10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2013

It wasn’t quite winter yet, with all the species that brings, but already some summer species like the Hutton’s Shearwater and Salvin’s Albatrosses were gone. A New Zealand Fur-seal. Multiple visits to Kaikoura in different seasons are giving me a better idea of the variability of the area.

Albatross 167

Albatross New Zealand Seals Fur 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

we learn) that are home to coveted boreal species, breeding wood-warblers, and two species of Grouse. Audubon’s Hog Island Audubon Camp attracts birders of all skills levels every summer and Acadia National Park, Monhegan Island, Machias Seal Island, and Scarborough Marsh are nationally known birding hotspots.

Los Angeles 218

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 218

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2016

In the early morning out on the water there were plenty of Fluttering Shearwaters and Australasian Gannets, and close to a salmon farm we found New Zealand Fur Seals as well as Pied Shags, Little Shags and Spotted Shags (I can only assume that kiwis just like calling all cormorants shags because they are all five years old).

Charlotte 122

Charlotte New Zealand Seals Fur 122

Critter News

FEBRUARY 2, 2009

They had to cancel a big project that would have showcased polar bears and seals. Lanthier, a veterinarian and walrus researcher who took the helm in Calgary two years ago, says the cancellation of the polar bears exhibit might please some animal-rights extremists, but the reality is a blow to Canada's white bears.

Polar Bears 100

Polar Bears Zoos Walruses Extremist 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 30, 2015

Guano-covered rocks (called Seal Rocks I am told, but my guess is that a seal would struggle to get up here to bask) just off the beach will probably quickly catch your attention. Black Oyster-catchers will usually be found on the rocks too, but this morning each of these species gave their best views in the receding waves.

San Francisco 133

San Francisco Seals Transported Ducks 133

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2015

Putting a baby bird back in its nest is not always the right thing to do. Did you know a bird’s body has the ability to seal a small puncture wound within minutes? Bird diets are specific to each species; liquids and food fed improperly can cause a bird to aspirate, get sick or die. So: When do you intervene?

Wounded 257

Wounded Rescue Medical Cats 257

Critter News

JULY 24, 2009

One of the worst pictures I've ever seen is of a seal with its stomach cut open and a mess of plastic inside. There are so many fronts on the war for animal rights (and I'm increasingly believing that "war" is the right word for it) and often times it's hard to know what to do. And who ingests them? Marine life.

Marine Life 100

Marine Life Seals Animal Rights For Animals 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

A bunch of Harbor Seals of Swinburne Island was a nice consolation though. That’s right, we birded! In fact, we did a Big Sit from our perch in Jamaica Bay and managed to find fifteen species which was pretty impressive considering our location in the middle of the bay in about two feet of water.

New York City 167

New York City New York Jamaica Seals 167

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2019

For many grassland species, our vast expanses of tilled and plowed fields, orchards and vineyards, pastures and rangeland offer an abundance of convenient food and shelter – and some bolder birds even wander indoors to find these things in our barns and stables. For most of history, beer has thrived in agrarian settings, too.

Vermont 122

Vermont Belgium Farming Europe 122

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

This may be the most awesome pelagic you’ll ever experience… For me it was the publication in 1984 of Peter Harrison’s ground-breaking identification guide to ‘ Seabirds ’ that opened up the off-shore world of pelagic birding right on Cape Town’s door step.

Albatross 193

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 193

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

But lets see … I’d say one of my most memorable releases is that of a Purple Martin , a species of special concern in California. I held him a minute so he could look around, then I slowly opened my hands and after a few seconds he flew off and went right to a tree trunk and started acting like a wild woodpecker.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 238

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ohio Tulsa West Virginia 238

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

This makes it a particularly exciting time in New Zealand as the Rugby World Cup begins in two days, and the competition is being held right here in New Zealand (I would imagine they might be more excited if they hadn’t just lost two matches to Australia and South Africa, their big rivals in the Tri-Nations).

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Birds 157

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2023

On the slow crawl into the farm, the first sighting was a small group of Green Ibis – a new species for me. Endemic to the Guianan shield, this species has captivated me since I first laid eyes on a photograph of it. Observing it negotiate swaying and swishing palm fronds was akin to seeing a seal swim through a kelp forest.

Farming 237

Farming Guyana Birds South America 237

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2023

In total, there are eight species of hornbills in Borneo – the best place to see them seems to be the Kinabatagan River area (also known as Sukau). Another paper reviews information on Oriental Pied Hornbills raiding the nests of various bird species in Singapore and even pet bird cages.

Rhinoceros 135

Rhinoceros Singapore Transported Hunting 135

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2017

The following morning we were up early to make a crossing and were delighted to see a Grey Seal lounging around beside the causeway and another actually on the causeway, which soon moved for pedestrians! There were hundreds of Grey Seals between the mainland and the island and every “boulder” on the sand was in fact a seal!

Seals 100

Seals Geese 2017 Ducks 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

birds” They are “damaging private property, including chewing of wires, guttering, stripping out seals between roof tiles and window frames, chewing garden plants” I bet you have a good chance of becoming the mayor of Salisbury by taking a hard line against these hooligans. So, just choose the right friends.

Birds 203

Birds Pelicans Falcons Parrots 203

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

And whether the return is a permanent one or not remains to be seen as those factors sealing my fate as a regular contributor are still binding me to this day. Oh, cheeky me left out another alternative for both cases, which brings us right to the origin of these sayings: the devil. Well folks, it’s been a while.

Germany 203

Germany Birds Hunters Owls 203

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2011

Like the other species of seabird on the island they are the subject of long term studies by PRBO Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory), and in order to get good data sets large numbers of birds are banded each year (around 800 per year). Anyway, unlike my usual deal, all rights reserved for all photos.

Breeding 191

Breeding Stray Seals Whales 191

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

As we reached the end of the sealed section of Weaber Plain Road we noticed that the water truck had been along the unsealed section to supress the dust and the Fairy Martins were busy taking advantage of the wet mud available. Birds roosting on sluice gate. Black Kites and Whistling Kites were also common along with Nankeen Kestrels.

Birds 145

Birds Collecting Seals Cattle 145

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2013

The National Park is unusual because it offers very few facilities compared to most, but there is a sealed road right into the small car park and a shade shelter with a table and chairs and information about the park. There was evidence of the mussels that would be a source of food for many species in the receding water line.

Feral 151

Feral Pelicans Ducks Pigs 151

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Eighteen-hour trips are the rule and only about four or five hours are spent in the prime area to see the species most birders are hoping to see. This explains why I did not see any Craveri’s Murrelets , a missed lifer, and didn’t get as good a look or as good a photo as I would have wanted of some other species.

Whales 116

Whales Whaling Albatross Dolphins 116

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Ever the moral perfectionist, Franklin argued that the turkey was a much more honorable and determined fowl, and suggested the bird – as an “original Native of America” – would make a decidedly more fitting avian mascot for the United States (seemingly implying – incorrectly – that the Bald Eagle is not an indigenous New World species).

2017 154

2017 Bald Eagle United States Turkey 154