10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

Common Nightingales were singing, a squadron of Dalmatian Pelicans was in the air and everything was exactly where it should be, including myself. At mid-day, we took a boat tour of the heronries and the pelican islands with Nikos. Dalmatian Pelican © Dusanka Stokovic-Simic. Belles, rising steeply two kilometres (1.2

Greece 203

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 203

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

For mankind to snatch away a species’ very existence is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to explain them. However, despite our best efforts to wipe them off the face of the earth, some of the more vulnerable species have managed to hang on. this species breeds. this species breeds.

Albatross 235

Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 235

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

With more than 312 so far recorded bird species, Lake Kerkini National Park offers great birding year-round. In spring, a huge heronry of 10 species (including Spoonbill , Glossy Ibis , Squacco , Purple , and Night Heron , Pygmy Cormorant , etc.) and up to 9000 pairs forms in the north of the lake.

Greece 264

Greece Wildlife Boars Otters 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year. The Dalmatian Pelicans have a special relationship with Kerkini’s fishermen Dalmatian Pelican reflections Kerkini’s Dalmatian Pelicans lure photographers from all over Europe.

Greece 241

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Geese 241

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2024

True, most of our migrant breeding birds start to return in April, but in May even the late arrivals – Turtle Doves, Swifts, Spotted Flycatchers and Nightjars – finally appear. Perhaps most spectacular of all were two fine Grey Plovers in full breeding finery, living up to their American name of Black-bellied Plover.

Greece 243

Greece Turtles Breeding Europe 243

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2015

Brown Pelicans are quite popular in Louisiana. One of the state’s nicknames is “The Pelican State,” the bird is on the state’s flag, the state seal, the state painting (yes, apparently states have official paintings), as well as on one of Louisiana’s bicentennial coins.

Louisiana 160

Louisiana Pelicans Legislature Seals 160

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

My British total was a mere 172 species – not bad, but not very good. Every one of my 171 species was a bird that I found myself. It keeps a monthly record of sightings, so I can tell you that it was in February that I recorded my highest monthly species total (106), while my lowest total was in August (39).

Estonia 245

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 245

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2023

While the P-a-P Wildfowl Trust’s main thrust is the breeding and release of five duck species, the habitat encourages a number of native wetland birds to inhabit and proliferate the area. Due to the plethora of bird species around, invariably we were to experience something breathtaking.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Birds Ducks Fish 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2013

It was made a National Park in the 1980s and is a major breeding and nesting area for over 30,000 seabirds. The frigates are by far the most numerous and evident of the island’s nesting species. A male Magnificent Frigatebird in full breeding regalia. A Brown Booby, one of three booby species to be found on the island.

Whales 267

Whales Whaling Sharks Marine Life 267

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2017

In early August this year, I saw 77 species here (69 on the lake, plus 8 more in the surrounding areas) but barely more than a thousand individuals. In my homeland, some 800 km / 500 mi further north, these ducks are common on migration but very rare in the breeding season and I realized that these are my first young birds – ever.

Greece 210

Greece Killing Pelicans Eagles 210

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. This is another wetland species that nests in sometimes huge colonies atop trees bordering rivers and lakes.

Africa 250

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 250

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 195

Geese Montana Pelicans Breeding 195

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

Spoonbills and ibises are stocky, colorful wading birds with distinctive bills: downcurved and pointed in the case of ibises, flat and paddle shaped in the spoonbills (above is my shot of Roseate Spoonbills ( Platalea ajaja ) near a breeding colony in Louisiana). A cryptic species? Interestingly, Ramirez et al.

Louisiana 224

Louisiana Mississippi America Pelicans 224

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

Geographic patterns of species richness for birds (1,558 species) in East Africa at 0.25° resolution (blue indicates low species richness, while brown indicates high species richness). At the time of writing, Uganda has 16 hotspots with 400+ so far eBirded species, of which one has almost 600 species.

Africa 239

Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 239

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. Ringer Anhingas and darters , cormorants and shags , frigatebirds , gannets and boobies , pelicans , and the tropicbirds all share a characteristic found in no other living bird: Their feet are totipalmate.

2011 163

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea California 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is. E.g., a few weeks ago I guided a British couple around Belgrade, visited about four major sites and found more than 60 species. Black Stork – spring/summer.

Serbia 203

Serbia Eagles Sparrows Falcons 203

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2024

Take a quick look at the breeding distribution of European birds and you will see that there are a surprising number of species that are restricted to the Balkans. It is these Balkan specials that are the target species… Source

Herzegovina 237

Herzegovina Bosnia Albania Macedonia 237

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Other species of interest include the southernmost breeding population of Greylag Goose in Europe, Goosander (at bigger and deeper Megali Prespa), Hazel Grouse (at Mt. The local bird list is impressive at 273 species and my September daily averages were around 50 bird species.

Greece 182

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 182

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

The area is one of the most important in Greece for birds, comprising more than 270 species. Finally, of the at least 20 species of mammals present here, the otter, the jackal, and the wildcat certainly deserve a mention. And we were here in the very last days of June, just after that “to a lesser extent” good season.

Greece 223

Greece Pelicans Otters Birds 223

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Part of its attraction lies in it being a monotypic bird in the family Hypocoliidae – there are no other bird species in its genus and family. The other part of its attractiveness may be coming from the fact that it breeds in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan – countries seldom visited by foreign birders. Castor oil plant.

Iran 246

Iran India Pakistan Afghanistan 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Then a little later there was a spot of bother with DDT, but we pulled out of that one ok, with a toolbox that would surely stand us in good stead if we only had the will to use it – legislation and literature, captive breeding programs, nest platforms. And we did , for the Peregrine Falcon and Osprey , the Brown Pelican and Bald Eagle.

California Condor 223

California Condor Guam Whales Whaling 223

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

I chalked up 132 species in a pretty relaxed eight days, during which birds shared the agenda with culture. With 154 eBirded species almost single-handedly spotted by the UK expat Geoff Laight, the Paljuvi is the latest addition to the top-5 list. With 154 eBirded species, the Beljarica shares the 4th place on the list.

Serbia 187

Serbia Bulgaria Farming Turtles 187

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

We felt in high spirits after a gorgeous afternoon in the grassland, tallying up over 20 species of birds, including three lifers for me. However, there was no mistaking them: we had happened across a large flock of American White Pelicans ! Add another species to the daily list! Ring-billed Gulls in the fading evening light.

Kansas 117

Kansas Pelicans ALA Cows 117

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2012

Matheson Hammock County Park is a special place to many who grew up in the Miami area, filled with the nostalgia of taking one’s first swim in the ocean, seeing their first Brown Pelicans , or dip netting through the seagrass beds to find Pygmy Seahorses (the most coveted and prized catch).

Miami 163

Miami Florida Pelicans Birds 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2011

Undisturbed through thousands of generations by man or land predators, the birds accumulated piles of poop several meters thick and sat atop them with a proprietorial pride in huge colonies, breeding, feeding and creating even more guano. Now where have I heard that before?

Bolivia 215

Bolivia Chile Spain America 215

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2014

Nick finds a bird-shaped protrusion at the top of the rock – Black-eared Wheatear , not exactly a species I expect to observe from a boat deck. This shearwater is a Mediterranean endemic, breeding from Sardinia and Corsica to the Adriatic and the Aegean. The Sun already sets and I haven’t seen a new species in a while.

Greece 251

Greece Malta Croatia Italy 251

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2016

The exposed mudflat provided ample foraging opportunities for birds, and Brown Pelicans , Willets , and White Ibises dotted the shallow edges, keeping a safe distance from the teenagers. Rookery Bay, FL. As we watched, a slightly different silhouette soared in from the blue sky above, landing gracefully near a Red Mangrove tree.

Florida 154

Florida Mexico Protection Pelicans 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

I didn’t really have time to stop, but as I was passing by, I saw hundreds of American White Pelicans fly up and thought I’d better take a drive through and see what else was there. I spotted a Eurasian Wigeon amongst the American Wigeon right out of the gate, but that wasn’t the best sighting of the day. Get yours today!

Wildlife 157

Wildlife Sacramento 2011 Jordan 157

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

The warm, sunny climate beckons a wide variety of passerines, raptors, and shorebirds to spend the winter, inflating the species diversity to the extent that Miami-Dade can go toe-to-toe with counties in Texas and Arizona during this season. Can we hit 200 ABA-countable species in four days next year?

Miami 175

Miami 2015 United States Florida 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

The book is divided into three parts: “Introduction,” “Avifaunal Overview,” and “Species Accounts.” The authors’ detailed delineation of problems with the accuracy of NYC breeding bird surveys or with the limits of historical writings may test a reader’s patience. Most birders will go straight to the “Species Accounts.”

New York City 174

New York City New York Birds Breeding 174

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2019

During the winter migratory season, I can always count on seeing at least 70 species of birds. Last week’s visit, on November 4th, resulted in 76 species, with a very conservative estimate of over 2,000 individuals. Hundreds of White Pelicans and Long-billed Dowitchers proved the winter season has arrived. All Wigeons.

Ducks 144

Ducks 2018 Pelicans Europe 144

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

The park is home to not one, not two, but large three colonies of breeding seabirds: the Brown Noddy , Magnificent Frigatebird , and Sooty Tern. No, that was not a typo, the Sooty Terns fly non-stop for an average of five years before they return to the Dry Tortugas to breed. Lots and lots of birds.

Florida 201

Florida Birds Groups North Carolina 201

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

ALWAYS assume there is some other bird species in there that you have not found yet. Here is a flock of endangered species. You may be happy to have a flock of chickadees visit your backyard, but it is difficult to ignore hundreds of American White Pelicans streaming by. Certain flocks of birds really grab your attention.

North Dakota 168

North Dakota LACS Oakland Iceland 168

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2015

But, I did take many photos, and used the book, in spurts during the trip and more closely afterward, to identify three seabird species, two expected (Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters) and one a surprise. It does not include near-shore, coastal species, like Brown Pelican, Elegant Tern, and Harbor Seal.

Dolphins 162

Dolphins Porpoises Whales Whaling 162

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2013

The ride from Prisoner’s Harbor, where we had spent our day, to Scorpion Anchorage, was uneventful, though Desi did fall asleep and I did enjoy pretty good views of breeding-plumaged Pigeon Guillemots. This picture actually has three species of shearwater in it - Pink-footed , Sooty , and Black-vented.

Whales 151

Whales Whaling Dolphins California 151

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

We saw sparrows–a total of 14 species–and we saw many other great prairie birds, and we often saw them perched on posts. I don’t know much about prairies, but I have discovered that there is more to them than just grass, and that they are home to hundreds of butterfly and bee species and thousands of moth species.

North Dakota 165

North Dakota Sparrows Birds Blackbirds 165

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

“But lets see … I’d say one of my most memorable releases is that of a Purple Martin , a species of special concern in California. Their population is in serious decline, so their breeding colonies are monitored by biologists. But I did one Brown Pelican release that was memorable.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 247

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ohio Tulsa West Virginia 247