10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2012

Lark Sparrow ( Chondestes grammacus ) photos by Larry Jordan Nearly two years ago I wrote my second post as the West Coast Beat Writer on Lema Ranch, a Northern California birding hot spot.

Sparrows 126

Sparrows Mules Jordan California 126

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2012

Western Screech-Owl ( Megascops kennicottii ) photos by Larry Jordan It’s been an interesting winter in my neck of the woods. Birders in Northern California have been treated to rare sightings of several species, sending avid twitchers from all over the west in our direction.

Owls 175

Owls California Jordan Sparrows 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2012

The first, the much caricatured hard-nosed lister who stops at nothing to get just one more bird, and the second, the deep-patch birder who just wants to hang around the common species. Take, for instance, the Lesser Black-backed Gull I happened upon on the recent Jordan Lake Christmas Bird Count. Not worth consideration?

McDonalds 165

McDonalds South Carolina North Carolina Jordan 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

Pochards: Last Lifer of the Trip About the Author Larry Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Forgotten Owls When Is A Tanager A Spindalis?

Wildlife 155

Wildlife 2011 Sacramento Jordan 155

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

I briefly entertained the idea that I had found a rare species never before seen in New York but quickly came to my senses and realized that I was dealing with a leucistic individual. Central Park White-Throated Sparrow Slaty-backed Gull (?) She was essentially cream-colored, much lighter than the typical female Ruddy Duck.

Ducks 150

Ducks 2011 Jamaica Deer 150

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

juvenile Parasitic Jaeger by Larry Jordan Jochen enjoyed a plover : My Best Bird of the Year is a White-tailed Lapwing I “twitched” in Germany in June. This year I watched them from the day they arrived , until two chicks successfully hatched, the northernmost breeding record for the species.

2011 175

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 175

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Mostly the ducks were Red-breasted Merganser and Greater Scaup , the two most prevalent species on the pond, but there were a few other birds mixed in as well. Larry Jordan Mar 17th, 2011 at 12:13 am Wow Corey, that must have been some sight to behold, and sound too! Were you and Jeff the only witnesses? What a spectacle indeed.

Ducks 168

Ducks 2011 Jamaica New York 168