10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

All month long we’ll be visiting – in spirits, at least – the rugged Celtic landscapes of Scotland and Ireland where whiskey was born and – with luck – have a look at the birds that inhabit them. According to the whisky’s packaging, “the distillery has been watched over by a family of rare eagles, since 1898.”

Eagles 194

Eagles Ireland Deer 2014 194

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2019

Gyrfalcons have long been prized for their ability to hunt prey considerably larger than themselves, as depicted in this painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, where the unlucky victim is a Gray Heron (note the jesses on the falcon). Exactly why the name Grifalco was chosen by this Basilicatan winemaker is unknown.

2016 100

2016 Iceland Falcons Europe 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2020

But seeing as the month is also bookended by Hogmanay and Burns Night, we’ll gladly take the opportunity to visit– in spirits, at least – the rugged Celtic landscapes of Scotland and Ireland where whisky was born and – with luck – have a look at the birds that inhabit them.

Sheep 199

Sheep Branding Ireland Fowl 199

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

This is how, I think, the “Crossley technique” works best—coverage of specific bird families that pose identification challenges to birders at all levels of skill. And Hybrids: Waterfowl tend to hybridize to a greater degree than most other bird families, and the guide does an excellent job of covering hybrids.

Ducks 119

Ducks North America Geese Hunters 119