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. The African Pygmy Falcon finally showed itself after years of being a nemesis bird I didn’t even know I had. Here, without further ado, are your Best Birds of 2011, in no particular order.

2011 162

2011 Birds Ohio North Dakota 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

One of the neognath branches is called Galloanserae and consists today of the the Galliformes or landfowl (megapodes, guans, guineafowl, patridges, pheasants, grouse, turkeys, quail, and relatives) and the specialized aquatic Anseriformes or waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans, and related waterfowl, along with the weird South American screamers).

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279

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. Some were feeding on the ground. The picture might not be so great but the bird is.

Costa Rica 166

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Farming 166

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 177

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 177

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2013

The Introduction succinctly describes the basic concepts of migration and molt and summarizes raptor families: vultures, eagles, osprey, buteos, accipiters, harriers, kites, falcons. Some of these, such as a birder’s experience finding White-tailed Hawks by driving towards the smoke plumes of a local fire, are charming.

North America 218

North America Bald Eagle Falcons Owls 218

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2012

Scotts Bluff birders found nine species, including Townsend’s Solitaire , Black-billed Magpie , Prairie Falcon , and count week Gray-crowned Rosy-finches. Nick Lund , formerly at birdDC and then the Birdist , should be no stranger to readers of 10,000 Birds. Government to set up several forts, including Fort Mitchell in western Nebraska.

Birds 174

Birds Mississippi Vermont Texas 174

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2012

Standing at the hawkwatch at Kiptopeke State Park, as I did for a significant amount of by visit to Virginia, was a humbling experience, not just for the word-class birding raptor watching but for the enormous numbers of passerines passing overhead at any moment.

Virginia 146

Virginia North Carolina DC Louisiana 146

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. A very surprising trio of Turkey Vultures flew in from the east directly over the platform in the late afternoon.

2018 206

2018 Bald Eagle Battery Birds 206

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

Hence, the experiment was created: a plot was fenced off to keep the animals away and now willow saplings did survive being submerged for half a year. I do have experience with this species from Bodrum, Turkey; it is daring, bold and cocky, and is impossible to forget. I’m in Greece, after all.

Greece 198

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 198

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

There are photographs of buteos soaring overhead and harriers gliding low, of eagles coming at you head-on and flying away with only the tail in focus, of falcons backlit and kites in shadows. There are 2 plates for Turkey Vulture and 13 plates for Red-tailed Hawk. The number of plates per species varies, which makes a lot of sense.

Eagles 193

Eagles 2011 North America Utah 193

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. Turkey Vulture: 2,197. Peregrine Falcon: 3. Cattle Egret: 133. Green Heron: 39. Black-crowned Night-Heron: 34.

Miami 168

Miami 2015 United States Birds 168

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. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). Graylag Goose (Anser anser). Brant (Branta bernicla). Domestic goose sp.

2020 153

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 153

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2016

This year, visiting Niagara Falls until January 6th gave me the chance to experience a bit of both latitudes. Wild Turkey – Meleagris gallopavo; Niagara county, 2-Jan. Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura; El Rodeo, 9-Jan. Collared Forest-Falcon – Micrastur semitorquatus; El Rodeo, 9-Jan.

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica 2016 San Antonio Sparrows 101

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2017

The food was better than decent, which exceeds our experience of Panamanian cuisine at most other locations. Radisson Summit Hotel and Golf Panama really serves a superior birding experience, just by nature of the amazing forest surrounding it. Turkey Vulture. Collared Forest-Falcon. Collared Forest-Falcon.

Panama 100

Panama 2017 Monkeys Family 100