10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2011

This sighting came at the end of five days at the Potholes & Prairie Birding Festival in Jamestown, North Dakota. And when I found I could not fly out of Fargo, North Dakota on Sunday (nothing affordable available) I picked a Monday afternoon flight and promptly set my sights on breaking this birding curse.

Connecticut 169

Connecticut North Dakota Ohio Owls 169

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

For some reason Felonious Jive shared Seagull Steve’s Best Bird of the Year: One of the reasons Seagull Steve went to North Dakota last summer was to spend some time with Baird’s Sparrows. They may be drab, but their pleasant ringing song and close relationship to the prairie make for a very interesting bird.

2011 177

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 177

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

In June, I visited North Dakota for the first time. The list of most-threatened birds continues; all of these birds could lose more than 99 percent of their current range in at least one season by 2080: Baird’s Sparrow. I’ve discussed Chestnut-collared Longspur at some length already. Black Rosy-Finch.

Species 174

Species Science Los Angeles 2000 174

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Even more than warbler, shorebird, and sparrow identification, this is a field that tests our endurance (gull watching is too often done in bitter cold, windy conditions), patience (even getting one good photo can take hours as you try to separate the ‘interesting gull’ from the flock), observational skills (so many plumages!)

North America 195

North America America El Salvador Nicaragua 195

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Texas and North Dakota together account for 88% of the total yearly kill of sandhill cranes. Letters from Eden (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) will soon be followed by a memoir about the birds she has raised, healed, studied and followed throughout her life. From July 1 2008-June 30 2009 Ducks Unlimited raised 200.4

2011 240

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 240

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

Harris’s Sparrow, Central Park, NYC. Now, if you know NYC geography and its transit system, you will know that it isn’t always easy to get from the East side to the West side, where the Harris’s Sparrow was located. Baird’s Sparrow, North Dakota. Another sparrow! This bird was a wonderful surprise.

2018 150

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 150