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A New York City Parks Department contractor just wiped out a breeding population of sparrows in tons of trouble already, on land owned by the parks department that was supposed to be protected as “Forever Wild.” Saltmarsh Sparrows are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. MORE
Disbelief probably seems like the proper response to the idea that there are woodpeckers in New York City. But Gotham’s many parks have some very suitable habitat for birds from the family Picidae and a birder in any borough of New York will generally find at least a couple of species during an average morning’s birding. If you are going to see any single species of woodpecker in New York City, this is likely the one you will see. MORE
After all, this was only the second record from New York State and the first wasn’t seen by many as it was a one-day wonder back in 2007. Sadly, despite the best efforts of a who’s who among New York’s birding scene, the bird was not refound. Cassin’s Kingbird in New York State! This is how you want to see a new bird for your home state. MORE
Originally found on Saturday, 7 January, by Peter Priolo, the Barnacle Goose in these pictures has been present on Eastport Lake in Eastport, New York, since, though it does fly out to feed in nearby fields from time to time. Trips Barnacle Goose Eastport Lake geese New York Twitching MORE
It’s not anywhere near as interesting as one of those amazing pink-winged Wallcreepers showing up in New York. Well maybe it’s just a Brown Creeper on a wall. But that’s still interesting, right? Right? But I was still fascinated by the behavior of this Brown Creeper that I observed in the midst of a driving rainstorm on Saturday morning at Jacob Riis Park in Queens. I was out there doing a seawatch hoping to find something rare going past. MORE
But, then, no one expected a Common Greenshanks in New Jersey. I drove up to where now only two cars were parked, and saw Steve and Isaac, two New York birding friends, stood in the middle of the median. In New York State! The last sighting in New York State was November 2, 1963 in Orient, Suffolk County, where the Crake was shot in a field of rye (Bull’s Birds of New York State, 2002). No one expected a Corn Crake. MORE
On Sunday, 5 June, word of Jay McGowan finding a Gargeney at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in western New York State hit the listservs. The long ride back to New York City was uneventful but much more upbeat than it was after the Gray Kingbird dip. And, even better, once I got on eBird and went through my state list I realized that Garganey was my 400th bird in New York State! MORE
The American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of New York by Corey Finger, birder, blogger, and co-emperor of 10,000 Birds, with photographs by Brian E. Here is what you need to do: Send me a brief description of the best bird you’ve ever seen in New York State–name of species, where you saw it, when, and why this is a bird that has stayed in your memory. You can tell that it is written by a birder who learned how to bird in New York State. MORE
Then we remembered that birders are always allowed at the West End even when it is closed to everyone else so we made our way to the Coast Guard Station where we met up with some other New York birders who had already had some very impressive birds including a jaeger that refused to give up its identity and instead drifted out of view even as we got our scopes on it. Trips hurricanes Jones Beach New York Point Lookout weather MORE
What is there to say about a Mountain Bluebird , a bird of the west, of high elevation grasslands, of the Rocky Mountains, in New York State? Mountain Bluebirds have been spotted in New York State at least seven times since the first record in Greene County in 1975 (making this the eighth), most recently, I believe, about five years ago at Robert Moses State Park. Trips bluebirds New York Suffolk County Twitching MORE
After a Tufted Duck was reported yesterday on Long Island I did some figuring and realized that I could go find the bird this morning before work and still, provided traffic wasn’t totally horrific, get to work in New Jersey on time. Species number 311 for the year in New York State and my last of the year, as I will be heading to California in the morning. … Trips Long Island New York Tufted Duck Twitching MORE
A couple of weeks ago a group of New York’s better birders were out birding in Suffolk County when one of the four found an interesting shorebird, one which she couldn’t identify immediately. For Pat Lindsay to not know what a shorebird is when she spots one in New York State is a very unusual occurrence and her three fellow birders quickly convened, figured out the bird as a quartet, and got the word out to the birding hordes. MORE
Unfortunately, this has been a very dry spring in New York City so, as you can see in the photos above, intrepid Queens birders have made makeshift bird baths to take the place of what is normally a vernal pool. And Summer Tanagers are always welcome in New York. If you’re a New Yorker, get yourself to the waterhole. … Trips Forest Park migration New York City Queens spring wood-warblers MORE
Rock & Rawhide , the charity that helps increase adoption levels of dogs and cats in shelters, announced today that it is included in Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C)’s latest advertising campaign, “New York’s Kindest” for their donations and assistance in increasing adoption levels through distraction therapy. The campaign encourages New Yorkers to support their city shelter by adopting, volunteering and donating to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals. MORE
For a start, it was the first bird that had caught the attention of my new binoculars (Busnells 8×42 L series, in case you need to know). If the close sighting of a feeding American Woodcock with my new binocular’s first focus wasn’t enough, there was one more surprise for me when I uploaded the photos to my computer. Birding Birds American Woodcock Bryant Park New York NY MORE
Now, those of you familiar with my tendency to chase birds in New York and knowledgeable of the spate of Great Gray Owls we have had in 2017 might question why it took me to nearly the end of March to make a trip upstate to see one. Trips Adirondacks Great Gray Owl New York owls Twitching MORE
The next day many New York birders celebrated Independence Day by mobbing the flats where they all dipped. It does not belong on the Atlantic coast of the northeastern United States at all, though they sometimes wander like the one that was found in New Jersey last year. The fact that I was obsessing over seeing one in New York State shows how absurd some of we listers are. Elegant Tern in New York State. What a bird for New York State! MORE
The New York Times blog, City Room, will be holding a “ Bird Week &# this week. The city’s avian equivalent of convention season is just around the corner: the second week in May marks the peak of spring bird migration in New York City, with the maximum numbers of species and individual birds passing through town. MORE
Daisy agreed to the outing because it was sunny and nice and Edgemere, once mosquito season is over, is actually a really nice place for a family outing what with the long view of the New York City skyline and the refreshing air blowing off the bay. Trips Edgemere New York City phoebes Queens rarities Say''s Phoebe On Sunday morning I was out birding across several Queens hotspots with my friend Seth. MORE
… The post Northern Gannet Show in New York Harbor appeared first on 10,000 Birds. Birds Breezy Point New York City Northern GannetFew birds are as spectacular as a Northern Gannet in a plunge dive. The way they briefly flare up and turn over, pulling their wings in as they plunge, bill-first, like an arrow into a bullseye, is one of those things you just have to see to comprehend. MORE
When you are a New York City-based birder that is pretty pleased with the amount of boxes ticked off on your New York State checklist you would normally want a rarity that you have not seen in the state to show up within an hour drive of your home. Seeing a species in New York that is much more common in Eurasia and that only has North American breeding grounds in far northeastern Canada was pretty awesome. MORE
Well, I made a list: Timber Point Country Club is in Suffolk County, New York, about forty-five minutes from my house in Queens provided traffic isn’t too bad. I had never seen a Common Greenshank in New York. … The post New York State’s First Common Greenshank appeared first on 10,000 Birds. MORE
Oh, right, the South Nassau Christmas Bird Count was today and a huge number of New York City and Long Island birders take part in that count every year – and none of them were on their own territory anymore! What a great way to start the new year, with a new bird for both my New York State list but also for the New York State list itself! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trips New York Point Lookout Twitching wood-warblers MORE
Greg Lawrence is an ace New York birder who is one of the lucky (?) He is a former President of the New York State Young Birders Club and a guy you want with you if you are trying to identify a rarity. We are lucky enough that he agreed to share the story of how he saw the latest addition to the New York State Checklist. And it mentioned the bird was seen at Hamlin Beach State Park, only ten minutes away from my house in Brockport, New York. MORE
New York, I can say with certainty that you have chosen the perfect bird to represent your state. Still, the bill passed in 1970 with only one voice in opposition: Assemblyman Posner of the Bronx, who pointed out that most New York City inhabitants had never seen an Eastern Bluebird, and probably never will. While he had a point, since then Eastern Bluebirds have been regularly sighted in Central Park, thus giving all New Yorkers a chance to see this iconic bird. MORE
That made me wonder why someone would put so much energy into a species that is regular in New York and not a lifer. As of Friday, 11 May, Anthony had already seen 283 species in New York State, a blistering and likely record-setting pace ( Richard Fried is the current record-holder with 352 species seen in 2011 ). I’ve done very little NYS birding for many years, so it’s been a great way to reintroduce myself to the birds and birders of New York State. MORE
… Birds New York pelagic South Polar SkuaBack on the last day of May I boarded a boat in Brooklyn and headed out onto the Atlantic Ocean in search of seabirds. It was a pelagic trip organized by See Life Paulagics and it was a pretty memorable trip with five species of shearwater, Leach’s Storm-Petrels , Wilson’s Storm-Petrels , a variety of dolphins, some sharks, and a variety of other sea life. MORE
We have had days of northwest winds in New York and the birds have taken full advantage of the favorable conditions to hightail it south. Though sparrows tend to be the main focus of mid-to-late October birding here in New York City there are still plenty of other birds to see like the Eastern Phoebe up above. Birds autumn migration New York City Queens MORE
But for some poorly (or not-at-all) understood reason, its spread across North America has shown a very northwesterly orientation, so while birders as far away from the epicenter of the North American introduction in Florida as British Columbia get to see Eurasian Collared-Doves regularly we New Yorkers and other northeasterners are deprived. In fact, in New York State, other than a small breeding colony west of Rochester, there are very few records of Eurasian Collared-Dove. MORE
What is the best bird you’ve seen in New York State and why has it stayed in your memory? This is the question I posed to 10,000 Birds readers in celebration of Corey’s first book, the ABA Field Guide to Birds of New York (by Corey Finger, author, and Brian E. Nathan O’Reilly’s most memorable bird was one many birders from New York State and beyond drove to see in 2015. If I win I’ll have to get my butt to New York and use it. MORE
Live octopus are apparently being served LIVE in some New York restaurants. PETA is arguing that this practice violates New York's anti-cruelty laws. Tags: octopus New York animal cruelty restaurants PETA Good grief! Octopus are highly intelligent creatures.not that ANY creature should suffer like this. It's apparently a practice around the world. This link has a video with some examples. MORE
My parents made the drive down to New York City to visit Daisy, Desi, and me in Queens on Sunday and I had a great plan for the day. In addition to my family I was also joined on the boat by Isaac Grant, who regular readers of this blog will recall as the birder doing a New York City big year. Past Rockaway Inlet we motored, out of New York City waters and into those of Nassau County. ……… Trips Humpback Whale New York City whales MORE
Sure, this is normal occurrence across much of Europe and southwest Asia but this particular tale comes from out on the east end of New York’s Long Island, in the town of Medford, where this happened to an unsuspecting non-birder, Celeste Rovner. It seems likely that this individual bird was an escape from a local zoo, as has already been theorized on the New York State listserv. Thanks to Derek Rogers for getting this story onto the New York State listserv. MORE
New York City is well known as a city of immigrants so it makes sense that the only lizards living within the five boroughs are immigrants as well. Our northern winters and highly developed landscape make New York City inhospitable to most species of lizard and it is no surprise that the two species that do occur in the Big Apple have their strongholds in the outer boroughs.* Reptiles Lizards New York City MORE
Happy New Year, 10,000 Birds readers and writers! Everyone is looking back on their best birds of 2019, so I thought it would be a good idea to look at a book that looks back a little further: Urban Ornithology: 150 Years of Birds in New York City , by P. Natural areas include Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn Cemetery, New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. Urban Ornithology: 150 Years of Birds in New York City. MORE
That changed when I got on the computer and learned that a birder way up in northern New York, on the Tug Hill Plateau, had reported a heck of a bird coming to her feeder. Nancy Loomis had a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch , New York’s second* record, and I was not going to miss this bird again. If you want information about going to see this bird check out the New York State listserv archive on Birdingonthe.net. MORE
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY, April 2010 Everyone knows that New York City is an extremely expensive place to live. Birds Jamaica Bay New York City Queens swallows Tree SwallowsIf one is lucky enough to find a place that one likes one must often pay in rent per month what would easily be a mortgage payment in a more sane part of the country. MORE
When I heard back on 12 November that a Harris’s Sparrow was frequenting a feeder in Loudonville, New York, up where I learned to be a birder, in Albany County, I really wanted to go on the twitch. … Trips Albany County harris's sparrow New York sparrows Twitching MORE
But I can’t resist getting out to sea and trips organized by Sea Life Paulagics out of Freeport, New York, don’t happen more than a few times a year so I had to go for it. … Trips New York pelagic pelagic birding winter Pelagic trips are a gamble on the vastness of the ocean. They can be incredibly dull or amazingly exciting on smooth seas or big waves. They can bring awesome rarities or nothing much at all. Rarely, you run aground. MORE
The first weekend in November will see birders from all over the Empire State descend on Long Island for the 66th Annual Meeting of the New York State Ornithological Association ( NYSOA ). Billed as The New York Birders Conference , the weekend-long meeting, hosted by the Queens County Bird Club , will feature great field trips, workshops, and a keynote speaker that 10,000 Birds readers will recognize – James Currie ! Birding New York MORE
They were: Audubon’s Shearwater – This is the last regularly occurring shearwater in New York State that I had yet to ever lay eyes on. He reported it as such but the New York State Avian Records Committee decided that they couldn’t really rule out that it was a Zino’s Petrel. White-faced Storm-Petrel in New York waters. Though next time I might look into some seasickness medication… Trips New York pelagic pelagic birding MORE
On Thursday, 24 April, Eugene Nichols was minding his own business, birding along the shore of Lake Ontario on Point Peninsula, in the far northern reaches of New York State. He contacted Jeff Bolsinger, a top birder from northern New York, and they went to the site and refound the bird the next day. Note how far New York State is from even the bird’s winter range. … Trips Jefferson County Lake Ontario New York Twitching Willow Ptarmigan MORE
Gray Kingbirds are rarely seen in New York State and when they are they usually are only seen by the person or people who find them or those in the immediate vicinity. So when Anthony Collerton , New York big year record-holder, mentioned on Facebook that he was thinking of chasing the bird I told him to let me know if he was going to go on Saturday. … Trips dipping Gray Kingbird New York Twitching MORE
Here’s hoping I don’t have to go two years before my next Sandwich Tern , though, considering how rare they are in New York, I would be lucky if it is only two years until I see one again! Birds cupsogue larids New York ternsUntil recently I had only ever seen a single Sandwich Tern. MORE
New York Related Topics 10,000 Birds
MARCH 2, 2020
… The post Northern Gannet Show in New York Harbor appeared first on 10,000 Birds. Birds Breezy Point New York City Northern GannetFew birds are as spectacular as a Northern Gannet in a plunge dive. The way they briefly flare up and turn over, pulling their wings in as they plunge, bill-first, like an arrow into a bullseye, is one of those things you just have to see to comprehend.
Critter News
APRIL 15, 2010
Live octopus are apparently being served LIVE in some New York restaurants. PETA is arguing that this practice violates New York's anti-cruelty laws. Tags: octopus New York animal cruelty restaurants PETA Good grief! Octopus are highly intelligent creatures.not that ANY creature should suffer like this. It's apparently a practice around the world. This link has a video with some examples.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 30, 2018
A couple of weeks ago a group of New York’s better birders were out birding in Suffolk County when one of the four found an interesting shorebird, one which she couldn’t identify immediately. For Pat Lindsay to not know what a shorebird is when she spots one in New York State is a very unusual occurrence and her three fellow birders quickly convened, figured out the bird as a quartet, and got the word out to the birding hordes.
4 The Love Of Animals
MARCH 7, 2013
Rock & Rawhide , the charity that helps increase adoption levels of dogs and cats in shelters, announced today that it is included in Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C)’s latest advertising campaign, “New York’s Kindest” for their donations and assistance in increasing adoption levels through distraction therapy. The campaign encourages New Yorkers to support their city shelter by adopting, volunteering and donating to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 7, 2020
Happy New Year, 10,000 Birds readers and writers! Everyone is looking back on their best birds of 2019, so I thought it would be a good idea to look at a book that looks back a little further: Urban Ornithology: 150 Years of Birds in New York City , by P. Natural areas include Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn Cemetery, New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. Urban Ornithology: 150 Years of Birds in New York City.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 28, 2014
On Thursday, 24 April, Eugene Nichols was minding his own business, birding along the shore of Lake Ontario on Point Peninsula, in the far northern reaches of New York State. He contacted Jeff Bolsinger, a top birder from northern New York, and they went to the site and refound the bird the next day. Note how far New York State is from even the bird’s winter range. … Trips Jefferson County Lake Ontario New York Twitching Willow Ptarmigan
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 3, 2014
It’s not anywhere near as interesting as one of those amazing pink-winged Wallcreepers showing up in New York. Well maybe it’s just a Brown Creeper on a wall. But that’s still interesting, right? Right? But I was still fascinated by the behavior of this Brown Creeper that I observed in the midst of a driving rainstorm on Saturday morning at Jacob Riis Park in Queens. I was out there doing a seawatch hoping to find something rare going past.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 13, 2016
On Sunday, 5 June, word of Jay McGowan finding a Gargeney at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in western New York State hit the listservs. The long ride back to New York City was uneventful but much more upbeat than it was after the Gray Kingbird dip. And, even better, once I got on eBird and went through my state list I realized that Garganey was my 400th bird in New York State!
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 27, 2013
Sure, this is normal occurrence across much of Europe and southwest Asia but this particular tale comes from out on the east end of New York’s Long Island, in the town of Medford, where this happened to an unsuspecting non-birder, Celeste Rovner. It seems likely that this individual bird was an escape from a local zoo, as has already been theorized on the New York State listserv. Thanks to Derek Rogers for getting this story onto the New York State listserv.
10,000 Birds
MAY 20, 2017
For a start, it was the first bird that had caught the attention of my new binoculars (Busnells 8×42 L series, in case you need to know). If the close sighting of a feeding American Woodcock with my new binocular’s first focus wasn’t enough, there was one more surprise for me when I uploaded the photos to my computer. Birding Birds American Woodcock Bryant Park New York NY
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 28, 2011
What is there to say about a Mountain Bluebird , a bird of the west, of high elevation grasslands, of the Rocky Mountains, in New York State? Mountain Bluebirds have been spotted in New York State at least seven times since the first record in Greene County in 1975 (making this the eighth), most recently, I believe, about five years ago at Robert Moses State Park. Trips bluebirds New York Suffolk County Twitching
10,000 Birds
MAY 30, 2011
New York City is well known as a city of immigrants so it makes sense that the only lizards living within the five boroughs are immigrants as well. Our northern winters and highly developed landscape make New York City inhospitable to most species of lizard and it is no surprise that the two species that do occur in the Big Apple have their strongholds in the outer boroughs.* Reptiles Lizards New York City
10,000 Birds
APRIL 8, 2013
The first weekend in November will see birders from all over the Empire State descend on Long Island for the 66th Annual Meeting of the New York State Ornithological Association ( NYSOA ). Billed as The New York Birders Conference , the weekend-long meeting, hosted by the Queens County Bird Club , will feature great field trips, workshops, and a keynote speaker that 10,000 Birds readers will recognize – James Currie ! Birding New York
10,000 Birds
MAY 12, 2012
That made me wonder why someone would put so much energy into a species that is regular in New York and not a lifer. As of Friday, 11 May, Anthony had already seen 283 species in New York State, a blistering and likely record-setting pace ( Richard Fried is the current record-holder with 352 species seen in 2011 ). I’ve done very little NYS birding for many years, so it’s been a great way to reintroduce myself to the birds and birders of New York State.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 7, 2016
The American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of New York by Corey Finger, birder, blogger, and co-emperor of 10,000 Birds, with photographs by Brian E. Here is what you need to do: Send me a brief description of the best bird you’ve ever seen in New York State–name of species, where you saw it, when, and why this is a bird that has stayed in your memory. You can tell that it is written by a birder who learned how to bird in New York State.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 12, 2012
Disbelief probably seems like the proper response to the idea that there are woodpeckers in New York City. But Gotham’s many parks have some very suitable habitat for birds from the family Picidae and a birder in any borough of New York will generally find at least a couple of species during an average morning’s birding. If you are going to see any single species of woodpecker in New York City, this is likely the one you will see.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 18, 2014
They were: Audubon’s Shearwater – This is the last regularly occurring shearwater in New York State that I had yet to ever lay eyes on. He reported it as such but the New York State Avian Records Committee decided that they couldn’t really rule out that it was a Zino’s Petrel. White-faced Storm-Petrel in New York waters. Though next time I might look into some seasickness medication… Trips New York pelagic pelagic birding
10,000 Birds
MAY 16, 2017
A New York City Parks Department contractor just wiped out a breeding population of sparrows in tons of trouble already, on land owned by the parks department that was supposed to be protected as “Forever Wild.” Saltmarsh Sparrows are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 1, 2012
Oh, right, the South Nassau Christmas Bird Count was today and a huge number of New York City and Long Island birders take part in that count every year – and none of them were on their own territory anymore! What a great way to start the new year, with a new bird for both my New York State list but also for the New York State list itself! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trips New York Point Lookout Twitching wood-warblers
10,000 Birds
MARCH 27, 2017
Now, those of you familiar with my tendency to chase birds in New York and knowledgeable of the spate of Great Gray Owls we have had in 2017 might question why it took me to nearly the end of March to make a trip upstate to see one. Trips Adirondacks Great Gray Owl New York owls Twitching
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 8, 2017
But, then, no one expected a Common Greenshanks in New Jersey. I drove up to where now only two cars were parked, and saw Steve and Isaac, two New York birding friends, stood in the middle of the median. In New York State! The last sighting in New York State was November 2, 1963 in Orient, Suffolk County, where the Crake was shot in a field of rye (Bull’s Birds of New York State, 2002). No one expected a Corn Crake.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 5, 2012
That changed when I got on the computer and learned that a birder way up in northern New York, on the Tug Hill Plateau, had reported a heck of a bird coming to her feeder. Nancy Loomis had a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch , New York’s second* record, and I was not going to miss this bird again. If you want information about going to see this bird check out the New York State listserv archive on Birdingonthe.net.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 18, 2012
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY, April 2010 Everyone knows that New York City is an extremely expensive place to live. Birds Jamaica Bay New York City Queens swallows Tree SwallowsIf one is lucky enough to find a place that one likes one must often pay in rent per month what would easily be a mortgage payment in a more sane part of the country.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 24, 2014
After all, this was only the second record from New York State and the first wasn’t seen by many as it was a one-day wonder back in 2007. Sadly, despite the best efforts of a who’s who among New York’s birding scene, the bird was not refound. Cassin’s Kingbird in New York State! This is how you want to see a new bird for your home state.
10,000 Birds
MAY 9, 2016
Gray Kingbirds are rarely seen in New York State and when they are they usually are only seen by the person or people who find them or those in the immediate vicinity. So when Anthony Collerton , New York big year record-holder, mentioned on Facebook that he was thinking of chasing the bird I told him to let me know if he was going to go on Saturday. … Trips dipping Gray Kingbird New York Twitching
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 18, 2012
After a Tufted Duck was reported yesterday on Long Island I did some figuring and realized that I could go find the bird this morning before work and still, provided traffic wasn’t totally horrific, get to work in New Jersey on time. Species number 311 for the year in New York State and my last of the year, as I will be heading to California in the morning. … Trips Long Island New York Tufted Duck Twitching
10,000 Birds
JULY 4, 2016
What is the best bird you’ve seen in New York State and why has it stayed in your memory? This is the question I posed to 10,000 Birds readers in celebration of Corey’s first book, the ABA Field Guide to Birds of New York (by Corey Finger, author, and Brian E. Nathan O’Reilly’s most memorable bird was one many birders from New York State and beyond drove to see in 2015. If I win I’ll have to get my butt to New York and use it.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 19, 2015
We have had days of northwest winds in New York and the birds have taken full advantage of the favorable conditions to hightail it south. Though sparrows tend to be the main focus of mid-to-late October birding here in New York City there are still plenty of other birds to see like the Eastern Phoebe up above. Birds autumn migration New York City Queens
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 6, 2014
Daisy agreed to the outing because it was sunny and nice and Edgemere, once mosquito season is over, is actually a really nice place for a family outing what with the long view of the New York City skyline and the refreshing air blowing off the bay. Trips Edgemere New York City phoebes Queens rarities Say''s Phoebe On Sunday morning I was out birding across several Queens hotspots with my friend Seth.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 23, 2015
When I heard back on 12 November that a Harris’s Sparrow was frequenting a feeder in Loudonville, New York, up where I learned to be a birder, in Albany County, I really wanted to go on the twitch. … Trips Albany County harris's sparrow New York sparrows Twitching
10,000 Birds
JUNE 4, 2014
Greg Lawrence is an ace New York birder who is one of the lucky (?) He is a former President of the New York State Young Birders Club and a guy you want with you if you are trying to identify a rarity. We are lucky enough that he agreed to share the story of how he saw the latest addition to the New York State Checklist. And it mentioned the bird was seen at Hamlin Beach State Park, only ten minutes away from my house in Brockport, New York.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 12, 2012
Originally found on Saturday, 7 January, by Peter Priolo, the Barnacle Goose in these pictures has been present on Eastport Lake in Eastport, New York, since, though it does fly out to feed in nearby fields from time to time. Trips Barnacle Goose Eastport Lake geese New York Twitching
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 7, 2013
My parents made the drive down to New York City to visit Daisy, Desi, and me in Queens on Sunday and I had a great plan for the day. In addition to my family I was also joined on the boat by Isaac Grant, who regular readers of this blog will recall as the birder doing a New York City big year. Past Rockaway Inlet we motored, out of New York City waters and into those of Nassau County. ……… Trips Humpback Whale New York City whales
10,000 Birds
JUNE 30, 2011
Here’s hoping I don’t have to go two years before my next Sandwich Tern , though, considering how rare they are in New York, I would be lucky if it is only two years until I see one again! Birds cupsogue larids New York ternsUntil recently I had only ever seen a single Sandwich Tern.
10,000 Birds
MAY 12, 2015
New York, I can say with certainty that you have chosen the perfect bird to represent your state. Still, the bill passed in 1970 with only one voice in opposition: Assemblyman Posner of the Bronx, who pointed out that most New York City inhabitants had never seen an Eastern Bluebird, and probably never will. While he had a point, since then Eastern Bluebirds have been regularly sighted in Central Park, thus giving all New Yorkers a chance to see this iconic bird.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 28, 2011
Then we remembered that birders are always allowed at the West End even when it is closed to everyone else so we made our way to the Coast Guard Station where we met up with some other New York birders who had already had some very impressive birds including a jaeger that refused to give up its identity and instead drifted out of view even as we got our scopes on it. Trips hurricanes Jones Beach New York Point Lookout weather
10,000 Birds
JUNE 15, 2015
… Birds New York pelagic South Polar SkuaBack on the last day of May I boarded a boat in Brooklyn and headed out onto the Atlantic Ocean in search of seabirds. It was a pelagic trip organized by See Life Paulagics and it was a pretty memorable trip with five species of shearwater, Leach’s Storm-Petrels , Wilson’s Storm-Petrels , a variety of dolphins, some sharks, and a variety of other sea life.
10,000 Birds
JULY 8, 2013
The next day many New York birders celebrated Independence Day by mobbing the flats where they all dipped. It does not belong on the Atlantic coast of the northeastern United States at all, though they sometimes wander like the one that was found in New Jersey last year. The fact that I was obsessing over seeing one in New York State shows how absurd some of we listers are. Elegant Tern in New York State. What a bird for New York State!
10,000 Birds
JULY 23, 2014
But for some poorly (or not-at-all) understood reason, its spread across North America has shown a very northwesterly orientation, so while birders as far away from the epicenter of the North American introduction in Florida as British Columbia get to see Eurasian Collared-Doves regularly we New Yorkers and other northeasterners are deprived. In fact, in New York State, other than a small breeding colony west of Rochester, there are very few records of Eurasian Collared-Dove.
10,000 Birds
MAY 18, 2015
Unfortunately, this has been a very dry spring in New York City so, as you can see in the photos above, intrepid Queens birders have made makeshift bird baths to take the place of what is normally a vernal pool. And Summer Tanagers are always welcome in New York. If you’re a New Yorker, get yourself to the waterhole. … Trips Forest Park migration New York City Queens spring wood-warblers
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
When you are a New York City-based birder that is pretty pleased with the amount of boxes ticked off on your New York State checklist you would normally want a rarity that you have not seen in the state to show up within an hour drive of your home. Seeing a species in New York that is much more common in Eurasia and that only has North American breeding grounds in far northeastern Canada was pretty awesome.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 15, 2015
But I can’t resist getting out to sea and trips organized by Sea Life Paulagics out of Freeport, New York, don’t happen more than a few times a year so I had to go for it. … Trips New York pelagic pelagic birding winter Pelagic trips are a gamble on the vastness of the ocean. They can be incredibly dull or amazingly exciting on smooth seas or big waves. They can bring awesome rarities or nothing much at all. Rarely, you run aground.
10,000 Birds
MAY 2, 2011
The New York Times blog, City Room, will be holding a “ Bird Week &# this week. The city’s avian equivalent of convention season is just around the corner: the second week in May marks the peak of spring bird migration in New York City, with the maximum numbers of species and individual birds passing through town.
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