10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

This can mean some interesting birding, if you can bear the Shanghai heat … Of course, the egrets and herons described in my last post are still around. Cattle Egret … though some of them seem to want to hide (which is really difficult for a white bird). Some cuckoo species. Brown Shrike. Oriental Magpie-Robin.

Tigers 179

Tigers Cattle Bears Breeding 179

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

May is a busy month for birds migrating through Shanghai – and of course, last May was completely missed due to the lockdown. Note to other species: better do not rely on mature primary forests, as this may lead to extinction. But what do I know about the taste preferences of Cattle Egrets. What’s next?

Birds 130

Birds Cattle Raised Mammals 130

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2023

This leaves Shanghai in June with basically just the year-round species and the summer breeders, maybe with a few added ultra-lazy individuals of migratory species. Fortunately, there are a few more such breeding species than most Shanghainese are aware of. Such as the Black-winged Cuckooshrike.

Birds 130

Birds Eggs Breeders McDonalds 130

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2021

I pointed at the bird shown below but he insisted it could not be that species – no long tail … For people of a certain age, gender and background, at some point The Smiths were the most important band in the world. I guess the whole point about this band name is to suggest -ironically, of course – utter blandness.

LACS 225

LACS Birds France Japan 225

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

There are always stray cattle to watch out for, but we prefer to minimize the risk of hitting animals by leaving on road trips until a couple of hours after sunrise. Cockatoo Creek had stopped flowing many months ago, but the water that remained was a good water source for the cattle in the area and also the birdlife.

Cattle 185

Cattle Stray Australia Animal 185

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

Its mood is not helped by the ambiguous review on eBird: “Although not actually pale, this brownish songbird is one of the plainer thrushes in its range” The Latin species name of the Dusky Thrush is eunomos (I guess that is Greek, but whatever) – meaning well-ordered. One page is dedicated to the Long-tailed Shrike.

Blackbirds 193

Blackbirds Birds Indonesia Bhutan 193

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2020

Cattle Egret. And of course, there are all kinds of insects, spiders, dragonflies, caterpillars, etc. Cuckoo species (common?): Little Egret: There is a shrimp farm by the seaside. Very easy work. Similar to the Chinese, birds do not seem to mind eating frogs and toads. Brown Shrike. Black-winged Kite: Yes, it is a tail.

Fish 193

Fish Rodents China Vegetarian 193

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

Like my two previous visits I spent one day that I didn’t have to lead any field trips doing a run through central Florida looking for some of the specialty species of the region. On my previous trips I was successful on each and every species except for the crane. The first farm on the left, where all the cattle are?

Cattle 195

Cattle Bald Eagle Florida Endangered Species 195

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2022

This is also why you very rarely find a photo of a giraffe on top of one of these posts – the other reason of course being that a giraffe photo would be relatively pointless in a birding blog. While 6 local species utilized these artificial nests, the Chinese Grosbeak did not, preferring its own construction.

Mountain Goats 147

Mountain Goats Singapore Giraffes Birds 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

That honor goes to the Gray-crowned Crane , a very sexy species in its own right. Of course, we did, soaking in that slate blue beauty long enough to observe a successful hunt and more of its rangy, awkward flight. Having finally seen this iconic species, I can assure you that the experience wildly exceeds expectations.

Uganda 259

Uganda Africa Penguins 2019 259

10,000 Birds

MAY 14, 2013

It has no avian endemic species (only one subspecies), and its most spectacular birds like Venezuelan Troupial and Fiery-Topaz Hummingbird can be found in greater numbers across a narrow strait in mainland South America, where you can pick up an additional 400-500 species besides. Of course not. Not that I can blame them.

Cattle 157

Cattle South America Florida Colorado 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2020

Having observed the Cattle Egret in breeding plumage at the Derby Poo Ponds on June 19th we found ourselves at Windjana Gorge first thing the following morning. Sometimes everything appears normal, but of course it is far from normal. Green-backed Gerygones were calling and it is a species we always seek out when we visit.

2020 261

2020 Australia Cattle Groups 261

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2018

Of course there are plenty of Red-tailed Hawks ( Buteo jamaicensis ) around. This refuge offers such a wide variety of species, that I wrote a post awhile back showing several species of wading birds in the same location on the auto tour route. This juvenile was photographed on the auto tour route at Colusa NWR.

Wildlife 101

Wildlife Sacramento Bald Eagle Falcons 101

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2013

federal level, and a Species of Special Concern in California. (For The combined efforts of conservationists and sustainability-minded farmers, however, are helping to save the species. Of course, the best solution would be for the birds to avoid nesting in farmland at all.

Blackbirds 185

Blackbirds California Cattle Eggs 185

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2012

Have you ever enjoyed one of those brilliant birding expeditions, the outing where every target species takes its cue with machine precision? Of course we’ve all experienced the excruciating opposite of such an excursion, but when waves of new birds practically clamor for attention in quick succession, the feeling is exhilarating.

Trinidad 177

Trinidad Fast Food Cattle Blackbirds 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2015

Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa). Ethiopia, a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa, has firmly established itself as one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Yellow-billed Stork.

Ethiopia 239

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Cattle 239

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. For most of history, beer has thrived in agrarian settings, too.

Belgium 118

Belgium Vermont Farming Europe 118

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

Of course, on Chongming, the Chinese Pond Heron is very common. Unfortunately, in the science of language, this does not sound particularly raunchy but rather like a rational decision: “A rare species such as the Chinese Pond Heron might choose heterospecific mates rather than abandoning all chances of reproduction.”

Birds 162

Birds South Korea Japan Abandon 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2016

The proximity of both slopes also facilitates seeing a lot of different species in a short span because the montane barrier has resulted in differences in terms of species and habitats. This small antbird species is common in Panama to Ecuador but rare in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 165

Costa Rica San Jose Panama Nicaragua 165

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. Upland Sandpipers were seen almost daily, on posts, in tall grass, in trees, and, of course, flying away from us. . I wanted to see prairie birds and I wanted to experience a new state.

North Dakota 137

North Dakota Sparrows Birds Blackbirds 137

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2012

Now, seeing Sociable Lapwing , a species that is critically endangered and thought to number roughly 11,000 individuals, would be a treat any day but to see several pairs on their breeding grounds? Above is the area where the three pairs we observed were nesting which we were told was rather typical for the species.

Kazakhstan 127

Kazakhstan Cows 2009 Endangered Species 127

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2012

The population of parrotlets they studied was located on one of the many huge hatos (cattle ranches) in the Venezuelan llanos, a vast swath of flat flooded savannah in the central third of the country that drains into the Rio Orinoco. Over the course of the next several days, these pin feathers emerge and – poof!

Eggs 268

Eggs Venezuela Porcupines 2008 268

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? Cattle Egret: 133.

Miami 166

Miami 2015 United States Florida 166

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

Of course, I contacted Carlos Sanchez , alleged south Florida birder extraordinaire, to maximize the returns on what time I could spend. The reason the location is remaining undisclosed is that reliable Mangrove Cuckoos are difficult to find in the American Birding Association area and are a very sought after species. Come on, Carlos!

Florida 117

Florida Miami Birds Owls 117

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2020

Of course the water will have been evaporating daily, but it was more than appreciated by the local bird-life. The main bird species around the quarry were Zebra Finch , Painted Finch , Spinifex Pigeons , Crested Pigeons , Peaceful Doves and Diamond Doves. Water remaining in the quarry this year. A bush full of Zebra Finch .

2020 289

2020 Zebras Cattle Birds 289

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

In the time we spent on Culebra I saw 49 species of birds, not bad for an island outside of the wintering grounds for most neotropical migrants and only measuring eleven miles square. Of course Culebra is beautiful and Flamenco Beach might be the prettiest beach I have ever visited. I spotted eight species in my time on Culebra.

Puerto Rico 107

Puerto Rico Birds Sea Turtles Chickens 107

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2018

Following passage of the United States Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the California Condor ( Gymnogyps californianus ) was among the first 75 species listed for protection, the so-called “Class of 1967”. With enough room for another, of course.

California Condor 104

California Condor Oregon California Zoos 104

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2017

1,712 species, 12% of which are endemics. News flash–I just received the trip report from Carlos, and the tally is 419 species recorded, of which 16 were heard only; plus Ian and I saw an additional species before the tour started, courtesy of Paulo Boute. And, of course, Pat sees Jabiru every year in Costa Rica.

Brazil 147

Brazil Los Angeles Birds Tigers 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Nowhere else in Africa do the preconceived ideas of the continent really exist in such living detail; tall, red-robed Maasai herding their skinny cattle, endless grasslands studded with flat-topped Acacia trees and grazed by herds of zebras and wildebeest, and dramatic volcanic calderas brimming with big game and fierce predators!

Tanzania 214

Tanzania Africa Stud Leopards 214

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 201

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 201

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2012

Other species I was looking forward to as possibilities included Anhingas , Magnificent Frigatebirds , and seeing as the sun was supposed to shine, some raptors soaring. Other species I was looking forward to as possibilities included Anhingas , Magnificent Frigatebirds , and seeing as the sun was supposed to shine, some raptors soaring.

Honduras 157

Honduras Wildlife Monkeys Transported 157

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

The higher ground under the fence offered refuge to Black-winged Stilt , Red-kneed Dotterels , Common Greenshank , Marsh Sandpipers , Sharp-tailed Sandpipers , Red-capped Plovers and of course more ducks! They were busy feeding around the cattle water trough that the cattle can’t get to unless they want wet hooves!

Barn Owls 183

Barn Owls Cattle Reptiles Ducks 183

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume. This volume is no exception.

North America 177

North America America Family Falcons 177

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2012

The New Jersey Bird Records Committee (NJBRC) documents 465 species of natural origin. Used in conjunction with the species distribution maps, this is a helpful feature in evaluating field observations. That Cattle Egret I found in Somerset County, August 2009? There are, sadly, entries for extinct species.

New Jersey 190

New Jersey 2009 Bald Eagle New York City 190

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

Of course, this raptor pattern baldness exists for a good reason, which is another of the distasteful aspects of vulturine biology. The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things. Griffon Vulture , photo by Alan Tilmouth.

California Condor 179

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2016

Then, we became birders again, noting Common Mynas and Eastern Cattle Egrets on the terraced lawns, Yellow-footed Pigeons, European-collared and Red-collared Doves in the trees bordering the garden squares. The species is crepuscular and nocturnal, but can sometimes be seen during the day. It was a big owl.

India 188

India Tigers Owls Birds 188

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

And reports of birds nesting – not owls, of course, those weirdo snow fetishists, but other birds nesting – light up my life. We remember starlings not skylarks, House Sparrows not Eurasian Tree Sparrows , Cattle Egrets not… well, whatever we’ve forgotten because it didn’t do as well as the Cattle Egrets.

Montana 134

Montana 2011 Bahamas Deer 134