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.

Vermont 146

Vermont Belgium Farming Europe 146

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

Turdus “Blacky&# Merula sat near the trunk of the small evergreen in the backyard that was his territory’s centre, hunkered down and head tucked in to shelter from the rain. It sheltered him, it haunted him, and it set his thoughts adrift, to the warmth of spring and the family he had. The darkness was all around him.

Blackbirds 154

Blackbirds Germany Shelters Rodents 154

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

High overhead, swallows are going over and in the fields, blackbirds move in undulating flocks. Where will those birds go when they come back looking for food and shelter? Look for that neighborhood oriole or grosbeak and instead, we find others of their beautiful kind that have flown in from the boreal north.

Costa Rica 200

Costa Rica South America Tennessee 2019 200

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

The sheltered bays of the Coromandel are home to another endemic, the Southern Merganser. We’ve got a couple of stake outs where we can watch not just for this raptor, the world’s largest, but where moa kills can sometimes be seen too. It certainly has no known relatives. Our tour ends on Norfolk Island.

New Zealand 250

New Zealand Ducks Mountain Goats Australia 250