10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2020

Where can I see Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow followed by a fantastic meal ? Local guide and birder David Mora Vargas has been spending much of his time at his family’s farm in the Sarapiqui lowlands. With around 400 species recorded for the area, yeah, it’s where we might all like to quarantine for a bit!

Costa Rica 216

Costa Rica Birds Thailand Family 216

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2016

We also feel that unique sense of togetherness by knowing that each of us is out there concentrating on the birds and covering the ground even when our lips ache from pishing, House Sparrows fail to become real sparrows, and we can’t help but wonder to ourselves, “Um, why am I doing this”? Gulls on the cold Niagara.

Costa Rica 235

Costa Rica 2016 Eagles Belize 235

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Among the many species seen on the lake were Common Loon ( Gavia immer ), Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis ), Clark’s Grebe ( Aechmorphorus clarkii ) … and Bonaparte’s Gull ( Chroicocephalus philadelphia ) – this one photographed at Don Edwards NWR. LUCKY ME !

California 103

California Sparrows Birds Philadelphia 103

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

I love sparrows, so seeing a feather-worn Vesper Sparrow this past July filled my heart with joy. We saw sparrows–a total of 14 species–and we saw many other great prairie birds, and we often saw them perched on posts. Baird’s Sparrow was one of those elusive creatures.

North Dakota 140

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 140

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is. E.g., a few weeks ago I guided a British couple around Belgrade, visited about four major sites and found more than 60 species. Penduline Tit – spring/summer and mild winters.

Serbia 178

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 178

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2018

Checking my annual list, I am where I usually am at this time of year: several species short of 200. Still, this way or another, the year is ending with some glorious species, e.g. a rare Greater Spotted Eagle. And so, driving through the snowfall I spotted what I believed to be Tree Sparrows foraging on the road in front of me.

Moldova 119

Moldova Birds Serbia Greece 119

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2018

Since he first started walking his property, he’s located a slew of species so exciting that birders are starting to turn up at his doorstep. Nonetheless, a birder’s initial experience in Honduras sets him or her on an inexorable course towards the only species currently named for this gem of a country. White-necked Puffbird © José A.

Honduras 140

Honduras Birds Farming America 140

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

There are the endemics, which are odd in their own way, and then there introduced species, which are so varied in their type and origin that you get the feeling you’ve arrived at the aftermath of a small zoo that escaped. What is surprising is quite how many species did end up here, and how economically unimportant they were.

New Zealand 161

New Zealand Possums Rabbits Ferrets 161

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2014

The national park ranges some 100 km in length along the right bank of the Danube (the left bank is in Romania), where the river varies in width from 5 km / 3 mi to only 150 m / 500 ft and the mountains rise up to 800 m / 2600 ft a.s.l. The turn off from the main road is east of Dobra. GPS coordinates of the Forgotten Road.

Serbia 190

Serbia Turtles Birds Eagles 190

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2018

Much like my visit to Malheur NWR, the actual wet Land areas are flooded once the cooperative farming is over. My first ever Gamble’s Quail were feeding right next to the picnic area, and alongside the visitors center building, I spotted a thrasher. Right in our camp, we found Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. US species – 243.

New Mexico 113

New Mexico Mexico Tucson Costa Rica 113

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2017

I guess another factor to consider is that Costa Rica is small enough for any of these birds to just fly right over the entire country. After starting the morning with an unsuccessful search for Rusty Sparrow in Orotina, we hit three main shorebird sites. No sparrow but the dawn chorus was a treat. Some of the birds at Morales.

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica Morals Breeders Sparrows 101

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

This small group of Pronghorn Antelope were right at the refuge entrance. Home to over 200 species, this amazing area is quite susceptible to the amount of rainfall each year. They were such a common bird when I was kid, running around the refuge, driving the old farm truck, when I was a few years shy of the legal driving age.

Sheep 115

Sheep Oregon Mules Livestock 115

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

About 120 species have been recorded so far. About 180 species have been recorded so far. Wetland Halfway between bustling Belgrade and sleepy Zrenjanin, River Tamis floodzone contains abundant oxbow lakes (turned into fish farms) and salt marshes filled with birds. Almost 230 species have been recorded so far.

Serbia 261

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 261

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2011

Julie has seen or heard several on our farm here in southeast Ohio! A dirt road lead off to the right, past a sign for a gun club. I mumble the species’ name over and over something like this: that’s a *&$#^ Great Gray Owl! I gazed at the bird, its eyes looking right through me. But not me.

Connecticut 172

Connecticut North Dakota Ohio Owls 172

10,000 Birds

MARCH 7, 2011

We were driving up to northwestern Michigan from our homes in Ohio (me) and West ByGod Virginia (Geoff) in search of a bird species that would be a lifer for both of us: the Bohemian Waxwing. he said “But you saw the flash of black and white, right?&# Wicked, right? That’s a story for another time. “Kinda.&#

2011 221

2011 Birds Michigan Ohio 221

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

The first surprise came, as we were driving into town, and not one, but two Scissor-tailed Flycatchers flew right across the road in front of us. This Coopers Hawk flew right up to the roof on a flood control booth, and looked at me like “ What are you doing out here” and promptly flew away. This one flew right over my head.

Albuquerque 122

Albuquerque New Mexico Mexico Sparrows 122

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

The most common species we see are the Stoke’s Sea Snake Astrotia stokesii , Dubois’ Sea Snake Aipysurus duboisii and the Olive Sea Snake Aipysurus laevis. Wicked, right? The Olive Sea Snake is the one that varies the most in it’s colouration. Hat-tip to Stella.

Australia 151

Australia 2011 Sharks Deer 151

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

I chalked up 132 species in a pretty relaxed eight days, during which birds shared the agenda with culture. With 154 eBirded species almost single-handedly spotted by the UK expat Geoff Laight, the Paljuvi is the latest addition to the top-5 list. With 154 eBirded species, the Beljarica shares the 4th place on the list.

Serbia 159

Serbia Birds Farming Bulgaria 159

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2011

My family also farms so that limits places we are able to go throughout the year. We were walking through a field of dry grass in a Hamilton County park, looking for sparrows and pursuing three Bobolinks when we flushed a Yellow Rail , literally right at our feet.

2011 161

2011 Birds Ohio North Dakota 161

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

This year the big prize must go to Tom who has pushed himself, right to the wire to acheive a magnificent score for a self-funded, wife-organised, wife-sponsored Little Big Year , accounting for 57% of the total. Las Trancas farm fields (Rt 254 to Playa Panama). Las Trancas farm fields (Rt 254 to Playa Panama). 12 Jan 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

They noted 598 species as a team, bringing the year total to 2118 and pushing the life list to 3555. Watch out for Tom during October to see this anomaly put right. Sagebrush Sparrow – Artemisiospiza nevadensis. Mi Cafecito restaurant and farm. LeConte’s Sparrow – Ammospiza leconteii.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

There is much to enjoy and appreciate here and I only wish I could have tested out some of these species accounts in pelagic waters before writing about them (sadly, the 10,000 Birds pelagic to Antarctica was canceled this year). SCOPE & SPECIES ORGANIZATION. It covers 434 species across 9 orders and 18 families of birds.

Albatross 279

Albatross Penguins Family Groups 279

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2020

Farm to Market 1017 (27.2142,-98.6229). House Sparrow – Passer domesticus. Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus. Stripe-headed Sparrow – Peucaea ruficauda. Cassin’s Sparrow – Peucaea cassinii. Grasshopper Sparrow – Ammodramus savannarum. Western Australia. 14 Feb 2020.

2020 155

2020 Sanctuary Australia Sparrows 155

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Ever the moral perfectionist, Franklin argued that the turkey was a much more honorable and determined fowl, and suggested the bird – as an “original Native of America” – would make a decidedly more fitting avian mascot for the United States (seemingly implying – incorrectly – that the Bald Eagle is not an indigenous New World species).

2017 151

2017 Bald Eagle United States Turkey 151