10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2018

They get there by snatching the bread right out of your kid’s hand and maybe whacking him around a bit to boot. If we don’t like that, we should take it right up to the top (maybe she’d like her birds back while we’re at it.).

Species 101

Species San Francisco Rats Zebras 101

Critter News

OCTOBER 10, 2010

Researchers say the animals appear to be following abundant swarms of krill - the tiny, shrimp-like creatures that make up whales' favorite food group - right into the path of ship traffic. Tags: california san francisco marine life marine animals whales krill.

Whales 100

Whales Whaling San Francisco Marine Life 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2017

We had been at sea for 5 days and 5 nights, over 100 miles off shore, sailing non-stop from the USA-Canada border to San Francisco. Go find some cool water and plop right down in and chill out! One of these is my very first Black-crowned Night Heron.

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Shelters Canada California 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

While keeping track of some hummingbirds in Alta Plaza Park in San Francisco, I noticed a shadow slipping over the terraced hillside. But she landed right next to me, just four feet away. Notice that broken #6 primary on her right wing. She would hunt the hillsides right next to where I was sitting. I was hooked!

San Francisco 213

San Francisco Gophers Hunting Blackbirds 213

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2016

Farallon NWR , a group of islands near San Francisco, hosts the largest colonies of breeding seabirds south of Alaska. He has visited more than 40 National Wildlife Refuges in 20 states and frequently visits NWRs in his travels, most recently Buenos Aires NWR in southern Arizona. Individually, many NWRs protect crucial bird habitat.

Wildlife 189

Wildlife Grizzly Bear Puerto Rico United States 189

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2019

My first birding period was over 40 years ago, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It wasn’t until about five years ago that I realized my next home, the city of Morelia, is right in the middle of one of the world’s great zones for endemics. This is Paul’s first post for 10,000 Birds.

San Francisco 116

San Francisco Mexico Turkey California 116

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2017

For example, although not far from some of the nation’s priciest real estate in San Francisco, there are no proposals to sell the Farallones to the state of California. However, seabirds tend to breed on remote islands that are not subject to the economic conflicts that exist for other habitats.

Albatross 137

Albatross Hawaii Alaska Puerto Rico 137

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2012

This Snail Kite, photographed from my treacherous 1999 Honda Accord, was right outside Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, FL. Pine Lake Park, San Francisco, CA. Walking right up to one and identifying it with your naked eye. Townsend’s Warbler in a busy city park. What’s better than finding a Tufted Duck?

San Francisco 202

San Francisco Birds North Dakota Oakland 202

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2014

Ironically, he eventually saw it because as it was making it’s escape, it flew right by him. That’s right. When I heard a Least Flycatcher in San Francisco the other day (a quality bird here on the west coast), I had to find the closest birder just to make sure it wasn’t him using his phone. It happens.

San Francisco 215

San Francisco New York Experience Experiments 215

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

But the controversy of the ugly and violent Black Duck incident helped turn the tide of public opinion against Prohibition, leading to its repeal in 1933 (and a good thing too, or else you wouldn’t be reading a beer review on a birding blog right now).

Ducks 117

Ducks San Francisco New York Legislation 117

Animal Person

APRIL 26, 2009

Vamsee Juluri, Professor of Media Studies at the University of San Francisco, takes me back to graduate school when he writes of the importance of the stories we tell ourselves in " Use Free Speech to Celebrate Animal Life, Not to Enjoy Their Suffering." They certainly depict cruelty to animals, right? What do you think?

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Cruelty Vivisection Open Rescue 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2013

An excellent synopsis of the situation is right here at 10,000 Birds. This “Sooty” Fox Sparrow was photographed in San Francisco, CA. Clapper Rail: A recent study suggests the world’s Clapper Rails should be split into 3 species (maybe more?), 2 of which make their home in the United States.

San Francisco 172

San Francisco Fox Sparrows California 172

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2021

While numbers were low, our first migratory Baird’s Sandpipers and Wilson’s Phalaropes had arrived from their breeding grounds up north, right on time. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and will not know until fall if their drought will also give way this year. Still, there were a few good signs.

San Francisco 264

San Francisco 2018 Mexico Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2021

The Cerro de Punhuato (poon-WA-toe) nature reserve, officially denominated a biological garden, is right on the northeastern edge of Morelia’s urban zone. Best of all, you can fly here direct from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Instead, I visited a local site for my first time this year.

Los Angeles 184

Los Angeles San Francisco Costa Rica Birds 184

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

That would be the Northern Gannet that has made the rocky coast near San Francisco its home for the last four years. Once we left the harbor we cruised Half Moon Bay for a bit looking for a singular bird, a special bird. Steve had managed to never see this bird, which is impressive for someone who had looked for it as much as he had.

Whales 108

Whales Whaling Albatross Dolphins 108