10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2016

Costa Rica is situated right between two oceans. The pair of seas are close enough for the occasional adventurous frigatebird to just soar way up and right over to the other salty basin. To the north of this mountainous isthmus, we have the Atlantic. In the other direction, the Pacific.

Costa Rica 165

Costa Rica San Jose Panama Birds 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

In New York and Connecticut spending hours of my time hawkwatching in all kinds of conditions has allowed me to see some amazing species: Golden Eagle, Sandhill Crane , Mississippi Kite , Gyrfalcon , Yellow-headed Blackbird , Bridled Tern , American White Pelican and White-winged Dove.

Bald Eagle 231

Bald Eagle Los Angeles Connecticut Eagles 231

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2015

In February of 2013, I wrote a piece outlining my thoughts on which exotic bird species should be added to the American Bird Association (ABA) checklist. In 2014, the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee (FOSRC) voted to add this species to the Florida state list. They were right! They are excellent parents!

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles Miami San Francisco Florida 154

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2013

states and thirty-seven counties, and added a whopping ninety-two species to my life list. Despite that, I managed to see 511 species in 2013 , which is not half-bad. Hopefully I will see at least that many species in 2014! Seriously, go to Trinidad and Tobago right now and see the ibis. a 17-Year Cicada.

2013 170

2013 New York City New York Trinidad 170

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2016

We don’t see the sky blue little bird of the canopy in droves but bird the right places in late August and early September and you have a pretty good chance of finding a few. Yes, that would be Golden-winged Warbler , a species seen more easily during a Costa Rican winter than anywhere during migration up north.

Costa Rica 157

Costa Rica Morals Birds Mississippi 157

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2012

The first sighting was of an individual seen and photographed right off the pier at Boynton Inlet on December 9, 2012. Although birds have been seen around the entire coast of the state, there are no reports west of Pensacola yet and may never happen due to the turbidity caused by the Mississippi River.

Florida 208

Florida Cuba 2012 Bahamas 208

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2014

That’s when the state and feds demand that we fill out complicated forms detailing every bird we’ve taken in during the year, supposedly using the North American Ornithological Society’s abbreviation for each species. There’s the popular JAR: just ain’t right. I once went through a short illustration phase.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 223

Wildlife Rehabilitation Wildlife Mice Vet 223

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

This morning, they have seen some 10,000 Broad-winged Hawks , mixed up with two dozen Swainson’s Hawks , several Mississippi Kites and one or two King Vultures , Swallow-tailed and Double-toothed Kites , Merlins and Peregrine Falcons. But why would someone look for that, an easy and common one among the 920+ bird species of Costa Rica?

Costa Rica 131

Costa Rica Reptiles Farming Mississippi 131

4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 18, 2011

Thankfully, the adult sandhill crane has had a right-on-schedule recovery, and he just so happened to make a friend while doing so. The Cuban sandhill and Mississippi sandhill are both subspecies of cranes that are listed as endangered and are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Rescue 100

Rescue Mississippi Endangered Species Humane 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

That’s right, the overwhelming benefits to the environment and the economy are generated by non-consumptive uses of the refuges like wildlife photography, environmental education, wildlife observation and interpretation, not hunting and fishing. The State of Louisiana has increased fines for illegal killing of bears.

Fish 142

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 142

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2011

It’s one thing to add some seed, suet and fruit to the grocery list right before a snow storm hits…but if you feel stressed because you have to make your own personal mix of seed for your birds six times a day or you have personally failed and perhaps sentences some birds to certain starvation in your yard? Grackle Guy?

Bald Eagle 236

Bald Eagle Birds Deer Minnesota 236

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2013

For example, take the Mississippi Kite (above), photographed at the Dairy Mart Ponds in Tijuana River Valley, between San Diego and the Mexican border. Although it is impossible for me to prove this, you should take the word of this Overlord Ornithologist when I say there are simply more good birders around right now. 9) Birdfinding.

San Diego 168

San Diego California Condor California Bald Eagle 168

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Like any birder visiting a new place, I had a target species list I was hoping to seek out during the one day I had available between business commitments. The climatic changes set in motion by the Industrial Revolution are now proceeding at a pace far greater than many species and ecosystems can adapt to naturally. Black Rosy-Finch.

Species 173

Species Science Los Angeles 2000 173

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) Five species of frigatebird ply the planet’s tropical skies and seas. Ringer Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) Cormorants are more speciose than other families in the order; 30-40 species range widely on every continent and many islands. Wicked, right? Hat-tip to Stella.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The species is said to have never been common, a description I’ve always thought is applied too liberally to long-gone species almost as a convenient declaration of helplessness or shrug of the shoulders toss off in the face of its eventual demise. Bachman’s Warbler was named for the renowned southern naturalist, Rev.

South Carolina 177

South Carolina Cuba Missouri Mississippi 177

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

The Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching offers two types of information: Species Accounts–descriptions of 112 birds within 15 families as they appear over and on the water, and Where to Watch, brief descriptions of 47 sites on the North American eastern coast and interior recommended for seawatching. No rails or gallinules.

Ducks 224

Ducks Groups Species North America 224

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Hunting sandhill cranes in Kentucky is a bad idea from a public relations standpoint, considering the growing cadre of birders and nature enthusiasts for whom cranes are a touchstone species. Initiating a hunting season on a large, charismatic species like a crane is no way to resuscitate hunting. Isn’t that neat?

2011 238

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 238

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2011

We were walking through a field of dry grass in a Hamilton County park, looking for sparrows and pursuing three Bobolinks when we flushed a Yellow Rail , literally right at our feet. Susan Kailholz-Williams had raptors as her BBOTY: My best and thrilling bird of 2011: First confirmed nest of Mississippi Kites right here in Ohio.

2011 161

2011 Birds Ohio North Dakota 161

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2017

In fact, we saw two species of monkey, our only sloths, lots of coatis, and my rarest ever mammal sighting—a Jaguarundi —right on site. Yes, that’s Panama City to the right. Plus, we never stopped finding new and better species, which suggests that this place could compile a highly respectable site list.

Panama 100

Panama 2017 Monkeys Family 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2017

(To be fair, I could and should have also grabbed The Shorebird Guide for the Greenshank and Collin’s Bird Guide, 2nd edition for both birds, but the Nat Geo was right there next to me, where your favorite field guides should be.). Most of the species are described in the Species Accounts, arranged taxonomically into 86 family chapters.

North America 177

North America America 2017 Birds 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2012

And, in a tree off to the right in that direction, I noticed a mass of stuff that resembled a Bald Eagle’s nest as much as any mass of stuff ever could, but of course, it was not a bald eagle nest. This make sense in a certain way; a species of carnivores that over-concentrated in space would go extinct. I live near a highway.

Eagles 173

Eagles Bald Eagle Coyotes Mississippi 173

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

This year the big prize must go to Tom who has pushed himself, right to the wire to acheive a magnificent score for a self-funded, wife-organised, wife-sponsored Little Big Year , accounting for 57% of the total. Mississippi Kite – Ictinia mississippiensis. And Pat gets to keep the awards in the remainder of the categories.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

They noted 598 species as a team, bringing the year total to 2118 and pushing the life list to 3555. Watch out for Tom during October to see this anomaly put right. Mississippi Kite – Ictinia mississippiensis. They are hungry, tired and don’t need to be chased. Claire and Grant went walkabout for 20 FOYs.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113