10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2023

This is how it looks like: Or at sunset: A species I did not come for from Shanghai is the Black-crowned Night Heron. They look crap but presumably offer some protection for the chicks, though not from each other (see the murderous activities within the nests in my previous post ). Yes, we have them in Shanghai as well.

Birds 237

Birds Eagles Elephants Rhinoceros 237

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

I saw two Pitta species at Hongbenghe, both among the slightly less glamourous among the pitta family: The Blue-naped Pitta … … and the closely related Rusty-naped Pitta. It seems that this is another species for which the standard phrase of scientists anywhere, “more research needed”, applies.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2014

After getting a Banded Woodpecker on my last full day my eBird life list was sitting pretty at 1500. So, on seeing my lifer Bassian Thrush in Sydney, I was glad to have a) finally seen that species and b) finally glad to tick that arbitrary odometer up to a meaningless milestone. Most likely down at the lower end, mind.

Tonga 180

Tonga Fiji Samoa Vanuatu 180

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

There are are presently thought to be five species of kiwi with a possible sixth extinct species, all of which have suffered varying degrees of range contraction since the arrival of humans. They are commonest where they are intensively protected and managed, but these places are often remote and hard to visit.

New Zealand 154

New Zealand 2011 Deer New York 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

Soon we were out of the protected harbour and into choppier waters, and here I have to say I suffered for about two hours from the dreaded affliction known as sea-sickness. The final large petrel species is another gadfly petrel, albeit a much larger one than the Cook’s Petrel. RECENT POSTS More Habitat for Snowy Plover?

New Zealand 177

New Zealand Albatross 2011 Cooking 177

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2016

While crossing Gramos Mountain in northern Greece, a Dendrocopos woodpecker flew over the road and landed in a pine tree. I had two possibilities, an uncommon Middle Spotted or scarce White-backed Woodpecker – which would have been a lifer for me. One Grey-headed Woodpecker flies across the road – a promising start.

Greece 258

Greece Woodpeckers Boars Eagles 258