10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2013

Alas, I had no time outdoors this weekend, which leaves House Sparrows sheltering a giant wreath as my Best Bird of the Weekend. Winter may not technically begin for another couple of weeks, but frigid temperatures and wicked snow are assailing various parts of North America.

ALA 189

ALA United States 2013 North America 189

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Alas, our rainy season seems to be slowing down — although I heard a rumble of thunder as I wrote the sentence — fingers crossed! That is not due to a lack of birding; I am still going out every Monday. But very rainy weather during August made it harder to see exciting birds, and often resulted in poor photos of those I did see.

Colombia 264

Colombia ALA Canada Mexico 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2020

Alas, these gentle rains may not always speed spring migrants on their way to breeding grounds far from the equator. April showers most assuredly bring May flowers in the more temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere. Any luck this weekend? The ridiculous cold afflicting the northeastern U.S.

2020 205

2020 ALA Blackbirds Birds 205

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2015

Alas, the long slog to spring will take many, many more frigid, blustery weeks. Keep your eyes to the skies for freaky hybrids ! If you live on my side of the globe–north/south axis, of course–you may be as sick as I am of winter weather.

ALA 181

ALA 2015 Hunting Birds 181

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

Alas, the only thing either of us found worth making a call about was the white cowbird, which I refound in one of the huge flocks of cowbirds and starlings that have been roaming around Fort Tilden. He had seen the bird a couple of minutes earlier but then a Merlin had come past and he lost the white bird in the frantic flock.

ALA 212

ALA Birds Species 212

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2013

Rumor has it the falls are fantastic for gulls, but alas only in winter! If you’re not sure why moths deserve your wonder or how you should observe this annual extravaganza, check the excellent National Moth Week website. More visitors from out of town will be bringing me to North America’s most famous waterfall, Niagara Falls.

2013 187

2013 ALA Trinidad North America 187

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 2, 2013

But alas, my comedic skills are subpar. In truly absurd, I am not making this up news, villagers in Turkey recently accused a bird of being an Israeli spy. There’s a joke in here somewhere stemming from the fact that the country’s name is Turkey. Have at it in the comments, if you like.).

Israel 207

Israel Turkey Austin Stray 207

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2012

Choosing among the hawks, eagles, and owls at the raptor residence (alas no rehab for these irreparably injured birds of prey) and the active late winter species in the park seemed impossible, until an impressive Pileated Woodpecker put on a powerful display of excavatory activity.

2012 178

2012 ALA Woodpeckers Eagles 178

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2015

Even the first Common House Martin has been spotted and the flocks of returning Common (Eurasian) Cranes here and there – alas, not by me. However, Garganeys and Northern Lapwings are back; the other day I saw my first Black Stork of the season and Eurasian Skylarks are already singing in flight above the fields.

Serbia 248

Serbia ALA Protection Collecting 248

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

Alas, the New York coastline is nowhere near as picturesque as the Pacific coast as our photo above by Duncan shows. This verse and many of the others in Thomas’s Poem in October references birds. Were I to write a poem about October, I’d do the same. How about you? Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding?

ALA 174

ALA 2013 Horses New York 174

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2022

Alas, we did not hear our Roadrunners vocalize, although I have heard sing on one other visit to La Escalera. They seem to derive their common name more from the habits of their better-known relative, than from their own habits. Number 4 proves my point. Lesser Roadrunners also do not know when to stop with the eyeliner.

Coyotes 253

Coyotes Mexico ALA Abandoning 253

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2013

We took my father-in-law’s new boat out to a barrier island south of Chincoteague NWR… alas, I had so little faith in our first voyage that I left my camera home for safety. My Piping Plover experience was probably better, as I was surrounded by at least 5 in un-plover-like proximity. <strong>How about you?

2013 180

2013 ALA Laws Birds 180

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2021

Alas, our trip to the sea was not to be! The trip began with plans made by world birder Pirjo Lakso to see if we could do a repeat of the fantastic pelagic trip we did in April, earlier this year. The evening before our trip, we received word of high winds and rough waters; seas much too rough for a boat.

Costa Rica 258

Costa Rica ALA Peru Texas 258

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2011

Alas, my hoped-for Tundra Swan did not materialize despite the proximity of Swan River National Wildlife Refuge. Migrants, alas, were not yet much in evidence aside from the Canada Geese (mild climate my foot.) We also spotted Raven , Bald Eagle , Black-billed Magpie , and the inevitable Canada Goose.

Mules 169

Mules Bald Eagle ALA Turkey 169

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2022

Alas – thick clouds in the rainforest only mean one thing: rain. My fortunes began to swing with the passage of time, as I guess all good pendulums tend to do. That White-necked Thrush I patiently waited on earlier showed up again, this time sitting in plain view. White-necked Thrush. The encroaching darkness.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad ALA Woodpeckers Experiments 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2020

The cows and their entourage of Cattle Egrets sloshed through the pastures, each time they moved we lurched forward hoping to see a disturbed Grey-breasted Crake hop into view – but alas, no such luck even though we were hearing the little skulkers consistently.

Livestock 262

Livestock ALA Ducks illegal 262

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2024

Alas, there must have been some lesson taking place that was beyond my understanding. We observed the adult bird drink hesitantly from the river, and I wondered why it didn’t opt for a safer, more secluded option. Surely there must have been copious carnivores lurking in the murky water who wouldn’t mind a feathery snack.

Guyana 246

Guyana Otters Trinidad Bats 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2024

Alas, this little lovely perched on a wire just outside the window of the classroom where I was teaching at the moment, so no photos were taken. And they are so trusting that I found myself musing whether I would lose Lifer Points if one should happen to climb onto my lap. I confess that I did, however, momentarily lose all concentration.

Barn Owls 246

Barn Owls Mexico Parrots ALA 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 21, 2020

Alas, I am not among them. At the Uvac Dam (cover photo), a large group of conference participants was leaving the shuttle bus as I stopped the car… While I carefully reversed through the scattered bunch, a lucky few saw the main prize landing at the hilltop vulture restaurant: the huge Cinereous Vulture (or Eurasian Black Vulture)!

Serbia 317

Serbia Sanctuary Bosnia Birds 317

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2021

The Ala Shan Redstart (which I will not call Przevalski’s Redstart, see my juvenile rants about the evil Mr Przevalski in earlier editions of this blog) is a very attractive bird and – as many attractive birds – listed as Near Threatened. “ Not the bird’s fault, I guess.

China 264

China Austria Birds ALA 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2015

Among teak and bamboo thickets, a winding forest road takes us deeper into the enchanted Snake Jungle, but alas, not a Tiger in sight. Birds included common species such as Black Drongos , Jungle Babblers and a Hoopoe. Nitin will stay for a few more days and get his close-ups of Tigers.)

Tigers 252

Tigers Dogs India Snow Leopard 252

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Alas, I haven’t found a way to make it work. I’ve tried to rig up an iPhone adapter to my spotting scope by using an iPhone case and trying to attach it to the Swarovski DCA –that one is my favorite adapter because it slips off the scopes eyepiece quickly.

Israel 263

Israel ALA Abandoning Abandonment 263

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2021

Alas, as the decade progressed, I also saw the site degenerate. First, fences started to appear. Sections were logged, to be replaced with avocado groves, or, even worse, the biological desert of unvaried pasture.

Kansas 251

Kansas Wounded ALA Squirrels 251

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2019

Alas, I won’t be anywhere near penguins this weekend, so I’ll have to make do with whatever uncommon shorebirds trickle through Lake Ontario. Entering is easy, but you should get to it quickly, as the promotion ends when August does. At the very least, thinking about penguins might keep you cool while summer still sizzles!

2019 155

2019 Penguins ALA Birds 155

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2024

Alas, these highly unpredictable birds seem to have moved on. We saw 72 species, although in winter we could have found 30 more. This Monday we went to the path to Triquillo, to check out a burnt-out forest that might offer the Aztec Thrushes my biologist friends lust after.

Turkey 243

Turkey ALA Mexico Collecting 243

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 15, 2015

Alas, the winds blew nothing exceptional my way. Every week, the winds carry the unexpected hither and yon. Were you hither? Were you yon? If so, we’d love to hear what you found there. In fact, my weekend avifauna was so prosaic that a lone House Finch stood out as the most interesting sighting.

ALA 145

ALA 2015 Birds Experience 145

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Alas, we’re also intimately acquainted with darker emotions; the lust in our hearts alone (for lifers and optics, naturally) exacts a heavy emotional toll.

Emotional 160

Emotional 2011 Ohio ALA 160

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2024

I didn’t think I’d dip on a resident, sedentary, and supposedly unmissable bird – but alas, such is the beautiful unpredictability of nature. Nevertheless, it was still a magical experience sitting in the jungle. The post Dipping in Guyana first appeared on 10,000 Birds.

Guyana 246

Guyana Brazil ALA Eagles 246

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2022

Alas, I have found no viable acorns anywhere this past year — just as I am figuring out how to get oak seedlings to survive. They look promising: You may note that I have no oak seedlings this year. But of the native trees I would like to grow, the Jamaican Nettletree (Trema micrantha) surpasses all the rest.

Mexico 276

Mexico ALA Collecting Sparrows 276

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2013

Alas, Atlanta couldn’t seal the deal in the second half, but Baltimore bullied their way to the Big Game. Those of us perched precariously at the intersection of birds and sports couldn’t help but hope for a Bird Bowl, where both teams competing in Super Bowl XLVII were named for birds.

Falcons 150

Falcons Atlanta Baltimore ALA 150

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2020

But, alas, the Novel Coronavirus did not respect my plans. And while it was to be a work (ministry) trip, I had still managed to schedule it right during the migratory peak along these two major corridors. I was soooo excited about getting to know the Middle East, as well as some of its exotic species.

Species 191

Species Mexico Jordan Turkey 191

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2022

Alas, our Western Gull was nowhere to be found! When not loafing by the fish shops, the gull sometimes takes sun on a nearby roof, even perching on the roof of the ferry that crosses the Gulf of Nicoya. With this birding knowledge in mind, we made a few passes by the shops, checked as many boats as we could and scanned rooftops.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Fish Belize Nicaragua 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2021

And when you do get it to come within sight (alas, with playback, always), it can be as bold as any other member of this cocky family. In other words, it is a bird photographer’s nightmare. But there is no missing its beautiful song wringing through a canyon.

ALA 212

ALA United States Mexico Family 212

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2011

Two weekends ago, I took a little jaunt to Eagle Lake hoping to see the complete courtship display of the Western and Clark’s Grebes but alas, I was too late. They are already nesting. I did see several American White Pelicans though, including this immature bird (click on photos for full sized images).

Pelicans 165

Pelicans Fish California Condor North America 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2024

Alas, they were too distant to photograph. Though I see these birds often in the winter, their plumage is as grey as their name suggests. But when they acquire their breeding plumage they are, like so many waders, birds transformed, with the black belly contrasting with the silver-spangled back.

Greece 246

Greece Turtles Breeding Europe 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2018

But, alas, I’d have colored practically the whole letter. After all, removing resources is the exact opposite of protecting resources. Here’s the not-altogether-unexpected reply: The ‘official’ response to my letter of concern. © The White House. I was going to highlight the inaccurate parts. al from abuse of power!

Colorado 188

Colorado Bears Protection ALA 188

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

Alas, the flowering plants had almost all dried up, and hummingbirds were few. I went to the tiny town of Laurelito, on the north slope of Pico Azul, a 2,440 m (8,000 feet) peak just south of Morelia. But the stream that runs through the area still has water, and that may have been important for the good birding.

Woodpeckers 248

Woodpeckers Nashville Mexico ALA 248