10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

After three attempts, I finally found this incredibly rare vagabond sandpiper spinning amongst more common local species; interestingly enough, it prefers the company of Bonaparte’s Gulls , which the phalarope happens to resemble in both winter plumage and feeding territory. A subspecies as Best Bird of the Weekend?

2020 263

2020 Birds Sparrows Experience 263

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2023

Yet, I was not aware of any of Arjan’s big year updates in English, so I had no clue where he was or how many species he managed to see. After 3 months of South and Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Australia, Arjan’s count stood at 2,060 species. I’ve had so many incredible experiences.

Papua New Guinea 243

Papua New Guinea Guinea Suriname South America 243

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2021

While I knocked down plenty of first of spring birds this weekend, I most appreciated the appearance of a species that hangs around all winter. White-throated Sparrows don’t generally stand out unless they turn up at my feeder in sharp plumage, which they did on Sunday. At least my summers are mild.

Birds 221

Birds Sparrows Experience Experiments 221

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2015

These and several other species might end up being armchair ticks if and when we take a closer look at their evolutionary history. Taxa that could end up being split into one species occurring north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and one south of the isthmus. (2). Two subspecies of the same species that differ within Costa Rica. (4).

Costa Rica 206

Costa Rica Species South America America 206

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2020

One of the things Corey most enjoys about a new year is the way it resets your year list, giving you an excuse to pay a little more attention to the common species as you check them off your year list. Like Corey and so many others, I took the time to really appreciate the everyday species we jaded bird chasers typically take for granted.

2020 141

2020 Feral Sparrows Birds 141

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2023

I am only including them in this post to give you my real-life Kabul experience … Four species are the most easily seen in the few urban parks (into which women are not actually allowed to enter – I am not sure about female birds).

Afghanistan 166

Afghanistan Birds Feral Zoos 166

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020

I was shocked to still find a number of shorebird species up at Braddock Bay, perhaps because of how much productive mud the dropping lake levels have exposed. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. Corey had a few really good birds this weekend.

2020 217

2020 Connecticut Virginia New York 217

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 31, 2021

Corey enjoyed getting out around Queens on both Saturday and Sunday morning, and managed to get his total species in the borough to an all time high for January, with 115. He added several goodies over the weekend, but none were better than a self-found Lark Sparrow at Fort Tilden, which was easily his Best Bird of the Weekend.

Birds 191

Birds Sparrows Experience Experiments 191

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

Colorful bills and heads seem quite popular among Letaba’s bird species – see the African Jacana (blue and black) … … the Striated Heron (yellow and blue) … … and the Yellow-billed Stork (yellow and red). The Latin species name vermiculatus (worm-like) refers to the markings on the upperparts.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2022

In addition to providing many people with wonderful life experiences, these birding visits have helped increase our understanding of local bird distribution. In addition to discovering more vagrant sparrows and warblers, I hope we can also get more coverage for such regions and situations as these: Long Range Pelagic Trips in the Pacific.

Costa Rica 255

Costa Rica Birds Albatross Protection 255

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

This is my best place to pick up species that inhabit, or visit, the border between the Hot Country thorn forest and highland pine-oak forest habitats. It wasn’t the most colorful species of the day. Backlighting showed off the rusty crown of this Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow. But its rump was somewhat bright, I suppose.

South America 187

South America Sparrows Mexico Bears 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Of all the species he spotted nothing pleased him more than finally connecting with his first Field Sparrow of the year: in fact, he saw four of them! Though it is a common species the fact it made Corey wait until late February made it his Best Bird of the Weekend. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

United States 151

United States Birds Sparrows Humane 151

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2021

It was a very disorienting experience. I saw 57 species in the area, which is pretty good for the church neighborhood. Three species especially stood out. I used eBird’s species map option to confirm that in other recent years, only a few Cedar Waxwing sightings were reported in Mexico from January to May.

Turtles 223

Turtles Mexico Branding Sparrows 223

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

I have seen few species with the word “House” in their English names ( House Sparrow , Wren , and Finch ), as well as a couple of “Barn” birds ( Barn Swallows and Owls ). The Gartered Trogon : In Michoacán, our two trogon species are both red, white and green (like the Mexican flag). But it was close.

Morocco 166

Morocco Birds Turkey Mexico 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2022

They refer to the depression some people experience with shorter hours of daylight, and they are not welcome. Canyon Wrens are another resident species that appears more often in the spring, even though they don’t visit the birdbath. But I figure I need to keep the watering hole on the avian map, so fill it I do.

Nashville 175

Nashville Virginia Sparrows Species 175

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

I love sparrows, so seeing a feather-worn Vesper Sparrow this past July filled my heart with joy. I wanted to see prairie birds and I wanted to experience a new state. We saw sparrows–a total of 14 species–and we saw many other great prairie birds, and we often saw them perched on posts.

North Dakota 135

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 135

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

The Shoebill serves as the symbol of the magnificent wildlife experiences Uganda offers visitors, which may seem a bit odd. That honor goes to the Gray-crowned Crane , a very sexy species in its own right. Having finally seen this iconic species, I can assure you that the experience wildly exceeds expectations.

Uganda 255

Uganda Africa Birds Penguins 255

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2019

An expanse of habitat as vast as Murchison Falls NP in Uganda, as excessively generous in beauty and biodiversity, permits endless ways to experience both its birds and animals. Plus, the food, service, and accommodations meet the highest standards. How is birding in Murchison Falls, you ask? Mind boggling, I answer!

Uganda 179

Uganda Senegal Africa Game 179

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2021

There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. There’s more than one song per warbler? How do they know?

North America 278

North America Research Birds Groups 278

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2015

But of all the species he spotted he felt either of the two Grasshopper Sparrows at Kissena Park in Queens was his Best Bird of the Weekend. After all, the two birds doubled his total number of Grasshopper Sparrow sightings in his home borough! How about you?

New York City 150

New York City 2015 New York Sparrows 150

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2023

This leaves Shanghai in June with basically just the year-round species and the summer breeders, maybe with a few added ultra-lazy individuals of migratory species. Fortunately, there are a few more such breeding species than most Shanghainese are aware of. Such as the Black-winged Cuckooshrike.

Birds 130

Birds Eggs Breeders Breeding 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

It is home to four diverse forest ecosystems (deciduous, mixed, boreal, and lowlands), experiences seasonal weather systems ranging from cold dry Arctic winters to humid, thunder-storm filled summers, and, according to the latest official checklist, hosts four professional sports teams with bird names.* state and Canadian provinces.

North America 203

North America Birds Owls Canada 203

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

When I returned Sunday morning with appropriate optics, warblers were nowhere to be seen, but a veritable profusion of sparrow species along with a mess of Marsh Wrens made up for their absence. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was his favorite species, a Green Heron , at the Great Vly in his hometown of Saugerties, New York.

2016 154

2016 New York Birds Collecting 154

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2012

The bird was a sparrow, that much was clear, but it didn’t seem to fit any of the easily boxes the other North American sparrows can be fairly easily sorted into. Superficially, it resembled the Black-chinned Sparrow of the southwestern United States with its gray chest and chestnut streaked with black back.

New Jersey 216

New Jersey North Carolina Sparrows Connecticut 216

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

we learn) that are home to coveted boreal species, breeding wood-warblers, and two species of Grouse. There are 461 species on the Maine checklist. This field guide covers 265 species, the ones most likely to be seen–residential and migratory, almost all nesting birds, many wintering birds.

Los Angeles 188

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 188

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a relatively common species though it was uncommonly cooperative. A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow is an expected bird in late fall in New York State but it is always nice when one sits still for a digiscoping session. How did you fare? What was your best bird of the weekend?

2014 168

2014 Bats New York Birds 168

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2014

If you read my weekly posts bookending theweekend birding experience, you know that I pay close attention to phenology. The way the ebb and flow of each season impacts out experience of the natural world must inform our efforts to observe avifauna if we want to optimize our experience. Birding best bird weekend'

2014 167

2014 New York Birds Experience 167

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2014

From atop a terrific sledding hill, I enjoyed watching American Tree Sparrows lend class and native charm to flocks of House Sparrows. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. What was your best bird of the weekend? Birding best bird weekend'

2014 160

2014 Sparrows Birds Experience 160

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2018

July often means travel, which sometimes means tourist attractions, which occasionally means exotic or introduced bird species. Seeing these birds in captivity obviously inspired desire to see them wild and free, but some birds like the peacock that strutted unfettered among visitors seemed as natural on site as the starlings and sparrows.

2018 100

2018 Zoos Birds Raised 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2024

Amazingly, everyone showed up at dawn except for one person, who’d had a near-death experience with me on Colombia’s Sumapaz paramo, an acceptable excuse for a no-show. The day was only minutes old and we already had 32 species on the day list. The male is beautiful (duh) but the female is very striking too, yellow instead of red.

Parrots 154

Parrots Woodpeckers Industry Fast Food 154

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2014

Hordes of House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons are more than willing to push you around rather then let you have that choice morsel you just found. The trees are of one species and nearly devoid of insect life, the only plants are ornamental or lawn, and the amount of cover at ground level is virtually nil. And the noise! Pretty nice!

New York City 208

New York City New York Birds Sparrows 208

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2018

He didn’t find anything particularly spectacular but he did see quite a few species. His Best Bird of the Weekend was either of a pair of young White-crowned Sparrows he found in Kissena Park in Queens, a good bird for winter in New York City! Corey spent all weekend searching across Queens for birds to add to his year list.

New York City 100

New York City 2018 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2020

The prospect of identifying a certain number of species in a given amount of time pushes us to pay more attention to birds no matter what the circumstances (although I suggest keeping the exclamations about species identifications to yourself during such solemn situations as funerals, graduations, and watching episodes of The Sopranos).

Costa Rica 257

Costa Rica 2020 Morals Farming 257

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. Many Nearctic species and families reach their southern terminus in the Northern Central American Highlands, such as Common Raven , Red Crossbill , Steller’s Jay , and even Brown Creeper. We were off to a great start.

Honduras 209

Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Arizona 209

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2015

Many of these species were very high on my life bird wish list, and the country itself would be a totally new experience: a vibrant and enchanting culture, a varied and tasty cuisine, and stunning and new landscapes. Boldly patterned and full of character, this endemic sparrow was the highlight of my first day in Mexico.

Mexico 172

Mexico Birds Owls Sparrows 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2017

It could have been any of those from among the over 100 species that crossed Corey’s path this weekend but of them all he chose the singing Henslow’s Sparrow at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge as this state-threatened species is hard to see and it gave Corey the best looks he ever had of the species.

2017 101

2017 Louisiana Birds Breeding 101

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2015

The count totaled 119 species, which is historically a very good number. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend? What was your best bird of the weekend?

Bald Eagle 101

Bald Eagle 2015 Nashville Pelicans 101