10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

In June, I visited North Dakota for the first time. 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. Black Rosy-Finch. Brown-headed Nuthatch. McCown’s Longspur. White-headed Woodpecker. The time to act is now.

Species 176

Species Science Los Angeles 2000 176

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 161

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 161

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 204

North America America El Salvador Nicaragua 204

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 174

Connecticut North Dakota Ohio Owls 174

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

It is my best bird because it is just such an incredible species, and looking at it made me realize that I had temporarily stopped to fully appreciate birds during the stressful last few years. This year I watched them from the day they arrived , until two chicks successfully hatched, the northernmost breeding record for the species.

2011 186

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 186

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.

2011 250

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 250