10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2024

They are ridiculously unafraid of people there – so the cynic in me suspects that swan meat is not regarded as tasty by the Japanese (another explanation, that the Japanese just like animals too much, can presumably be discarded given the country’s very principled approach in insisting on the right to kill whales).

China 203

China Iceland Whales Whaling 203

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2022

Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary was an amazing and unexpected treat, but that’s because I failed to do my research. Eagle-eyed Pat spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull in nonbreeding plumage and other birders that week noted a Thayer’s Gull (which we may have seen too–I mean, who expects Iceland Gull in April?).

Houston 201

Houston Texas Sanctuary Sparrows 201

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2012

Once a body of research was established and the bird was declared endangered, it took many more years of experimentation, political maneuvering, conflicts with the National Guard, and some tragic fires to establish what is now acclaimed as a model conservation project. Rapai is clearly fascinated by Leopold’s life, and frankly, so was I.

Michigan 221

Michigan Bahamas Endangered Species Research 221