10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

I love sparrows, so seeing a feather-worn Vesper Sparrow this past July filled my heart with joy. I wanted to see prairie birds and I wanted to experience a new state. We saw sparrows–a total of 14 species–and we saw many other great prairie birds, and we often saw them perched on posts.

North Dakota 197

North Dakota Sparrows Birds Blackbirds 197

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. The experience of seeing a pair feeding and calling in the mountains of Honduras felt like a much more genuine birding experience to me. Trips Honduran birding La Tigra motmot'

Honduras 254

Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Arizona 254

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2020

The burgeoning number of waders in the fall reminds locals that many herons and egrets disperse northward during the late spring and early summer to breed and feed, returning in the late summer and fall to seek refuge from the oncoming cold and lack of food. For me, these birds add a bit of mystique and mystery to the overall experience.

Florida 264

Florida Miami Falcons Birds 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Above them, on limestone cliffs, Alpine Swift and Crag Martin breed. The good side of this popularity is presence of restaurants and inns (from personal experience I can recommend a place for carnivores called Vodopad – By the waterfall). Forest covers 70% of the area (hornbeam, beech and oak).

Serbia 264

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2024

As I have mentioned repeatedly over the past months, life this spring has gone topsy-turvy in central Mexico, as we experience what has certainly been one of our driest years in history. But the Black-chested Sparrow is also rather handsome, for a sparrow, and has an even smaller range.

Mexico 246

Mexico South America 2020 America 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

These striking and inquisitive jays were perhaps the bird of the trip for me, and we took our time to soak in the experience of encountering these wonderful birds. This poorly documented swallow is a breeding endemic to these high mountains. A little further along the road, we stopped at a stake-out for Sinaloa Martin.

Mexico 247

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Bats 247

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2012

Few experiences birding get me more excited than adding a new bird to my Queens list. Two of the four Lark Sparrows I have seen in Queens Two out of ten is not good enough, leaving me smack-dab on the Mendoza Line. Sadly, it did not stick around to breed though I thought that it might. I must do better!

Connecticut 231

Connecticut 2011 Jamaica 2012 231

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2014

(And one that I have written about before when I was pleased to find Blackburnian Warblers like the one above breeding.). It also had nesting Gray Catbirds , fledgling Chipping Sparrows , singing Red-eyed Vireos , and a patch of jewel weed that attracted Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. How cute is this? Mom has a bug! I am adorable!

New York 212

New York Cooking Chipmunks Whaling 212

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

With the easy-to-use platform offered by the Great Backyard Bird Count, birders of all ages and experience levels set out to find, tally, and document as many birds as possible within the boundaries of Miami-Dade. Although they breed on the west coast of Florida, Snowy Plover is a rare stray to this part of the state. Blue Grosbeak: 1.

Miami 217

Miami 2015 United States Florida 217

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2011

By their unexpected numbers and activity, I wouldn’t be surprised if they we’re planning on breeding here. Corey’s best bird of the weekend was a Grasshopper Sparrow in Queens, his first ever in his (adopted) home borough. If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

2011 154

2011 Adoptable Birds Sparrows 154

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2014

Sure, Miami and the Florida Keys do not boast any endemics ( ‘Cape Sable’ Seaside Sparrow is close) at the species level. Coupled with its geologic youth, this makes the southern tip of the state function as a bit of an island experiment. However, few realize how unique and how good the birding can be here.

Florida 195

Florida Miami Stray United States 195

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2015

And, not surprisingly, the breeding birds present were largely the same species as last year which was not a problem at all! After all, having fledgling Blackburnian Warblers , Red-eyed Vireos (like the one above), Chipping Sparrows , and Black-throated Green Warblers in the trees around the tent was awesome! That’s my boy!

Birds 162

Birds New York Family Sparrows 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

My own trip was not an intensive birding experience, and August is clearly not the most productive month. Black Stork and three pairs of White-tailed Eagles breed here. In some years, Spanish Sparrows were reported breeding inside White Storks nests in Sakule. “I would certainly recommend Serbia to visiting birders.

Serbia 203

Serbia Bulgaria Farming Turtles 203

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. I had a beautifull view on 5 horned grebe here (one in breeding plumage), in Ann Arbor Michigan, for the 3 seconds it lasted, until I heard a huge “CRRACK&# , and I fell through the ice. What was your best bird of the weekend?

2011 200

2011 New York Deer Philadelphia 200

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2017

June may be the gateway to summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but the birding still delivers the thrills of spring migration when you have access to the right birds’ breeding grounds. I visited Letchworth State Park this weekend, renowned for a ridiculous density of breeding wood warblers. How about you?

2017 124

2017 Louisiana Birds Breeding 124

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2016

Light blue boxes give brief facts on breeding age, strategy and lifespan. To an intermediate-level birder like me, the material in Better Birding –highly focused, detailed, based on the latest research and years of field experience– is daunting, but also fascinating. Le Conte’s Sparrow!” Authors George L.

Birds 190

Birds Groups 2015 North America 190

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

For 9 months of the year, this great, bellowing herd can be found in the Serengeti and watching the long lines of grunting wildebeest moving across the plains is truly a remarkable experience. Day upon day can be spent in this vast and productive wilderness of epic proportions without ever feeling that the limits have been reached!

Tanzania 250

Tanzania Africa Stud Leopards 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

The experience was marvelous — but it also weighed heavily on me. Here’s a diagram, available on the Audubon site , that compares its 2000 range with its anticipated 2080 range: Only 1 percent of the bird’s breeding range remains stable between 2000 and 2080 if global warming continues on its current course.

Species 230

Species Los Angeles Science 2000 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

This is an endemic breeding bird in North America and much is now being done by various federal and non-profit groups to ensure and foster its conservation. Piping plovers are always a treat to see, whether at their coastal or inland breeding grounds or whether at their southern wintering grounds.

Florida 238

Florida South Africa 2011 Africa 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2011

Not to mention, its brilliantly bulbous crimson throat, bloated during breeding season must be a sight! They really appeared to enjoy this, because as soon as they swam back to the rocks they would line up again to repeat the experience. The Magnificent Frigatebird is the bird I would want to see.

Brazil 247

Brazil 2011 Birds Penguins 247

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

It is home to four diverse forest ecosystems (deciduous, mixed, boreal, and lowlands), experiences seasonal weather systems ranging from cold dry Arctic winters to humid, thunder-storm filled summers, and, according to the latest official checklist, hosts four professional sports teams with bird names.* state and Canadian provinces.

North America 246

North America Birds Owls Canada 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

Share Your Thoughts « A First Christmas Bird Count Experience Cerulean Warbler Gets a Boost in Colombia » To learn more about 10,000 Birds, Mike, Corey, or the many marvelous Beat Writers, please click here. As promised, one winner has been chosen at random from all entries that [.] Thanks for visiting!

Brazil 240

Brazil Wildlife 2011 Deer 240

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. Ringer Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae) Black-and-white gannets breed on the cold, rocky coasts of the northern and southern oceans. They can soar for hours, or plunge and twist after another bird with spectacular power and flair.

2011 206

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea California 206

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2012

Carrie had been at Jones Beach pretty recently , but was happy to return, while I’m not sure that John had ever been, but he certainly seemed to enjoy the experience. She was lucky to get a breeding-plumaged male as a first look ( not like me ) which makes the moniker “harlequin” quite easy to understand.

New York 160

New York Butcher Geese 2009 160

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2018

Speaking of gifts, I finally tracked down that Henslow’s Sparrow that’s been singing its heart out dawn and dusk in a highly inconvenient field. The photo above portrays the field at Beatty Point, but you probably can’t see the sparrow, which made me wait far too long before popping out from cover. How about you?

2018 100

2018 Sparrows Birds Breeding 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

Being winter, this bird is in non-breeding plumage with more brown upper parts and lacking the white face it acquires in its aternate (breeding) plumage. A First Christmas Bird Count Experience » To learn more about 10,000 Birds, Mike, Corey, or the many marvelous Beat Writers, please click here. Beautiful bird.

Wildlife 178

Wildlife Sacramento 2011 Jordan 178

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2016

June in the Northern Hemisphere brings birds on their breeding grounds, some still frisky and others settled down taking care of their chicks. Lots of breeding songbirds live in those gorgeous woods, including several Hooded Warblers ! If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment.

2016 100

2016 Pennsylvania Jamaica New York 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2011

Here’s hoping this bird makes it back to its home turf to breed and comes back to spend another winter in New York State! But after repeated good experiences with birders as individuals, Mr Jordan has consented to allow the bird to be made public before it leaves. It truly is a beauty, and worth the very long trip.

New York 235

New York Woodpeckers Jordan 2011 235

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Informed literature bears out my experience that most birds are seen singly or in pairs. Outside of the breeding season a few birds may join together in a loose flock if the feeding is good. The former British colony’s Z.c. melli strain is one of as many as 12 races and shows a lighter face than many of the others.

2011 236

2011 Deer India New York 236

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most. Migrants will be around but their hormone driven urges to get back to the breeding grounds for procreation make them less than reliable on count day.

Israel 189

Israel Costa Rica Eagles Raised 189

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

to the ongoing conservation of breeding Lesser Flamingos at Kimberley’s Kamfers Dam to the Albatross Task Force, which works with fishermen to find solutions to seabird bycatch (birds caught in fishermen’s nets). The small group was a good counterpart to the large, convivial ABA Safari group of 98 birders.

South Africa 255

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 255

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

He brings to this book an academic background in biology and horticulture and, more importantly, decades of experience developing strategies for the best backyard bird feeding practices. Jim Carpenter is the founder of Wild Birds Unlimited, the popular bird feeder and seed franchise.

New York City 189

New York City Birds Squirrels Woodpeckers 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 7, 2014

I read that the Peak was a great place for thrushes in winter; experience proved the veracity of that observation, but you’ll need to examine the underbrush closely. Hundreds massing at Mai Po, many coming into breeding plumage. 133 Eurasian Tree Sparrow. 9 Little Grebe. 4 or more seen both at Mai Po and in Starling Inlet.

2014 252

2014 Eagles Asia China 252

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2019

I like sparrows. I like observing them, reading about them, grappling with species and subspecies identification, and even—on a good day—talking about sparrow taxonomy. The book does not include House Sparrow, an Old World sparrow that belongs to a completely different bird family. Scope of Book. Mexico border.

North America 201

North America Sparrows America United States 201

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2022

Seaside Sparrows were singing on both sides and occasionally popped up to give us a view before diving deep back into the Spartina grass, hopefully getting ready to nest. Seaside Sparrow. At the end of the road, we found two Nelson’s Sparrows who quickly flew out to a tiny bit of land in the channel. Eastern Meadowlark.

Houston 264

Houston Texas Sanctuary Sparrows 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

Also, I somehow doubt that whether I am stuck at work or not really influences how everyone else experiences spring but this is my blog post so I can use whatever criteria I want to measure how well spring has gone. Not much of a vignette but I have a nice picture of the sparrow so I feel that I had to mention it. Of course it did.

New York City 215

New York City New York Walruses Sparrows 215

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Harris’s Sparrows denote dominance by the amount of black on the head, the adult male birds with the most black ranking highest. Long-distance migrants, whose migration times are set by changes in day length, arrive at their breeding grounds only to find that the plants or insects they rely on are gone or eaten by resident species.

Hoarding 246

Hoarding Birds Research Sweden 246