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North Bend State Park, West Virginia. Strong populations of birds reside in the hardwood forests and dense understories in this north-eastern location of West Virginia. Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia. Known as a warbler haven, 30+ species visit this bi-state park near the Kentucky and Virginia southern border. Leaves and birds in the Appalachian Mountains. MORE
Corey has been enjoying the beach and the sun down in Virginia all weekend. In the midst of a three-day Memorial Day observance, many American birders still have a day left to nail down a BBOTW. If you’re not happy with your progress so far, make the most of what is left of May. MORE
Puppy Bumpers manufactured in Virginia at STEPS, Inc., Puppy Bumpers are stuffed collars that keep dogs from getting out of fences. It’s a patented solution for people with dogs who fit through wrought iron fence rails or balcony slats! Though we haven’t tried them ourselves, we think they are a great solution to a common problem a lot of pet owners have. And, we are lucky enough to have one collar to giveaway ! MORE
You can imagine my excitement when Eric Miller, a fellow Queens birder, found a Virginia Warbler in Alley Pond Park in, yes, you guessed it, Queens, on 31 October, two days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall. That’s right, I was out looking for the Virginia’s Warbler with a whole big bunch of other birders. Dipping on a bird like a Virginia’s Warbler , which normally is no closer to New York than, say, Colorado, hurt. MORE
It’s southernmost third, given to Virginia by accident of history rather than geopolitical intention, lies apart from the rest of the state both culturally and geographically. Standing at the hawkwatch at Kiptopeke State Park, as I did for a significant amount of by visit to Virginia, was a humbling experience, not just for the word-class birding raptor watching but for the enormous numbers of passerines passing overhead at any moment. Birding ABA Virginia MORE
El Temascal does not (to the best of my knowledge) host the Ovenbird , Northern Waterthrush , Lucy’s , or Virginia’s Warblers , although I do see these species elsewhere each winter. Dear U.S. and Canadian birding friends: I feel your pain. I understand that my gain is your loss. MORE
Wildlife Crime Watch" is a new program implemented by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This program is a proactive effort to develop a partnership between citizens and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Sounds intriguing. I was particularly interested in the list of program sponsors. They were all hunting associations AND the National Rifle Association. MORE
Keep your eyes to the skies for brilliant sunrises, like the one my buddy Beau Walsburger snapped in Virginia Beach this morning. I’ll be finishing up my Virginia Beach vacation and admiring birds on the Chesapeake Bridge Bay Tunnel on the way back to Rochester this weekend. The month of July is more than half over, but those of us enjoying summer still have many weeks of hot fun ahead. MORE
He had a suspicion that it might be a Virginia Rail though it wasn’t a noise he was used to hearing from Virginia Rails. To confirm the identity, he played a quick snippet of Virginia Rail tape – literally less than five seconds – and, well, as you can see from the photo above the bird responded! If you’re not finding mid-June birding all that exciting, you’re definitely not alone. MORE
after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia's Surry County. Already? Imprisoned NFL star Michael Vick will be allowed to finish his sentence under home confinement because there is no room at a halfway house for him, a government official told The Associated Press Thursday. Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., MORE
My friend Virginia texted me the other day with the message with an MP4: “What is making this high pitched sound in my yard??” Learning bird calls is essential to improve your bird watching skills. But sometimes it’s not a matter of learning different species, but learning the different calls of the most common species. American Robins have a distinctive territory song (sometimes sung at 4:30am much to the chagrin of those of us who like to sleep with our windows open). MORE
Proving that cruelty knows no bounds, some (language unsuitable for a family blog) in Virginia Beach is shooting blow darts at birds. Birding in Israel? Report your sightings to help build an eBird-like database of the country’s avifauna. MORE
I’ve only been in Virginia Beach for a few days and I’ve already knocked down most of my targets, including Blue Grosbeak and Yellow-breasted Chat at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Any Jimmy Buffet fans out there? His song, “C hanges in latitude, changes in birding attitude” really rings true when you’re on the road. Traveling really rejuvenates the passion when local breeders become banal. MORE
To the Editor: Re “ To Revive Hunting, States Turn to the Classroom ” (front page, March 8): Shame on West Virginia if it approves a bill that allows hunting education classes in public schools to become law. We should not use public schools to try to reverse the inexorable decline in the “sport” of hunting. The killing and maiming of animals for sport is a cruel and violent activity that is the antithesis of what schools should be teaching. MORE
US District Judge Emmet Sullivan signed the December 30 ruling in favor of Ringling's owner, Virginia-based Feld Entertainment Inc. Pretty heavy blow. FEI) at the outset of a nine-year-old suit brought by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) that culminated in a six-week trial in March. MORE
And in April, he sees the return of the many species he has seen in that month in years past – but, also, weirdly, a Virginia Rail, a reclusive marsh bird, flopping around the sidewalk in downtown D.C. (the As anyone who has lived in Washington or travels there for business knows, the growth of that city and northern Virginia in the last couple of decades can only be described as metastatic. MORE
Amazing photographs of an albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird that has been visiting a yard in Staunton, Virginia, can be viewed here. Asides hummingbirds MORE
My home state of Michoacán, Mexico is smaller than West Virginia. Warning: Any and all flycatchers shown in this post may be misidentified. Cut me some slack. These are the Empidonax flycatchers we are talking about here. Dear North American birders: You know them. You fear them. You have probably misidentified them. These are the dreaded Empidonax flycatchers, a genus as difficult as any we are likely to see on our continent. MORE
Overlooked this one. Another nasty farm animal abuse story. Whatever you think about PETA, I admire them for exposing this crap. It's even got Chuck Jolley from the Cattle Network riled up. Bottom line: If you’re running a business where you allow the kinds of shortcuts that let animal abuse happen, please sell it and leave the industry now. Find another line of work. If you’re caught by PETA or HSUS, please do not plead ignorance and vow to clean it up. It will be too late. MORE
Out on the Big Meadow in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, the ranger (that is Virginia the state, not Virginia the ranger) drew our attention to an unmistakeable bird call. This section, in Virginia, is known as the Blue Ridge Mountains, I am sure we all know the song! Birds features galliformes Northern Bobwhite Shenandoah National Park Virginia MORE
And, until recently, those forests also hosted Townsend’s , Hermit , Black-and-White , Virginia’s , and even a Colima Warbler or two each year. 10,000 Birds is having trouble with our website platform. If this post turns up on Wednesday, April 23, it will mean I was successful in uploading text. However, the platform did not allow me to include photos. Since I consider myself a better writer than photographer, I can live with that. MORE
Born Free Foundation was established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son Will, now CEO of both organizations. Received this press release yesterday. MORE
The Virginia’s Warbler that has eluded birders since Eric Miller first found it on 31 October has been refound – and photographed – by Andrew Baksh. This is the first documented record of this southwestern wood-warbler in New York State. Congratulations to Eric for the original find and to Andrew for forestalling any accusations of stringing against Eric! MORE
Vick has returned to his home in Virginia. From the AJC: He will spend the next two months being monitored at home and working a $10-an-hour job as a construction laborer. He’s scheduled to be released from federal custody on July 20, and then faces three years of supervised probation. MORE
One particular resting place brought me to familiar birding territory: Pleasure House Point, Virginia Beach. When I was first learning to bird in the summer of 2013, I spent a summer living with my fiance in Virginia Beach. During my three days in Virginia Beach, I knew I had to walk that path again. Virginia Beach is pretty built up, so each disturbance and loss of habitat weighs on our avian friends. Birding Virginia Virginia Beach Yellow-crowned Night-Heron MORE
Photographers: Wil Hershberger (American woodcock, Eastern whip-poor-will); Marie Read (Virginia rail, Northern flicker); Robert Royse (Canyon wren, Wilson’s snipe). MORE
While it was neither the rarest or most interesting bird I saw this weekend, the Eastern Bluebird that flew over my car as I drove through Virginia has to take Best Bird of the Weekend honors just because it will be my third blue bird in a row. This is an interesting time of year when people are coming and going while birds mostly sit still. Except, of course, that some birds are also coming and going too. MORE
Birders in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Maryland, and Virginia are all enjoying Snowy Owls , but none as much as the North Carolina birders, who are enjoying their first and second Snowy Owls in thirteen years. Snowy Owl in Queens, New York, 1 December 2013. MORE
Attorney Julia Dudley said Blevins had bought animals for several years from trappers in different states and brought them to Virginia to sell to the owners of "fox pens." He was caught after a yearlong investigation by Virginia game officials that included the undercover purchases of 54 red foxes and 47 coyotes from Blevins. Howard Glen Blevins, 68, of Asheville, N.C., pleaded guilty in March to five counts of trafficking in wild animals. A statement from U.S. MORE
She has had two for the past ten years, one she bought and had shipped from a breeder in Utah, the other from a breeder in Virginia. I am no fan of breeders, I'll admit it. I think there are many disreputable breeders, I think they are increasing a bloated supply of pets, and I think there are many purebreds already available from shelters. Are there good breeders out there that care for their animals and run their business out of pure love of their work and the animals? MORE
In addition to North Carolina, six other states have named the cardinal their state bird, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. When birders in the eastern United States see a flash of red up in the canopy or deep inside nearby bushes, more likely than not those crimson feathers belong to the iconic Northern Cardinal. MORE
Why would this West Virginia University project be the recipient of federal stimulus money? From West Virginia Metro News. Tags: west virginia university animal research Obama tax dollars us Thanks to your tax dollars, federal stimulus money is being used to build a $14.5 million dollar research lab. It is the largest grant thus far under the stimulus package. It will house rodents for use in experiments. MORE
The high court case stemmed from the arrest and conviction of a Virginia-based documentary producer named Robert Stevens who sold videos containing scenes of dogfights. The Supreme Court struck down a law that outlawed the depiction of animal cruelty. Mr. Stevens said his videos were aimed at portraying the aggressive characteristics of pit bulls and the use of pit bulls in hunting. He argued that his documentaries were protected by the First Amendment. MORE
Corey is taking his act down to Virginia Beach, which is a mighty birding destination in itself. Is May ending already? Some birders wait eleven months for just this moment, keenly feeling loss after its passing. How can you prevent the post-migration blues? Make hay while the sun shines: if birds are still passing through your corner of the world, get out and greet every one. Maybe they’ll come back in the fall! MORE
Best Friends Pet Care is a leading national pet care company and offers boarding, daycare, grooming and training at 42 locations across 18 states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. MORE
On Friday morning he unsuccessfully chased a LeConte’s Sparrow and a Connecticut Warbler in Queens but had his second ever encounter with Virginia Rail in Queens as well as a Yellow-breasted Chat. MORE
This week’s featured beer – Heir Apparent from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery of Goochland, Virginia – is a Mexican-spiced imperial stout incorporating three of those usual suspects – cinnamon, vanilla, and cocoa nibs – making it a properly sweet choice for the Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, the winter solstice, or any other midwinter holiday you find yourself celebrating next week. MORE
If they don’t feel like it, they can just keep going and fly over a place the size of West Virginia in a day. MORE
He’d heard reports of Virginia Rail being present there in winter but was amazed when one responded to a recording! So many people devoted serious time this weekend to acquiring gifts for family, friends, and strategic acquaintances. Hopefully, each of you found time to give yourselves the gift of a decent bird sighting or two. I tried to rustle up some Short-eared Owls down at Nations Road, a notorious haunt for these magnificent beasts. MORE
Northern Virginia? From VegCooking , courtesy of PeTA: The vegan-friendly attitude of P.F. Chang's is largely due to the number of requests that management receives for meatless cuisine. Vegan dishes are among the bestsellers. One manager told PETA Eats that most people prefer the vegetarian lettuce wraps over those with chicken. Wok-seared tofu, red onions, and water chestnuts with hints of mint and lime and served with cool lettuce leaves are a combination that few can turn down. MORE
Despite getting good looks at Virginia Rail , lots of Eastern Kingbirds , and a host of other birds he decided to stick by his old standby as his Best Bird of the Weekend, a Green Heron. A hot weekend doesn’t necessarily make for hot birding, but things may be warming up on that front. One truth you learn in the birding business is that birds are always moving in one direction or another. If you didn’t see much this weekend, just wait a few weeks. MORE
they are sending professional photographer Nanette Martin to take pictures of shelter pets at the Virginia Beach SPCA. We wanted to share this great initiative called “Bowl by Bowl” that challenges negative perceptions of shelter pets as well as helps feed animals in need. Purina One will donate a bowl of food to a shelter for every quiz completed on their Facebook page. MORE
F]iat justicia, ruat coelumtet," spoke Lord Mansfield, upon deciding that a Virginia slave was a free man on English soil. The problem of the unjust use of farm animals is large, growing, historical, institutionalized, governmentally encouraged, and fundamentally unregulated at either the state or federal level. Farm animals are treated essentially as raw materials. MORE
The reason I mention vacation birding is that I’m headed down to Virginia Beach this weekend for sun, sand, and who knows what else. Anyone who knows me knows my favorite kind of birding: vacation birding. Enjoy your patches and your resident breeders. I’ll take new birds in new habitat any day. I’ve always loved traveling, but never as much as now when I can truly understand a place by learning about its birds and how they connect to other avifauna across the world. MORE
Virginia Related Topics Critter News
MARCH 6, 2010
Why would this West Virginia University project be the recipient of federal stimulus money? From West Virginia Metro News. Tags: west virginia university animal research Obama tax dollars us Thanks to your tax dollars, federal stimulus money is being used to build a $14.5 million dollar research lab. It is the largest grant thus far under the stimulus package. It will house rodents for use in experiments.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 30, 2012
It’s southernmost third, given to Virginia by accident of history rather than geopolitical intention, lies apart from the rest of the state both culturally and geographically. Standing at the hawkwatch at Kiptopeke State Park, as I did for a significant amount of by visit to Virginia, was a humbling experience, not just for the word-class birding raptor watching but for the enormous numbers of passerines passing overhead at any moment. Birding ABA Virginia
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 17, 2011
Amazing photographs of an albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird that has been visiting a yard in Staunton, Virginia, can be viewed here. Asides hummingbirds
Critter News
AUGUST 16, 2008
Attorney Julia Dudley said Blevins had bought animals for several years from trappers in different states and brought them to Virginia to sell to the owners of "fox pens." He was caught after a yearlong investigation by Virginia game officials that included the undercover purchases of 54 red foxes and 47 coyotes from Blevins. Howard Glen Blevins, 68, of Asheville, N.C., pleaded guilty in March to five counts of trafficking in wild animals. A statement from U.S.
Critter News
NOVEMBER 29, 2008
Overlooked this one. Another nasty farm animal abuse story. Whatever you think about PETA, I admire them for exposing this crap. It's even got Chuck Jolley from the Cattle Network riled up. Bottom line: If you’re running a business where you allow the kinds of shortcuts that let animal abuse happen, please sell it and leave the industry now. Find another line of work. If you’re caught by PETA or HSUS, please do not plead ignorance and vow to clean it up. It will be too late.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 9, 2012
The Virginia’s Warbler that has eluded birders since Eric Miller first found it on 31 October has been refound – and photographed – by Andrew Baksh. This is the first documented record of this southwestern wood-warbler in New York State. Congratulations to Eric for the original find and to Andrew for forestalling any accusations of stringing against Eric!
10,000 Birds
JUNE 27, 2017
One particular resting place brought me to familiar birding territory: Pleasure House Point, Virginia Beach. When I was first learning to bird in the summer of 2013, I spent a summer living with my fiance in Virginia Beach. During my three days in Virginia Beach, I knew I had to walk that path again. Virginia Beach is pretty built up, so each disturbance and loss of habitat weighs on our avian friends. Birding Virginia Virginia Beach Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Critter News
MAY 21, 2009
Vick has returned to his home in Virginia. From the AJC: He will spend the next two months being monitored at home and working a $10-an-hour job as a construction laborer. He’s scheduled to be released from federal custody on July 20, and then faces three years of supervised probation.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
On Friday morning he unsuccessfully chased a LeConte’s Sparrow and a Connecticut Warbler in Queens but had his second ever encounter with Virginia Rail in Queens as well as a Yellow-breasted Chat.
Critter News
JANUARY 7, 2010
US District Judge Emmet Sullivan signed the December 30 ruling in favor of Ringling's owner, Virginia-based Feld Entertainment Inc. Pretty heavy blow. FEI) at the outset of a nine-year-old suit brought by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) that culminated in a six-week trial in March.
4 The Love Of Animals
AUGUST 21, 2012
Best Friends Pet Care is a leading national pet care company and offers boarding, daycare, grooming and training at 42 locations across 18 states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
Critter News
APRIL 20, 2010
The high court case stemmed from the arrest and conviction of a Virginia-based documentary producer named Robert Stevens who sold videos containing scenes of dogfights. The Supreme Court struck down a law that outlawed the depiction of animal cruelty. Mr. Stevens said his videos were aimed at portraying the aggressive characteristics of pit bulls and the use of pit bulls in hunting. He argued that his documentaries were protected by the First Amendment.
10,000 Birds
JULY 17, 2014
Keep your eyes to the skies for brilliant sunrises, like the one my buddy Beau Walsburger snapped in Virginia Beach this morning. I’ll be finishing up my Virginia Beach vacation and admiring birds on the Chesapeake Bridge Bay Tunnel on the way back to Rochester this weekend. The month of July is more than half over, but those of us enjoying summer still have many weeks of hot fun ahead.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 23, 2019
He had a suspicion that it might be a Virginia Rail though it wasn’t a noise he was used to hearing from Virginia Rails. To confirm the identity, he played a quick snippet of Virginia Rail tape – literally less than five seconds – and, well, as you can see from the photo above the bird responded! If you’re not finding mid-June birding all that exciting, you’re definitely not alone.
Critter News
AUGUST 27, 2008
Wildlife Crime Watch" is a new program implemented by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This program is a proactive effort to develop a partnership between citizens and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Sounds intriguing. I was particularly interested in the list of program sponsors. They were all hunting associations AND the National Rifle Association.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 27, 2018
North Bend State Park, West Virginia. Strong populations of birds reside in the hardwood forests and dense understories in this north-eastern location of West Virginia. Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia. Known as a warbler haven, 30+ species visit this bi-state park near the Kentucky and Virginia southern border. Leaves and birds in the Appalachian Mountains.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 20, 2019
This week’s featured beer – Heir Apparent from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery of Goochland, Virginia – is a Mexican-spiced imperial stout incorporating three of those usual suspects – cinnamon, vanilla, and cocoa nibs – making it a properly sweet choice for the Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, the winter solstice, or any other midwinter holiday you find yourself celebrating next week.
4 The Love Of Animals
OCTOBER 13, 2011
they are sending professional photographer Nanette Martin to take pictures of shelter pets at the Virginia Beach SPCA. We wanted to share this great initiative called “Bowl by Bowl” that challenges negative perceptions of shelter pets as well as helps feed animals in need. Purina One will donate a bowl of food to a shelter for every quiz completed on their Facebook page.
4 The Love Of Animals
JULY 6, 2010
Puppy Bumpers manufactured in Virginia at STEPS, Inc., Puppy Bumpers are stuffed collars that keep dogs from getting out of fences. It’s a patented solution for people with dogs who fit through wrought iron fence rails or balcony slats! Though we haven’t tried them ourselves, we think they are a great solution to a common problem a lot of pet owners have. And, we are lucky enough to have one collar to giveaway !
Animal Person
JULY 21, 2009
Northern Virginia? From VegCooking , courtesy of PeTA: The vegan-friendly attitude of P.F. Chang's is largely due to the number of requests that management receives for meatless cuisine. Vegan dishes are among the bestsellers. One manager told PETA Eats that most people prefer the vegetarian lettuce wraps over those with chicken. Wok-seared tofu, red onions, and water chestnuts with hints of mint and lime and served with cool lettuce leaves are a combination that few can turn down.
10,000 Birds
JULY 21, 2019
Despite getting good looks at Virginia Rail , lots of Eastern Kingbirds , and a host of other birds he decided to stick by his old standby as his Best Bird of the Weekend, a Green Heron. A hot weekend doesn’t necessarily make for hot birding, but things may be warming up on that front. One truth you learn in the birding business is that birds are always moving in one direction or another. If you didn’t see much this weekend, just wait a few weeks.
Critter News
FEBRUARY 26, 2009
after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia's Surry County. Already? Imprisoned NFL star Michael Vick will be allowed to finish his sentence under home confinement because there is no room at a halfway house for him, a government official told The Associated Press Thursday. Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan.,
Animal Ethics
FEBRUARY 1, 2012
F]iat justicia, ruat coelumtet," spoke Lord Mansfield, upon deciding that a Virginia slave was a free man on English soil. The problem of the unjust use of farm animals is large, growing, historical, institutionalized, governmentally encouraged, and fundamentally unregulated at either the state or federal level. Farm animals are treated essentially as raw materials.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
If they don’t feel like it, they can just keep going and fly over a place the size of West Virginia in a day.
10,000 Birds
MAY 26, 2019
Corey has been enjoying the beach and the sun down in Virginia all weekend. In the midst of a three-day Memorial Day observance, many American birders still have a day left to nail down a BBOTW. If you’re not happy with your progress so far, make the most of what is left of May.
10,000 Birds
MAY 24, 2019
Corey is taking his act down to Virginia Beach, which is a mighty birding destination in itself. Is May ending already? Some birders wait eleven months for just this moment, keenly feeling loss after its passing. How can you prevent the post-migration blues? Make hay while the sun shines: if birds are still passing through your corner of the world, get out and greet every one. Maybe they’ll come back in the fall!
Critter News
MARCH 14, 2009
She has had two for the past ten years, one she bought and had shipped from a breeder in Utah, the other from a breeder in Virginia. I am no fan of breeders, I'll admit it. I think there are many disreputable breeders, I think they are increasing a bloated supply of pets, and I think there are many purebreds already available from shelters. Are there good breeders out there that care for their animals and run their business out of pure love of their work and the animals?
10,000 Birds
APRIL 28, 2015
In addition to North Carolina, six other states have named the cardinal their state bird, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. When birders in the eastern United States see a flash of red up in the canopy or deep inside nearby bushes, more likely than not those crimson feathers belong to the iconic Northern Cardinal.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 10, 2012
You can imagine my excitement when Eric Miller, a fellow Queens birder, found a Virginia Warbler in Alley Pond Park in, yes, you guessed it, Queens, on 31 October, two days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall. That’s right, I was out looking for the Virginia’s Warbler with a whole big bunch of other birders. Dipping on a bird like a Virginia’s Warbler , which normally is no closer to New York than, say, Colorado, hurt.
Critter News
AUGUST 9, 2010
Born Free Foundation was established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son Will, now CEO of both organizations. Received this press release yesterday.
10,000 Birds
JULY 6, 2020
And in April, he sees the return of the many species he has seen in that month in years past – but, also, weirdly, a Virginia Rail, a reclusive marsh bird, flopping around the sidewalk in downtown D.C. (the As anyone who has lived in Washington or travels there for business knows, the growth of that city and northern Virginia in the last couple of decades can only be described as metastatic.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
El Temascal does not (to the best of my knowledge) host the Ovenbird , Northern Waterthrush , Lucy’s , or Virginia’s Warblers , although I do see these species elsewhere each winter. Dear U.S. and Canadian birding friends: I feel your pain. I understand that my gain is your loss.
10,000 Birds
JUNE 23, 2014
Proving that cruelty knows no bounds, some (language unsuitable for a family blog) in Virginia Beach is shooting blow darts at birds. Birding in Israel? Report your sightings to help build an eBird-like database of the country’s avifauna.
Animal Ethics
MARCH 12, 2008
To the Editor: Re “ To Revive Hunting, States Turn to the Classroom ” (front page, March 8): Shame on West Virginia if it approves a bill that allows hunting education classes in public schools to become law. We should not use public schools to try to reverse the inexorable decline in the “sport” of hunting. The killing and maiming of animals for sport is a cruel and violent activity that is the antithesis of what schools should be teaching.
10,000 Birds
MAY 17, 2020
Photographers: Wil Hershberger (American woodcock, Eastern whip-poor-will); Marie Read (Virginia rail, Northern flicker); Robert Royse (Canyon wren, Wilson’s snipe).
10,000 Birds
JULY 20, 2014
While it was neither the rarest or most interesting bird I saw this weekend, the Eastern Bluebird that flew over my car as I drove through Virginia has to take Best Bird of the Weekend honors just because it will be my third blue bird in a row. This is an interesting time of year when people are coming and going while birds mostly sit still. Except, of course, that some birds are also coming and going too.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 22, 2020
And, until recently, those forests also hosted Townsend’s , Hermit , Black-and-White , Virginia’s , and even a Colima Warbler or two each year. 10,000 Birds is having trouble with our website platform. If this post turns up on Wednesday, April 23, it will mean I was successful in uploading text. However, the platform did not allow me to include photos. Since I consider myself a better writer than photographer, I can live with that.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 21, 2014
He’d heard reports of Virginia Rail being present there in winter but was amazed when one responded to a recording! So many people devoted serious time this weekend to acquiring gifts for family, friends, and strategic acquaintances. Hopefully, each of you found time to give yourselves the gift of a decent bird sighting or two. I tried to rustle up some Short-eared Owls down at Nations Road, a notorious haunt for these magnificent beasts.
10,000 Birds
MAY 29, 2013
My friend Virginia texted me the other day with the message with an MP4: “What is making this high pitched sound in my yard??” Learning bird calls is essential to improve your bird watching skills. But sometimes it’s not a matter of learning different species, but learning the different calls of the most common species. American Robins have a distinctive territory song (sometimes sung at 4:30am much to the chagrin of those of us who like to sleep with our windows open).
10,000 Birds
JULY 10, 2014
The reason I mention vacation birding is that I’m headed down to Virginia Beach this weekend for sun, sand, and who knows what else. Anyone who knows me knows my favorite kind of birding: vacation birding. Enjoy your patches and your resident breeders. I’ll take new birds in new habitat any day. I’ve always loved traveling, but never as much as now when I can truly understand a place by learning about its birds and how they connect to other avifauna across the world.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 16, 2019
My home state of Michoacán, Mexico is smaller than West Virginia. Warning: Any and all flycatchers shown in this post may be misidentified. Cut me some slack. These are the Empidonax flycatchers we are talking about here. Dear North American birders: You know them. You fear them. You have probably misidentified them. These are the dreaded Empidonax flycatchers, a genus as difficult as any we are likely to see on our continent.
10,000 Birds
JULY 13, 2014
I’ve only been in Virginia Beach for a few days and I’ve already knocked down most of my targets, including Blue Grosbeak and Yellow-breasted Chat at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Any Jimmy Buffet fans out there? His song, “C hanges in latitude, changes in birding attitude” really rings true when you’re on the road. Traveling really rejuvenates the passion when local breeders become banal.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 2, 2013
Birders in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Maryland, and Virginia are all enjoying Snowy Owls , but none as much as the North Carolina birders, who are enjoying their first and second Snowy Owls in thirteen years. Snowy Owl in Queens, New York, 1 December 2013.
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