10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

2014 has been a good year for us at 10,000 Birds. Larry starts us off right with an owl that makes birders drool: I was able to see and photograph many great birds in 2014 but my Best Bird of the Year would have to be the Great Gray Owl , the largest Strix in North America. That’s Redgannet’s BBOTY at the top of the post.

2014 182

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Penguins 182

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2016

For example, years ago, Eiton Tchenrov postulated that the wild progenitor of the domestic dog, some subspecies or another of wolf, could benefit from overlapping its breeding territory with human hunters. The humans tended to keep away a range of predators that might take the pups as a form of interference competition.

Alligators 112

Alligators Leopards Protection Rabbits 112

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

And, Essay #195, “Our Human Values: The Ugly,” describes the standoff between catfish loving Double-crested Cormorants and catfish farmers in the Missouri Valley. I’m not sure if “the Ugly” refers to the cormorant itself or human reaction (catfish farmers are officially allowed to shoot the birds). (I

North America 114

North America Birds Prairie Dogs Barn Owls 114

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

As a birder, I’ve seen the sounds of guns scare off geese and ducks I was trying to observe in New Jersey waters, and shuddered over the skins of Northern Pintails and American Wigeons seen in boats along Alligator Alley, Florida. I was really taken aback when I saw this. So–not a fan of hunting. Harrison, 2005, PUP).

Ducks 113

Ducks Geese North America Hunters 113