10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2015

Way back last year, a whole two weeks ago, a sudden influx of Ross’s Geese in central North Carolina led to an unofficial competition between myself and some birders in the Raleigh-Durham Area. I fully expect each group to push that into the 500-600 range by the end of the year.

Game 178

Game Raleigh North Carolina Gorillas 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2012

The name has always seemed to apply to a rather motley group of birds, from the exquisite Scissor-tailed Kite of east Africa, to the grotesque Hook-billed Kite of Central America, and various and sundry examples in between. When suddenly one of them plummeted to the ground.

Mississippi 157

Mississippi North Carolina Raleigh Groups 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2014

I found this young Glaucous Gull at a Raleigh landfill among several thousand more common birds. The ugly truth is that this stuff doesn’t usually go public in any big way, but the birding record is filled with references to sketchy sightings, lists that are looked upon with raised eyebrows, and even a few cases of outright fraud.

Raleigh 203

Raleigh 2008 Rights Raised 203