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The European Christmas Bird Count

10,000 Birds

Two hundred yards further, the first Common Goldeneye and Smew started to appear and, while counting Smew and geese, a Great Bittern took flight from one stand of reeds to another, right in front of us. And this one chose to fly right in front of us. It is not an uncommon bird, but being so secretive, I see it only every other year.

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Birding Shanghai in November 2022

10,000 Birds

Bramblings in Finland – though not actually being parasitized by cuckoos – nevertheless rejected the vast majority of non-matching eggs in a study – they thus seem well-prepared for a potential future cuckoo invasion. Possibly a survivor of siblicide (which would make it a killer, right?).

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