10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Here in Suffolk we now have impressive wintering flocks of Barnacle Geese, often numbering 1000 birds or more. The purist birders take little interest in them, regarding them as no more interesting, or exciting, than the flocks of Canada Geese that have long been established in the county.

Netherlands 246

Netherlands Geese Denmark Feral 246

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2015

The distribution of color morphs is unequal in the Snow Goose population, with the maximum number of blue-morph geese occurring in mid-continent breeding and wintering areas 1. I photographed these blue morph Snow Geese at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge where I saw quite a few, including this juvenile (below).

Sacramento 246

Sacramento Geese North America Wildlife 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

My Dark-eyed Juncos are trilling in preparation to retreat to quieter breeding grounds, the Black-Capped Chickadees sing their two notes, and the Song Sparrows absolutely will not shut up. Snow Geese overgrazing their breeding grounds, displacing other Arctic-breeding species and setting themselves up for a fall.

Geese 231

Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 231

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2024

Few suitable nesting trees still survive today When I visited Kerkini last month, the water was high as high as I have ever seen it, though the number of ducks and geese was low, as is usual. There were a few Mallard, and the odd Ferruginous Duck, along with Greylag Geese and Mute Swans.

Pelicans 246

Pelicans Greece Fish Bulgaria 246

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2012

In the recent past Barnacle Geese that showed up on the east coast were almost uniformly considered escapes from waterfowl collections. That is, of course, awesome for birders like me who like to see neat geese without having to fly to Europe! Here’s hoping we get another good vagrant goose soon.

New York 210

New York Geese United States Canada 210

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Though these plovers are common on the North Norfolk coast, their nearest breeding grounds are far to the north. A few do breed in Europe, on the extreme north-east of European Russia. As the tide fell, it exposed sand banks that attracted small parties of garrulous Brent Geese. Pinkfooted Geese.

Geese 245

Geese Russia Unwanted Breeding 245

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2023

This year, with the exceptional rain and flooding across much of the land there has been a great opportunity for many bird species to move to the area and breed. It is not just the Magpie Geese and Pied Herons that arrived and chose to breed, but also the Australasian Swamphens.

Breeding 130

Breeding Geese Species Birds 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2014

discovered that the usual flock of several thousand Pink-footed Geese was wintering in the Broads National Park. It breeds in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard and overwinters (singly and at mountain top hot springs – if Hollywood is to be trusted) along the coasts of northern Europe. Two Common Snipes , one Brown Hare and… geese!

Geese 240

Geese Barn Owls Serbia Sheep 240

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Ring-billed Gulls in Breeding Plumage Ring-billed Gulls in Breeding Plumage By Corey • March 8, 2011 • 3 comments Tweet Share It should come as no surprise to readers of 10,000 Birds that I do not love gulls.

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Breeding 2011 Deer New York 145

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2014

As I mentioned before, Freezeout means Snow Geese , and lots of them. But like any aspect of migration, the lots-of-Snow-Geese phenomenon is ephemeral and to some degree unpredictable, occuring earlier one year, later the next, and then gone as the geese head north to make more geese or south to wait out the winter.

Geese 226

Geese Montana Ducks Falcons 226

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

Kirtland’s Warbler is a classic niche species; they breed in only very specific conditions, which occur in only a very specific area. this species breeds. Fortunately, there were still a handful of immature birds alive at sea, and a few years later they were back on Toroshima breeding again.

Albatross 253

Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 253

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

Add more than 350 pairs of White Pelicans to that picture, numerous herons and up to 700 pairs of Pygmy Cormorants breeding in the same reedbeds (cover photo)… It must be bursting with activity in spring, but I was there in mid-September. Greylag Geese. Have you heard of it? Can you pinpoint it on a map? Practicalities.

Greece 252

Greece Pelicans Geese Albania 252

4 The Love Of Animals

APRIL 30, 2013

Ducks and geese may not be a particularly unusual sight in the wild, but have you ever thought about keeping them as pets? Ducks and geese make excellent pets because it is interesting to watch them as they go about their activities and engage with their environment. They can make excellent, if slightly quirky, pets.

Geese 100

Geese Ducks Pets Chickens 100

4 The Love Of Animals

APRIL 30, 2013

Ducks and geese may not be a particularly unusual sight in the wild, but have you ever thought about keeping them as pets? Ducks and geese make excellent pets because it is interesting to watch them as they go about their activities and engage with their environment. They can make excellent, if slightly quirky, pets.

Geese 100

Geese Ducks Pets Chickens 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

They migrate north through the Western United States, breeding in pockets all the way up through Canada. Compare that to the water body’s other regulars – Canada Geese – that reach “only” 43 inches with a wingspan of nearly 67 inches. Did I mention they’re huge?

Pelicans 264

Pelicans United States Arizona Canada 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Counting the Birds I was in my teens when I undertook my first bird-survey: it was field work for the British Trust for Ornithology’s The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. The breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland. Published in 1976, The Atlas was, I believe, the very first work of its kind.

Ireland 246

Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 246

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2011

The highlight of the early winter period for many over here has been an unusually large influx of Greater White-fronted Geese along the full span of the East Coast before penetrating further west and inland over the past 2-3 weeks.

Geese 213

Geese Russia Europe 2009 213

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

A Great Egret , a few Pygmy Cormorants and, by the middle of the Danube, about a hundred Greylag Geese. Two hundred yards further, the first Common Goldeneye and Smew started to appear and, while counting Smew and geese, a Great Bittern took flight from one stand of reeds to another, right in front of us.

Geese 200

Geese Serbia Estonia Ukraine 200

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2012

With 7,500 birds (1,500 breeding pairs), the German population is still rather small compared to the numbers the parakeets have built up in the UK or the Netherlands, where the populations range in the 10s of thousands. and the White Storks are also wild and countable despite breeding at the zoo.

Germany 255

Germany Netherlands Zoos Costa Rica 255

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Every autumn, tens of thousands of Snow Geese arrive in California’s Sacramento Valley following their long journey from the Canadian Arctic (click on photos for full sized images). Snow and Ross’s Geese winter there in the tens of thousands. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeCKWKGhgR8

South Dakota 176

South Dakota Sacramento Geese Arkansas 176

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Nisqually NWR is a major staging area for migratory birds , a wintering area for many ducks and geese, and a breeding area for numerous songbirds. (As with any NWR, for more information check its comprehensive conservation plan ( here ), and, if applicable, its Friends organization ( here ).).

Washington 269

Washington Portland Birds Geese 269

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2012

I got out of my car and walked up to the parade grounds where large numbers of Canada Geese often forage. And while I was expecting quite a few geese I was surprised by the sheer number present. The entire southeastern quarter of the parade grounds was a carpet of geese! I sighed, set my scope up, and started scanning.

Geese 168

Geese New York City United States Canada 168

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

The male is the only Black-necked Stilt in the second segment of this video, along with several Greater White-fronted Geese, and the third bird that comes into view in the final segment that is larger than the other two birds. The male of the species has the upper portion of the head, back of neck, back and wings all glossy black.

South Dakota 242

South Dakota Sacramento Jordan North America 242

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Lars Svensson’s accompanying text explains “a rather puzzling fact is that, among wildfowl, hybrids appear to occur more commonly among geese and members of the ‘pochards’, genus Aythya , than among dabbling ducks. Many years ago a friend of mine kept a small but varied collection of ducks and geese. The reason for this is not clear.”

Geese 246

Geese Falcons Latvia Ducks 246

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2017

Not only have the Magpie-larks been busy building their mud nests and the Tawny Frogmouths been breeding at the supermarket car park, but other birds arrived and started to breed. Magpie Geese arrived in the Broome area and bred close to the main highway and have now moved off to deeper water.

Breeding 100

Breeding Geese Australia Eggs 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Queen of Spain Fritillary , photographed in mid November Clouded yellow – another common November butterfly For the autumn or winter visitor, the biggest draw is the flock of Lesser Whitefronted Geese that in recent years have been regular and reliable wintering birds on the lake.

Greece 246

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Ferruginous Hawks breed in the grasslands of eastern Montana, but they are rare in the mountains and in winter, so this bird was certainly a surprise. We concluded the days by unsuccessfully scanning a golf course flock of Canada Geese for Cackling Geese , then returned to Missoula chilly but triumphant.

Bald Eagle 229

Bald Eagle Falcons Geese Montana 229

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2017

Whilst enjoying the Magpie Geese breeding around Broome recently we also noticed a Magpie-lark nest close to the highway in one of the very few trees beside the road. The last few months have been exceptionally good for the bird-life around Broome and many species have been breeding or are in the process of breeding.

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Breeding Australia Collecting Geese 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

The Red-winged Blackbirds that were busy staking claims to breeding territory by singing from bushes, trees, and marsh plants were not groggy at all. There were plenty of waterfowl around as well, including the trio of geese that spend every winter at Jamaica Bay, Snow Geese , Canada Geese , and Brant.

New York 202

New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 202

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2017

Over the past few months there have been a lot of birds breeding around Broome with the excellent rain events that we have been having and the vegetation is at long last revived. The open plains are now busy with young Magpie Geese and numerous other waterbirds and the Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are busy feeding up before migration.

Breeding 100

Breeding Eggs Protection Cows 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2018

Depending on your particular interest, opt for March/April (spring migration), May/June (breeding season), August to October (autumn migration), or November/December when waterbird migration reaches its peak. Breeding season May – June , 261 eBirded species (yet, only about 242 breed in the country).

Serbia 189

Serbia Macedonia Geese Owls 189

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

Being technically outside the summer tourism season, one can enjoy the somewhat less expensive travel and hotel costs, less crowded venues, great weather and nearly endless daylight—and of course many birds migrating and beginning the breeding/nesting season! There you will find more breeding terns, gulls and dozens of Graylag Geese.

Iceland 243

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 243

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 180

New York City New York Litter 2009 180

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2017

After a very good Wet Season with substantially more rain than normal over the first few months of 2017 the land was flooded and a huge variety of birds arrived in the Broome area to take advantage of the ideal conditions for breeding.

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Breeding Eggs Raised 2017 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

But when it comes to waterfowl, the non-reproductive season offers some great opportunities in central Europe, as many species move south from their Arctic breeding grounds. Geese do not make it down to my home state of Michoacán, even in winter, so I am happy to see any species of goose, even Europe’s ultra-abundant Graylag Goose.

Austria 175

Austria Switzerland Europe Geese 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

A first-winter Red-breasted Goose at Cley, North Norfolk As a general rule, geese are birds of subtle, even dull, plumage. All the so-called grey geese – Greylag, Bean, White-front, Lesser White-front, Swan – look very much alike, and it takes experience to identify them by their calls and their shape and size.

Bulgaria 130

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2013

Nearly every species of heron and egret in North America forage only feet away, some of them in their dazzling breeding displays. Red-winged Blackbirds , within arms-reach, glisten in the morning sun and puff out their red shoulder epaulettes like proud military generals. Because there is more to come.

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Factory North America Alligators Trafficking 250