10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2019

Growing up in Niagara Falls, New York, June was a celebration of summer. Growing up birding in Western New York was also a time when the old woods of the Niagara Gorge were punctuated with the songs of hidden Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos and the lazy notes of Eastern Wood-Pewees. We had one in the Arenal area.

Costa Rica 203

Costa Rica Species Birds New York 203

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2021

What I enjoy–almost more than any other moment of my birding year–is that special spring day when White-Crowned Sparrows deign to visit my humble home en route to their boreal breeding grounds. Happily, the sparrows finally arrived this weekend and have strutted around my feeders enough for me to fully admire their beauty.

New York 263

New York Sparrows Birds Breeding 263

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. We saw Common Gallinules , a nice male Rose-breasted Grosbeak , Bald Eagles , and a Great Horned Owl among the fifty-three species for our checklist.

New York 102

New York Bald Eagle McDonalds Fast Food 102

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2011

In response to the decline last year saw the first ever World Sparrow Day and tomorrow, 20 March, is the second annual World Sparrow Day. In response to the decline last year saw the first ever World Sparrow Day and tomorrow, 20 March, is the second annual World Sparrow Day. Wicked, right? Hat-tip to Stella.

Sparrows 215

Sparrows 2011 Deer New York 215

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

And there would have been essentially none if a Kirtland’s Warbler hadn’t shown up in New York City. Like the fine, fine sparrows. Sparrows, on the other hand, have amazing patterns of stripes and scales, of spots at funny places and subtle colour changes. Not so with sparrows. Because its yellow sucks.

Sparrows 100

Sparrows New York City New York 2011 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

Richard Fried spent 2011 doing a New York State Big Year and managed to top the record of 350 species which was only set in 2008 by Scott Whittle. Richard totaled 352 species, an impressive number, by seeing almost all of the regularly occurring New York birds and the vast majority of the rarities that showed up in 2011.

New York 182

New York Puerto Rico 2011 Japan 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2023

They were barely mentioned in The Voyage of the Beagle and not at all in On the Origin of Species. A prime example is the 1958 Chinese campaign to eliminate sparrows, considered pests because they fed on grain. A prime example is the 1958 Chinese campaign to eliminate sparrows, considered pests because they fed on grain.

Bald Eagle 171

Bald Eagle Montenegro Campaign Turkey 171

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

This first birding vignette is actually from just before the weekend, when I was at Alley Pond Park on a day that I was miraculously released from work a tiny bit early and was hoping to find a Yellow-throated Warbler but settled for a Swamp Sparrow by Little Alley Pond. At the same location a Chipping Sparrow also cooperated for pictures.

New York City 167

New York City New York Walruses Birds 167

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020

I was shocked to still find a number of shorebird species up at Braddock Bay, perhaps because of how much productive mud the dropping lake levels have exposed. This allowed me to pick up some late Pectoral Sandpipers , a bonus this deep into fall. Corey had a few really good birds this weekend.

2020 227

2020 Connecticut Virginia New York 227

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2021

In 2021, the American Ornithological Society announced that it has now classified the Bahama Nuthatch as a distinct species, Sitta insularis. He gave one to his home institution, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and the other to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. There’s just one problem.

Bahamas 344

Bahamas Philadelphia 2004 United States 344

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2019

On one gray, drizzly morning this week, I set out to bird my local patch in Albany, New York, and found 56 species in a few hours of aimless, unhurried traipsing. This is the third fall migration for which Kings County Brewers Collective has brewed Safe Flight IPA to benefit New York City Audubon’s Project Safe Flight.

Collecting 125

Collecting New York City New York Sparrows 125

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

From: Sparrow. To: Sparrow. Outstanding work, Sparrow! Sparrow has successfully completed Operation Duck Drop. How lazy and/or bad are these New York City birders? I knew we should have used a bigger species! From: Sparrow. This might not have been the best species to use. To: Sparrow.

Ducks 163

Ducks 2018 New York City Sparrows 163

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2014

Hordes of House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons are more than willing to push you around rather then let you have that choice morsel you just found. The trees are of one species and nearly devoid of insect life, the only plants are ornamental or lawn, and the amount of cover at ground level is virtually nil. And the noise! Pretty nice!

New York City 229

New York City New York Birds Sparrows 229

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2017

Now that I can travel, I have perversely discovered the charms of really working over one spot of habitat across the seasons and the years; as such I’m on a mission to find 100 species of bird in Socrates Sculpture Park, a bit of Queens between the East River and Vernon Boulevard where artists create open-air displays. Why an asterisk?

New York 107

New York New York City Illinois Wisconsin 107

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2020

New York City is the hottest of hot spots, and not in the fun, eBird meaning of the term but in the “holy moly our health system is going to collapse” meaning of the term. Over the years I’ve seen a variety of open-country birds there, including Bobolinks , Vesper Sparrow , and American Kestrel.

Bald Eagle 201

Bald Eagle New York City Birds New York 201

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2018

Sparrows predominate but there are a host of other species to find and identify. I’ve scoured some inland parks in Queens, led field trips for New York City Audubon, and watched morning flight on the coast. Though not as crisply marked as a spring bird I think fall Chipping Sparrows have a muted beauty.

New York City 142

New York City Birds New York Sparrows 142

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2024

pages 8 & 9, Lincoln’s Sparrow by John James Audubon and text by Kenn Kaufman, © 2024 Kenn Kaufman The protocol for who got to claim credit for discovering a bird species was an important factor. (Kaufman also makes clear that knowledge about North American birds did not start with Catesby, Wilson, Audubon, etc.,

Birds 178

Birds Philadelphia Investigation North America 178

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2019

As always, I was the first to the platform and in the light northwest wind and under a full moon I sipped my coffee and willed birds to make some noise so I could start checking off species. Eventually, an Eastern Towhee che-winked and I had my first species for the day. Using this trick we added Field Sparrow (new to the list!)

Pelicans 140

Pelicans New York Whales Whaling 140

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2020

It is a birding challenge where a team of birders stays in one spot for the entire day to see how many species they can record for their location. As always, we were high above the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, perched precariously on the platform atop Battery Harris, the old artillery battery built to defend New York Harbor in World War II.

Battery 174

Battery Birds 2016 Sparrows 174

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2014

All we do is complain about the lack of migrating birds so far and in New York City if southeast winds are blowing we are nearly despondent because southeast winds mean that the birds are moving north but the easterly component of the winds keep usually keep the bulk of birds to our west.

New York 238

New York United States New York City Breeding 238

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2019

Recently, I moved to a new place in Costa Rica. As is usual for a birder moving to a new place, I couldn’t wait to see what the new yard would bring. This afternoon, I watched the edge of that green space, my new erstwhile home patch, and worked on a new yard list. Right at home. These were. Great Kiskadee.

Costa Rica 186

Costa Rica Barn Owls Stray Dog Blackbirds 186

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2014

On Saturday I awakened at 3:30 AM, tiptoed out of the house as quietly as I could, and headed north and west to Sullivan County, the first of three counties I planned to visit in a series of surgical birding strikes to see (or hear) the birds I had thus far missed this year as they migrated through New York City.

Breeding 154

Breeding New York Breeders Downers 154

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2019

This pocket park is well known by New York City birders as a migrant trap and this fall has been no exception. Catbirds seem very quick to adapt to the reality of foraging in busy Bryant Park, fearlessly approaching humans while foraging and often eating whatever is being fed to the House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons.

New York City 126

New York City Birds Sparrows New York 126

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

It was also when October came with cool weather and bunches of White-throated Sparrows, shy Hermit Thrushes. The Eastern Kingbirds I knew from the fields of upstate New York were smartly dressed birds that perched on fences and chased Red-tailed Hawks. Eastern Kingbirds Form Flocks. Swallows Everywhere.

Costa Rica 333

Costa Rica West Virginia New York South America 333

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2020

On the northern birding calendar, October is a time for sparrows, cool weather, and tired fall leaves. It’s when Orange-crowned Warblers share the Goldenrod with lisping and chirping sparrows, when hardy Yellow-rumped Warblers dominate the Parulid scene. In Costa Rica, the tenth month is when birds pass through in droves.

Costa Rica 276

Costa Rica South America Colombia Paraguay 276

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2015

Corey had a huge number of birds to choose from this weekend as northwest winds were continuous through New York City all weekend long. But of all the species he spotted he felt either of the two Grasshopper Sparrows at Kissena Park in Queens was his Best Bird of the Weekend. How about you?

New York City 150

New York City 2015 New York Sparrows 150

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was a relatively common species though it was uncommonly cooperative. A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow is an expected bird in late fall in New York State but it is always nice when one sits still for a digiscoping session. How did you fare?

2014 172

2014 Bats New York Birds 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

When I returned Sunday morning with appropriate optics, warblers were nowhere to be seen, but a veritable profusion of sparrow species along with a mess of Marsh Wrens made up for their absence. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was his favorite species, a Green Heron , at the Great Vly in his hometown of Saugerties, New York.

2016 154

2016 New York Birds Collecting 154

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2012

Queens, New York, May 2009 May is the month of migration in North America. My spring has been pretty amazing so far with 146 species spotted since April 1 and Cerulean , Worm-eating , and Yellow-throated Warblers and a host of other species spotted before May even arrived, but the first couple of days in May have been even better.

New York City 158

New York City New York 2009 Litter 158

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2014

We in the northeastern United States are desperately awaiting the flood of migrant passerines that we are sure should be here by now and will complain incessantly until we see dozens of wood-warblers of at least twenty species at short range and in good light. Can you identify all three species? See you in the comments if you dare!

United States 175

United States New York Sparrows Suffering 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2018

He didn’t find anything particularly spectacular but he did see quite a few species. His Best Bird of the Weekend was either of a pair of young White-crowned Sparrows he found in Kissena Park in Queens, a good bird for winter in New York City! How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

New York City 100

New York City 2018 New York Birds 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

I am shocked to be writing this post already, and doubly shocked that I’ve seen six new species for Queens since I guessed what my next five Queens birds would be just eight months ago, back in March. Way back in March we were in the midst of a global pandemic and Queens was the epicenter of the epicenter that was New York City.

New York City 153

New York City Birds New York Blackbirds 153

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

we learn) that are home to coveted boreal species, breeding wood-warblers, and two species of Grouse. There are 461 species on the Maine checklist. This field guide covers 265 species, the ones most likely to be seen–residential and migratory, almost all nesting birds, many wintering birds.

Los Angeles 216

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 216

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2019

Zach Schwartz-Weinstein is a writer, teacher, organizer, and birdwatcher who lives in upstate New York. This is the same history of conquest and despoliation which now puts many of these very species in danger of extinction. Wilson’s Plover ?

Birds 260

Birds North America Cooking Campaign 260

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County, New York, is a great place to bird at all seasons. I enjoyed all three but especially the longspurs, which gave me the best looks and highest count of the species that I had ever experienced. But the most cooperative bird of the day was a sparrow. Because, you know, why not?

Sparrows 172

Sparrows Birds New York Rights 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2012

The American Acclimatization Society was a group founded in New York City in 1871 dedicated to introducing European flora and fauna into North America for “both economic and cultural reasons. 1 ” By 1877 New York pharmacist Eugene Schieffelin, an avid admirer of Shakespeare, was the society’s driving force.

North America 203

North America United States New York City New York 203

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2015

Both Pine Warbler and Prairie Warbler were breeding in the pines for sure, with the former’s trilling song in hearing at the same time as that of the Chipping Sparrow , which was good practice for my ears. Seaside Sparrows were incredibly abundant in the saltmarsh west of Gordon Pond. I wish we got more of them in New York.

Delaware 182

Delaware New York Birds North Carolina 182