita Tours has many years of experience organizing tailor-made wildlife tours for private groups in this wonderful country. We travel from Delhi via Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, a truly magical experience with the added bonus of Black-winged Stilts and River Lapwings on the Yamuna River.

India 195

India Wildlife Tigers Eagles 195

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

My own trip was not an intensive birding experience, and August is clearly not the most productive month. During migration (mostly in March and November), several thousand birds’ strong flocks of Common Cranes land here, while during autumn and winter there are several Long-eared Owl roosts. eBird bar chart. #4 eBird bar chart. #2

Serbia 164

Serbia Birds Bulgaria Farming 164

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

My Best Bird of the Weekend was a Peregrine Falcon gracing an enjoyable Rochester barbecue; good food, good company, and good birds make a powerful combination. Corey’s BBOTW was a Barred Owl that was flushed by a murder of American Crows near his parents’ house in Saugerties, NY. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2012 161

2012 Falcons Birds Owls 161

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2023

I’ll still probably try again next June, as this June has been the driest and hottest in memory, and in my experience, summer rains make it much more likely that one will see the Sinaloa Martin. I told him that occasionally, with luck, I might hear a Laughing Falcon there. A Russet-crowned Motmot , of course. Seeing one?

Mexico 152

Mexico Oregon Squirrels Science 152

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2019

Other uncommon birds for our 2019 list have included the likes of Marbled Wood-Quail, Spot-bellied Bobwhite, Barred Forest-Falcon, Lattice-tailed Trogon, White-flanked Antwren, Turquoise and Snowy Cotingas, Bare-crowned Antbird, and the endemic Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow. Owls and Other Creatures of the Night. and several owls.

Costa Rica 202

Costa Rica Species Birds New York 202

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2023

My book of choice for this time of year is Jerry Liguori’s Hawks At A Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors, a brilliant tutorial on how to recognize raptors by shape and flight style, distilling years of experience and expertise into 216 pages. Which guide worked best for you?

2011 100

2011 North America 2005 Eagles 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2011

During the filming of this production, I got to experience “dirt hawking&#. But after spending time with experienced falconers in the field I have come to respect and admire the responsible practitioners of this, the sport of kings. Many falconers use their birds to educate children as to the importance of raptors.

League Against Cruel Sports 270

League Against Cruel Sports Rabbits Falcons Hunting 270

10,000 Birds

MAY 21, 2013

Speaking of hawks, two talented and extremely knowledgeable falconers, Marie Gaspari Crawford and Chloe Bowen, shared with us their birds and their experiences. I’ve never been on an “owl prowl” before, and was thrilled that the one we joined turned up the promised quarry, and then some. Birding Destinations Trips Nevada'

Nevada 178

Nevada Birds Barn Owls Cows 178

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Larry starts us off right with an owl that makes birders drool: I was able to see and photograph many great birds in 2014 but my Best Bird of the Year would have to be the Great Gray Owl , the largest Strix in North America. Larry’s BBOTY – Great Gray Owl. What was yours? Maybe I should not say that….who

2014 194

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 194

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

Sister to this group is the Strisores : the “night birds” (excluding owls), swifts, and hummingbirds. The deepest branches after Accipitriformes and owl among the Afroaves, the mousebirds and cuckoo-roller, have Eocene relatives with raptor-like feet, and the cuckoo-roller specializes on chameleon prey. Jarvis et al.

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2013

In the past two years, our bookshelves have welcomed Jerry Liguori’s Hawks At A Distance (2011), the second edition of the classic Hawks in Flight (Dunne, Sutton, Sibley; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012), and Chris Earley’s updated edition of the excellent regional guide, Hawks and Owls of Eastern North America (2012).

North America 218

North America Bald Eagle Falcons Owls 218

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2012

I knew that it was a behaviour that was common in owls but I had never even heard of it with hawks before. “Well, I won’t be needing this any longer” Up until this moment I did not realize that not only owls upchucked undigested pellets of bone and fur. And there was the next surprise. It, of course, knew I was there.

Falcons 168

Falcons Killing Fur Owls 168

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2011

If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. On the other hand, a woefully brief glimpse of a Hook-billed Kite at Bentsen State Park was all it took to move it from my world list to my ABA list. While pondering that, also share your best bird of the weekend!

2011 157

2011 Mississippi ALA Sparrows 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

Essay #158, “Things Birders Do: Big Years,” starts with the writer’s observation of a Barn Owl and then defines a Big Year, surprisingly celebrating it as opportunities for solitary introspection. Floyd’s writing style draws the reader in, including us in his experiences and observations, making the personal communal.

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2017

Here are some highlights and observations of that very birdy weekend at Selva Bananito: There are a lot of pewees that pass through Costa Rica : Based on past experiences of pewee mania, I already knew this to be the case but this trip really took the cake. Scope looks were had at the pygmy-owl just before we saw the jacamar.

Costa Rica 166

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Farming 166

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

These are included as part of the summary and are maintained in the list, despite objections by some purists, to give the full, rich experience as enjoyed by your lucky, lucky beats. Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Eurasian Scops-Owl (Otus scops). Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba). Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus).

2020 153

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 153

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

With the easy-to-use platform offered by the Great Backyard Bird Count, birders of all ages and experience levels set out to find, tally, and document as many birds as possible within the boundaries of Miami-Dade. Barn Owl: 3. Eastern Screech-Owl: 5. Great Horned Owl: 3. Burrowing Owl: 3. Barred Owl: 1.

Miami 168

Miami 2015 United States Birds 168

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2016

Short-eared Owls, for example, are likely to be found in winter flying over open fields at Shawangunk Grasslands, Fort Edward, and during migration over coastal salt marshes. It helps us think about birds and birding as an ever changing process, and it enhances the birding experience, making it more than just getting the “tick.”

New York 168

New York Birds New York City Campaign 168

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

Hornbills are spectacular under any circumstances, but when a pair lands in a bush beside you at eye-level and begin mutual preening , it makes for a spectacular experience. It was easily one of the best birding experiences I’ve ever had, even impressing my nonbirder fiance. You can read more about his experience here.

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2011

The lagoon outside offered other experiences too. Golden Gate Park was next and it delivered with a family of Great Horned Owls , nesting Cooper’s Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks , coyotes, an annual American Bittern , Belted Kingfishers , Brown Creepers , and a host of small songbirds that I’m still getting to know.

San Francisco 211

San Francisco California Condor Coyotes Iceland 211

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Some birds are put next to each other to aid in the identification process, for example, falcons follow hawks. Its purpose, chief editor Mickey Long tells us, “is to provide useful information for birders of all skill and experience levels” (p. So, expect to find warblers before sparrows if you are browsing.

Los Angeles 205

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 205

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2011

They also have some great apps specially designed for kids like the Owl app. There are quite a few to choose from but some of the better ones include “ Happy Feet “, a film about Emperor Penguins, and “Hoot&# , a great story about saving Burrowing Owls in Florida. My youngest and a Burrowing Owl 8.

Birds 279

Birds Game Wildlife Family 279

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

There’s the slim Hawk Watch: At Guide for Beginners , bought on my first visit to the Cape May hawk watch, the classic A Field Guide to North American Hawks , part of the Peterson Field Guide series, the handy Hawks & Owls of the Great Lakes Region & Eastern North America , with its photographic comparison charts. (For

Eagles 193

Eagles 2011 North America Utah 193

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2013

However, the great birding experience that is Sani starts lower down. Other specials include Large-billed Lark, Gray-winged Francolin, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Sickle-winged Chat, Yellow Canary (at the very eastern edge of its range) and, if you are very lucky, a roosting Cape Eagle-Owl. Photo by Adam Riley.

Lesotho 175

Lesotho Africa Birds Rats 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2018

I counted them very roughly, but I do have a lot of experience estimating flocks. Yet, we didn’t get far when a smallish falcon flew over the dyke and landed on a log in the mud. With one Black Stork near them, some 80 LWfG were foraging in the distance, where the sun was just now clearing the mist.

Greece 185

Greece 2017 Pelicans Geese 185

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2012

The Kakum Forest Canopy Walkway – a “must experience” for any serious birder As we moved across the first swaying walkway, the distinctive sound of a Rufous-sided Broadbill performing his mechanical whirring display flight could be heard below us.

Ghana 179

Ghana Guinea Birds Eagles 179

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2016

Coming from Niagara Falls, New York, it also means freezing, bitter cold, watching for imaginary Polar Bears while pretending to walk through an Arctic landscape, and looking for owls. This year, visiting Niagara Falls until January 6th gave me the chance to experience a bit of both latitudes. So was this Snowy Owl.

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica 2016 San Antonio Sparrows 101

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2019

Eight Owls Make a heart.’ in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University and works for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, but this story clearly has its roots in personal experience birding with young children. ‘Six Pelicans Rest at night. Seven Finches Stand apart. Author Mya Thompson has a Ph.D.

New York City 155

New York City Pelicans Birds New York 155

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 174

Birds Mississippi Vermont Texas 174

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. I had high hopes for the 5th Annual Queens County Bird Club Big Sit this past Saturday at Fort Tilden.

2018 206

2018 Bald Eagle Battery Birds 206

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2016

The Bald Eagle was flying upside-down with talons up trying to ward off the small white falcon! Brian Laben had a wonderful experience seeing this rarity in upstate New York (or, is that mid-state? Other entries included Long-eared Owl, all three Scoters, “all the wonderful warblers,” and Osprey. Or a sequel.)

New York 100

New York Bald Eagle Birds New York City 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Sharing those special birds with so many like-minded people of all ages may have been the most magical experience on race day. Waiting for the sandgrouse. The Bus Writers team : Our unofficial team of journalists kept track of the bird species we encountered while running into the real teams on race day.

Costa Rica 179

Costa Rica Eagles Birds 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2020

The essays are arranged in almost AOS taxonomic order, with changes made to lessen confusion for new birders–falcons are grouped with hawks, all water birds come before land birds, etc. Some of the chapters focus on a specific bird, most are about bird families like hawks, tanagers, wrens, etc.,

2020 264

2020 Birds Groups North America 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2016

There are 28 chapters—“Waders,” “Large Waterside Birds,” “Owls and nightjars,” “Birds of prey” (pulling together vultures, hawks and falcons), “Aerial feeders” (swifts, swallows, martins), etc.—plus So, how do you find the species account for Kestrel if falcons are not placed between woodpeckers and parakeet?

Ireland 148

Ireland Birds Groups Falcons 148

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2014

What year was the Red-footed Falcon seen in Massachusetts? I have discovered one error: the table of contents doesn’t list species accounts past “Raptors and Owls.” The mystery of their presence makes finding one, chasing one, viewing one a unique experience. What does “ship assisted” mean? by Steve N.

North America 258

North America America Birds United States 258

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

.’ Not every species has a GV section, and the amount of description allocated in each section varies from a brief notation on color differences (most species) to the uncertainty of how voice variations relates to color morphs (Vermiculated Screech-Owl).

America 214

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 214