10,000 Birds

MARCH 7, 2021

You know what that means, right? But, of course, it was Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge that paid off the most when Corey carefully scanned the margins of the West Pond and turned up a surprise American Bittern. We’re barreling towards an equinox, which signals a lot more than just a shift in local patterns of day and night.

Jamaica 219

Jamaica Birds Wildlife Experience 219

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2014

Sunday morning was a perfect morning to get out on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. ” At Jamaica Bay in August the standard peep is the Semipalmated Sandpiper , which is present in the hundreds or even thousands. … Trips Jamaica Bay peeps shorebirds' Western Sandpipers sleep with one eye open.

Jamaica 198

Jamaica Rights Species Wildlife 198

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2011

“Jah Man (pronounced Jamon )&# is something you will hear often when visiting Jamaica. When our local driver asked me in Patois, an English-lexified creole language unique to Jamaica, if we would like to go and see Jamaican Owl , I had no idea what he was talking about. “Yu wan cu pan da patoo wid dem big eyes?

Owls 224

Owls Jamaica Cats Rights 224

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2019

With a foundation this firm, you can’t help but have a great weekend, right? Of what he did see, a pair of Bald Eagles at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was the highlight, a species that didn’t used to be around in June in Queens at all. Even the birding is decent. So, Bald Eagles as his Best Bird of the Weekend. How about you?

2019 119

2019 Bald Eagle Jamaica Eagles 119

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Yes, that’s right, it is time once again for a diabolical identification quiz on 10,000 Birds! If you don’t guess after reading this you will be forced to drink an entire bottle of water from the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a fate worse than death. See you in the comments if you dare!

2017 177

2017 Jamaica Wildlife Rights 177

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2015

He yelled a relatively unintelligible explanation as he ran to the car, abandoning his family, and sped to Jamaica Bay where he parked and ran out to the breach of the West Pond where he relied upon the kindness of other birders, who let him use their scopes while he got his breath back.

2015 162

2015 Jamaica Canada Abandon 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2021

Fascinated with New York’s Jamaica Bay, I started dreaming about creating a similar wetland reserve on the Danube inside Belgrade, the very area I explored. It all started well three decades ago, when I intensively birded the Danube Backwaters by kayak. As a teenager in Yugoslavia, I used to buy National Geographic in second-hand bookshops.

Serbia 279

Serbia Protection Deer Boars 279

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

The fact that this hour falls in the middle of the night means that most people sleep right through it, but I wonder what would happen if you observes a nocturnal bird like an owl during the hour that gets reset. Anyone who lives in a state or country that observes Daylight Savings Time received the gift of an extra hour this weekend.

2018 116

2018 New York City New York Jamaica 116

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2011

That is until a recent Nikon’s BATV film trip to Jamaica revealed a unique avian femme fatale, the Crested Quail-dove -- also known colloquially as the mountain witch. A Crested Quail-dove by Biswarup Satpati Crested Quail-doves are found in limited habitat in the Blue Mountains and John Crow Mountains of eastern Jamaica.

Hunting 240

Hunting Jamaica Blackbirds Transported 240

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

Start your week on the right foot by sharing what made the last two days special for you, at least from a nature-loving perspective. Another gorgeous weekend is, as they say, in the books. I scoured certain areas of the Lake Ontario shoreline for the places migrants are being seen.

2016 154

2016 Jamaica Birds Falcons 154

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

That’s right… NFL football is back, baby! He was very pleased to see two of these marvelous shorebirds on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and nearly as pleased to check them off his Queens list. We are all entitled to our illusions about ourselves, but the truth will out on Saturday and Sunday! Number 305!

2014 203

2014 Arizona Jamaica Birds 203

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2017

But any time of year is the right time to pay attention to uncommon avian behavior, even from common birds. Corey enjoyed visits to the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on both Saturday and Sunday. We birders share common cause with farmers in our obsession with seasons, always wondering what new crop of avifauna is coming in.

2017 113

2017 Jamaica Birds Wildlife 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2019

Finding more birds won out and I took the short ride to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where I enjoyed a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeders, the singing Yellow Warblers , and the generally expected birds at Jamaica Bay in May. That individual was also at Jamaica Bay.) It was exciting!

Jamaica 113

Jamaica New York Owls Eggs 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Let’s get right into it, shall we? During my favorite birding event of the year, the annual Big Sit at Fort Tilden in Queens in October , we had hit a lull and were desperately trying to scrape up a few more species when Matthieu spotted a pelican and all was right with the Big Sit once again. Number 10 – Mountain Plover.

2019 166

2019 Barbados Uganda Costa Rica 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2020

Western Tanager – Pretty unlikely but a guy can dream, right? White Ibis – A pair of young was spotted in Queens a couple of years ago and it is just a matter of time before another shows up at Jamaica Bay. There was one at Breezy Point in the summer of 2018 and another one showed up at Jamaica Bay last summer.

2018 192

2018 2015 Birds 2019 192

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2016

What a weekend, right? Of the 26 species of warblers and 110+ species of bird he saw this weekend none caught his fancy quite like an extraordinarily Chestnut-sided Warbler which foraged within scant feet for several minutes at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. We can’t wait to hear everyone’s stories! How about you?

2016 100

2016 Jamaica New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2016

However, more impressive than shorebirds for me were the seven species of tern that (hehe) turned up, especially the cackling flocks of Black Skimmers that wheeled right overhead. Corey got out to Jamaica Bay this weekend and while he didn’t find any rarities he was pleased to see a variety of juvenile shorebirds.

2016 100

2016 Virginia Jamaica Birds 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 2, 2012

Maybe Kentucky has it right. Corey will be in Queens, probably tracking rarities in real time at the East Pond of Jamaica Bay. Then again, my position is based on my personal experience and preferences. When do kids get a break from school in your part of the world? How about you?

Kentucky 166

Kentucky 2012 Michigan United States 166

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

And the results are indicative, representative and nothing short of surprising: Brunei, The Gambia, Belize, Jamaica, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea and Panama top the list. It may be slightly impractical to focus on big countries such as Brazil or Indonesia. Mongabay.com has done exactly that.

Equatorial Guinea 237

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 237

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2011

We got out a lot this weekend, yet my best bird of the weekend was right in my backyard: the kids and I encountered a juvenile Blue Jay in the care of what we assume to be its parents. Corey’s best birds were three self-found Wilson’s Phalaropes at Jamaica Bay. Happy Day-After-Father’s-Day!

2011 157

2011 Jamaica Birds Experience 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2017

Here’s a map showing all the Saltmarsh Sparrow nests counted between 2012 and 2015, right in this one spot, by a biologist working with this population. What makes it particularly egregious in this case is that the scar you can see in the video goes straight through what was a breeding habitat for Saltmarsh Sparrows.

New York City 223

New York City New York Sparrows 2016 223

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

There was one at Breezy Point in the summer of 2018 and another one showed up at Jamaica Bay last summer. I just have to be at the right place at the right time. And then I went and saw six new species so I should have managed to predict at least half of them, right? Because a crane in Queens would be amazing.

New York City 164

New York City Birds New York Blackbirds 164

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2011

My best bird of the weekend was the energetic Red-tailed Hawk that appears to live right beside the pool my kids and I visit. Corey did a bit better, enjoying tons of juvenile Yellow Warblers at Jamaica Bay. Fall migration will be here soon enough; for now, I want to soak up the sunshine. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2011 162

2011 Jamaica New York Birds 162

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Either way, it was a heck of a sight and another example of why Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is the best place in New York City to see amazing wildlife spectacles. … Tags: ducks , features , jamaica bay , migration , queens • Camping tents - Check out our pop up tents , family tents , and more! Wicked, right?

Ducks 197

Ducks 2011 Jamaica New York 197

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2016

This past Saturday morning, 15 July, I was at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge at 5:30 AM, heading out onto the East Pond in order to see shorebirds for high tide, which was going to occur at roughly 6:30 AM. They landed and momentarily disengaged but the older bird came right back after the youngster.

Vegetarian 100

Vegetarian Jamaica Wildlife Rights 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

lots of Greater Scaup We then steamed along the Coney Island shore without finding anything of note before heading under the Marine Parkway Bridge and making our way into Jamaica Bay, the home this winter of a veritable flock of Red-necked Grebes , a Barrow’s Goldeneye , and, lately, a Eurasian Wigeon. That’s right, we birded!

New York City 185

New York City New York Jamaica Seals 185

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2017

Fort Tilden and Jacob Riis Park both had some birds but nothing spectacular so I moved on to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, hoping that the recent rains hadn’t filled up the East Pond to the point where it was unwalkable. Once again because I hate having to write eBird descriptions and would much rather just insert an image.).

Soreing 100

Soreing Jamaica Wildlife Birds 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

Then the accursed listserv had to ruin my peace of mind by letting me know that someone found a Ross’s Goose at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge while I was looking at no-good, lousy phoebe. Why did this sighting and its reporting destroy my peace of mind? Now finding this Ross’s Goose was going to be no easy task.

Geese 154

Geese Jamaica Wildlife New York 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

The little stiff-tails are almost year-round at Jamaica Bay though almost all leave to breed in the summer and in the depths of winter, when the ponds are almost completely frozen, they tend to head for open water. Wicked, right? She was essentially cream-colored, much lighter than the typical female Ruddy Duck. Hat-tip to Stella.

Ducks 170

Ducks 2011 Jamaica Deer 170

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2016

Fascinated with New York’s Jamaica Bay, I started dreaming about creating a similar wetland reserve on the Danube inside Belgrade, the area I explored by kayak. First: Dream about it. As a teenager in Yugoslavia, I used to buy National Geographic in secondhand bookshops. That new map looked like this: Third: Propose the IBA.

Protection 161

Protection Eagles Jamaica Farming 161

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2011

I was fortunate enough to spot the individual in this post at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge where it was foraging in bushes and small trees between four and fifteen off of the ground. That is unfortunate because the Tiger Warbler * is one wood-warbler worth watching.

Tigers 163

Tigers United States Jamaica Pennsylvania 163

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

Before this past Saturday I had only ever seen one in Queens, back in 2007, and eBird only has records of nineteen different Caspian Terns ever reported in Queens , almost all from Jamaica Bay. Any day of birding Queens that featured a Caspian Tern would have to be considered a red-letter day. … a.

Kazakhstan 163

Kazakhstan 2007 Jamaica Birds 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2011

Right now, while she’s not birding, it’s not raining. The Tree Swallows nest in Jamaica Bay, in the nest boxes, good old reliable Tree Swallows. I spotted the white forehead right away, then focused on the pale rump patch for confirmation. She read that it’s supposed to rain, maybe thunder, any time now.

New York City 193

New York City Turtles Jamaica New York 193

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

That means that as of right now the yardstick I am holding does not exist because there are no yard sticks that are zero long. That will be much better, right? Besides, suffering brings birds, right? Stupid yardstick. Who the heck uses yardsticks anymore anyway? Shouldn’t we have meter sticks by now? Seriously.

New York City 182

New York City New York Walruses Birds 182

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Corey encountered a bunch of winners, but 24 Common Redpolls at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, in almost the exact same spot he saw them a couple of years ago, feeding on birch inflorescence by the East Pond, were easily his best birds of the weekend. Wicked, right? No time to take a picture. Hat-tip to Stella.

2011 169

2011 New York Deer Birds 169

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2015

Late morning this past Thursday, 27 August, I was on the East Pond of Jamaica Bay. The phalarope spent most of its time chasing bugs, one of which you can see it focusing intently on right here. I was only there because I had worked an overnight and therefore had the day free from work and Desi was busy at a day camp.

Jamaica 160

Jamaica Wildlife 2011 Birds 160

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

Feel more confident in saying we’ve all gotten 1/3 right. Yes, you are right: I have never been to Queens. Corey Mar 16th, 2011 at 6:58 am Two birds have been identified correctly so far and no one has gotten more then one right. Wicked, right? Greg Lawrence Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:58 pm 1.) Hooded Merganser 2.)

2011 226

2011 Bald Eagle Sparrows Parrots 226