10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2013

A breeding bird atlas is a special kind of book. For the nature lovers and birders who participate in breeding bird surveys, the atlas represents hours, often hundreds of hours, of volunteer time spent within a community of citizen scientists doing what they love, observing birds. So, what exactly does a breeding bird atlas contain?

Pennsylvania 234

Pennsylvania Breeding Sparrows Birds 234

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2011

They breed up here, and spend their winters (usually) in the lower reaches of the Arctic and near polynyas (year round ice free waters) such as the North Water Polynya between Ellesmere Island and Groenland. Lemmings can have four or five litters a year of as many eight young. So this was a good summer for lemmings, a very good year.

Owls 240

Owls Fox Oklahoma Soreing 240

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2012

Predators that rely on lemmings, like the Snowy Owl , took advantage of the bounty and had great breeding success, raising large broods which, after the lemming population crashes, dispersed far and wide. And while I haven’t made it over their yet I hope to before they disperse into breeding territories.

Rabbits 214

Rabbits Breeding Litter Raised 214

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

These black and white water birds are an annual summer presence on freshwater lakes throughout the northern United States and Canada, migrating to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the winter. To successfully hunt and breed they need clean and clear lakes, and so are sensitive to pollution that affects both them and/or their fishy prey.

Minnesota 166

Minnesota Litter Legislation Alaska 166

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2012

My spring has been pretty amazing so far with 146 species spotted since April 1 and Cerulean , Worm-eating , and Yellow-throated Warblers and a host of other species spotted before May even arrived, but the first couple of days in May have been even better.

New York City 157

New York City New York Litter 2009 157

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Even a big trip to Canada, though it turned up many other delightful species ( Boreal Owl , anyone?) They moved around a lot, but I would say there were at least thirty and maybe up to fifty individuals, in a variety of plumages that seemed to speak of a successful breeding season. When I went back the next day, they were still there.

Pythons 187

Pythons Litter Montana 2006 187