10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2023

Dave Gosney’s Finding Birds Series covers mostly the Western Palearctic and describes birding in various regions of Portugal, Spain, Morocco, France, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, etc., with some additions, namely South Texas, The Gambia, and Goa (India).

Greece 192

Greece Bulgaria Macedonia Gambia 192

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Had it not been for the Wild Turkey, for instance, the first Pilgrims to America, the English ones, would not, possibly, have survived, he says. FYI, the occasionally-reliable www says that the term was invented because the goose-bumps on withdrawing addicts’ flesh resembles that on the necks of turkeys.)

Bald Eagle 153

Bald Eagle Montenegro Campaign Turkey 153

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Nesting is now confined to Morocco, irregularly in Boghari in Algeria and in Birecik, Turkey.” (The Sadly, they no longer breed in Algeria, while in Turkey no free-flying birds remain. (In But this range is now much reduced. There’s no information as to when these European colonies died out, but we do know that it was a long time ago.

Morocco 221

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 221

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2020

And while this poisonous species is usually red and spotted, older examples can lose their spots and take on an orange hue. My Laurelito trip was topped off by my discovery, when I walked back to my car, that it had been turned into a turkey perch. So I’m glad I didn’t taste my first examples.

Turkey 259

Turkey Birds Elephants Eggs 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2023

Since I have limited experience with eastern Mexico, and even less experience with tropical species, I enthusiastically accepted. By week’s end I had 30 new species on my life list. And the final species, seen in the neighborhood in which I was housed, gave me my 500th species in Mexico. Good choice! Go figure!

Mexico 130

Mexico Tigers Birds Cows 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

Black and Turkey Vultures soared overhead, joined by the occasional Osprey. Per usual, the Canada Geese proved to be the most prevalent species – and the loudest. And a lone American White Pelican , its impressive wing span reminding me for the umpteenth time of the hugeness of this species. . A fine start to GBBC!

Florida 249

Florida Birds Pelicans Geese 249

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Still, the outing did not produce any new species for the year, or enough good photos for a post here. Instead, I have chosen to write about an idea I’ve had percolating for a while: to tell you what the most common species are down here. I’ll take the most common native species in taxonomic order.

Woodpeckers 324

Woodpeckers Mexico Cattle Species 324

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2021

When you see a photo of a Snowcap, it’s easy to see why this species is a perennial top target for birding trips to Costa Rica. However, as with so many other bird species that must be seen to confirm their improbable existence, the Snowcap can be elusive. I’m sure several other species also occur.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Farming 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

At least most of the resident species can still be seen right along the road, you just have to keep an eye out for cyclists and vehicles on their way up and down the volcano. This shimmering mega species is regular on Poas and, when feeding, is often joined by the Black Guan , an arboreal black turkey-like bird with a blue face.

Costa Rica 257

Costa Rica Birds Cows Hunters 257

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

The official Ontario bird checklist, produced by Ontario Field Ornithologists , June 2022 listed 506 bird species**, putting it in the top tier of U.S. Small Species Accounts: Each species is allotted one page (with certain exceptions) offering basics–bird names and size, one or two photographs, and a one-paragraph description.

North America 207

North America Birds Owls Canada 207

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. Maybe it’s important to note that Turkey Vultures , in particular, were well-loved by , and even inspirational to , the people that lived here before Europeans arrived. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things.

California Condor 179

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 179

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2021

If we hadn’t we might be there still — stuck, perhaps, in Turkey or Jordan. The Indigo was even on its way to becoming my default species for any indescript female LBJ. But, until 2020, I almost never saw it, which is frustrating with such a loud species. But then things went crazy, and we cancelled the trip.

Mexico 163

Mexico 2020 2019 Turkey 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2019

The tropical habitats of Costa Rica are home to a surprising number of raptor species. Although the country is around the same size as West Virginia, 39 species of diurnal raptors are on the list. As is often the case for tropical ecosystems, there may be hundreds of species of birds at a site, but many of them are naturally rare.

Costa Rica 178

Costa Rica Eagles West Virginia Opossums 178

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2016

As with mammals, the avifauna of the tar pits is heavy on individuals from predatory and scavenging species who were perhaps drawn to the struggles of dying mammoths and ground sloths. The long-gone American Vulture (more closely related to old-world Vultures than anything we have today) and the still-healthy Turkey Vulture.

California Condor 176

California Condor Coyotes Eagles Turkey 176

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2016

With wild populations in the Middle East estimated in the mere hundreds, any and every threat can have devastating results to the species’ long-term survival. A breeding program in Turkey has been successful, but civil war in neighboring Syria seems to have posed a significant hazard.

Syria 100

Syria Turkey Hunting Humane 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2022

So, the basic idea is to show 15 species of Australian birds in each post and give you the usual trivia about them. This species has also eliminated the need for childcare – the chicks emerge from this pile on their own and never even get to see their parents. Similarly, the Grey Shrikethrush is neither a shrike nor a thrush.

Australia 184

Australia Birds Koalas Parrots 184

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2022

Two Purple Gallinules , two Limpkins … Raptors included Turkey Vultures , Ospreys , White-tailed , Grey-headed (so well seen in a nearby tree!) This species qualifies as Critically Endangered because extensive habitat destruction and capture for the cagebird trade are causing extremely rapid and continuing population declines.

Costa Rica 231

Costa Rica Nicaragua 2019 Farming 231

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2019

In a check of the eBird hotspot list for Santa Rita Lodge, it shows a life list there of 170 species, and approaching 13,000 check lists submitted. The resident Wild Turkey population is always ready for an easy meal at the feeders. This Varied Bunting was trying to glean something from this well picked over feeder tray.

Arizona 136

Arizona Woodpeckers Turkey Sparrows 136

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2014

Most species are so relaxed down here, getting images of birds is like shooting fish in a barrel like the above Tricolored Heron. There was a point when Clay and I noticed a bunch Turkey Vultures gathering along the road ahead of us at Viera Wetlands (aka Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands). Birding otters Turkey Vultures'

Otters 166

Otters Turkey Minnesota Florida 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2018

I submitted five checklists from four different locations yielding 44 species. Not only did I have Sandhill Cranes flying overhead, there were the usual American Kestrels perched on the wires and dozens of Turkey Vultures … and our local Lewis’s Woodpeckers. Wild Turkeys were out in full display. Fun birding!

2018 100

2018 Bald Eagle Woodpeckers Turkey 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

First, 800 km of driving from Belgrade through Bulgaria to very NE corner of Greece and the Dadia Forest National Park with its 36 species of diurnal raptors, out of Europe’s 38. From there to the nearby Evros River Delta, at the very border with Turkey, with more easterly species such as the Spur-winged Plover.

Greece 230

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2019

Based on how naturally parrots and leafbirds (the real ones in Asia, not the figments that plague birders in every country) blend into foliage, I’d imagine that most arboreal avian species would want the same advantages. The first Turkey Vulture of the year is definitely the best one! How about you?

2019 114

2019 Asia Turkey Parrots 114

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2021

If the avian realm had self-conscious, talking ambassadors, “spokebirds”, which species would partake in birding conferences? Without careful attention paid to the needs of the shyer birds, such conventions would run the risk of being overrun with the bolder species, the birds that love the spotlight. Ditto for the Kea.

Costa Rica 231

Costa Rica Belize Guatemala Protest 231

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2013

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can ease up on the turkey talk. I do regret that I saw no Wild Turkeys this weekend, only subdued, succulently prepared ones. Corey had way too many birds to choose from for his Best Bird of the Weekend, with exactly 100 species for the four-day weeekend. How about you? How about you?

2013 154

2013 Turkey New York Owls 154

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2019

I found myself in fine company on the hawk watch platform at Braddock Bay, where streaming flocks of Turkey Vultures were infiltrated by a variety of hawk species. The first weekend of the fourth month of the year unites us all with exceptional birding opportunities. Did you join the party?

2019 114

2019 Turkey Birds Experience 114

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2014

The final tally for this thirty year old count circle was 123 species. There has been a high count of 130 species in the past with an average species count of 115 and lows of 95 species on two occasions. There were also new high counts of the following species: Green-winged Teal 412 birds with a previous high of 237.

California 167

California Blackbirds Turkey Birds 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Two other countries we visited, Morocco and Turkey, have recently experienced catastrophic earthquakes. Fortunately, two species of Mergansers sometimes stray to Cuba, and so my friend suggested, correctly, that ours was a female Hooded Merganser. Flight changes were required, in mid trip. But which one?

Mexico 181

Mexico Morocco Cuba Jordan 181

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year. Herds of domesticated Water Buffalo can be seen around the lake A week’s winter birding should produce a tally of anything from 120 to 130 species, depending on how hard you work, luck and the weather.

Greece 206

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 206

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2020

In the Amazon, many more species are accepted as normal, everyday birds including potoos with haunting calls, flocks of screeching parakeets, and dozens of other fantastic birds too loud in voice or plumage to be ignored. For kids in the Yucatan, Turquoise-browed Motmots and parrots are part of the regular avian scene. Know where to look.

Costa Rica 230

Costa Rica Cleveland Turkey Parrots 230

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2021

So when this more-favorable autumn came along, my taking up turkey duty again was a non-negotiable. Perhaps the fact that we really enjoy talking to each other had a slight negative impact on the number of species seen (“only” 52). Still, a male Archilochus hummer (of either species) is a rare treat here.

Laws 198

Laws Mexico Bears Turkey 198

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Clicking on most of these photos will open a new tab taking you to my 10000 Birds posts on that respective species The post on the California Scrub-Jay above is here. One of the first species I noted were a pair of Anna’s Hummingbirds. A Turkey Vulture was soaring above… And a bit later, a Red-tailed Hawk.

Woodpeckers 101

Woodpeckers Turkey California Birds 101

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2015

And, of course, the reputation of certain species of birds as troublemakers for humans is a problem in bird conservation, so this is worth watching. Close to 5% of turkeys being farmed in Minnesota have been or shortly will be destroyed , and the virus is also affecting chickens. This is the first finding in the Mississippi flyway.

Mississippi 174

Mississippi Fowl Turkey Minnesota 174

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2019

But then I moved to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, which has almost no opportunities to see interesting species (except for a good population of burrowing owls). Mexicans call Redstarts “ pavitos ” or “ little turkeys ” because of the way the constantly spread and display their white-tipped tails like turkeys do.

San Francisco 116

San Francisco Mexico Turkey California 116

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2019

It’s also a big time for bird movements, a period punctuated by waves of migrants, first the early ones, then a time of many species, and finally, those last “late” migrants moving north. While our winter residents bulk up to head north, they are joined by other species coming from South America.

Costa Rica 136

Costa Rica South America Tennessee Philadelphia 136

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2018

This year, a few months after my fortieth birthday, when I saw a Blue Jay in West Glacier Montana I felt only a small bit of surprise – it was an uncommon bird but no longer really extralimital as a wintering species. But shifting baseline syndrome doesn’t just apply to things that have become diminished.

New York Times 140

New York Times Montana Oregon Deer 140

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

I don’t consider my little garden to be a terribly birdy patch, although years of observation have resulted in my seeing 59 species there (64, if you count the White-throated Swifts , Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks and Common Ravens that may fly high overhead). Días de precipitación = Days of precipitation.

Nashville 166

Nashville 2015 Mexico Turkey 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2019

With forest on two sides and the expansive Eglin Air Force Base reservation just beyond, avian species have a host of hiding and eating opportunities. Ahab wasn’t fishing, and the guys in ‘The Big Year’ aren’t watching birds, they’re scouring North America in a ruthless bid to tick off more species than anyone else.

Agenda 139

Agenda Birds Louisiana North America 139